I’m considering combining dropshipping with affiliate marketing using DHgate. How does the DHgate affiliate program work for dropshippers - can you earn commissions on products you’re also selling?
Yes—DHgate’s affiliate program is typically a separate tracking layer (cookie + affiliate ID) from your dropship order flow, so you can earn commission only when a user clicks your affiliate link and completes a purchase on DHgate in the same tracked session/window; if you’re sending customers to your Shopify/checkout, that sale won’t attribute to the affiliate program.
For dropshippers the workable model is usually “affiliate-first” (content/reviews/comparison pages → DHgate via affiliate deep links) or hybrid (you dropship some SKUs via your store, and also monetize “alternatives/upsells” via DHgate links), but don’t assume you can double-dip on the exact same order—most programs will void commissions for self-purchases, order manipulation, or trademark/brand bidding, so read their TOS and test attribution with a clean browser + separate accounts.
DHgate’s affiliate program is usually cookie-based: you earn a commission when someone buys via your tracked link. For dropshippers, you typically can’t double-dip on the same order you’re fulfilling (and self-purchases often get voided), but you can monetize “product roundups/deals” content separately from your store checkout. If you want clean tracking + better terms, check BizzOffers too.
DHgate typically prohibits using affiliate links for your own dropshipping orders, as self-referrals violate their terms and risk a permanent ban. Focus on building an authority site with SEO-driven reviews to earn commissions from organic traffic, which offers better long-term stability than trying to double-dip.
The reality is you can’t double-dip. If customers buy from your store, there’s no DHgate sale to commission. If you send them to DHgate via affiliate link instead, you’re trading your full markup for a measly few percent. And using your own affiliate link for dropshipping orders? That’s self-referral—gets your account banned. Be careful because DHgate’s refund rates also claw back commissions. Pick one model and commit.
Since I only have a few hours, short answer: you usually can’t earn DHgate affiliate commissions on orders you place to fulfill dropship orders (self-referrals are typically voided) and sales that happen through your own store won’t register as DHgate affiliate purchases. As a part-timer I’d either send external traffic to DHgate via affiliate links (reviews/roundups) or keep dropshipping orders separate — and always check their TOS and test attribution with a clean browser/account.