Signing up is quick. Working out which of your three ID numbers a tool is asking for is the part that wastes an afternoon.
Stuart Miles Posted
CJ’s sign-up takes a few minutes. What takes longer is working out, three weeks later, which of your several ID numbers a tool is actually asking for.
Signing up
The homepage sends advertisers and publishers different ways — advertisers get “Get Started”, publishers get “Sign Up”. Take the publisher one. It’s free.
You need a live website to apply, and the URL has to be the full address including the protocol. CJ vets on identity, business legitimacy and historical performance, and they re-review existing publishers periodically rather than approving once and forgetting. They don’t publish a turnaround time.
Once you’re in there’s a guided onboarding checklist, which is worth actually completing — it’s resumable, and it sets up the things you’d otherwise hunt for later.
CID, PID and AID
This is the bit worth bookmarking.
Your CID is your company. One per publisher account, and it’s what distinguishes you from every other account on CJ. Top right of the dashboard, next to your username.
Your PID is your property. One per website, social handle or newsletter. Under Account, then the Websites tab. Run three sites and you have one CID and three PIDs.
The AID is the link. Added automatically to identify which creative was used, and it works with the PID to attribute performance.
The practical version: the CID is who you are, the PID is where the traffic came from, and it’s the PID that appears in your tracking links. When a tool asks for your CJ ID and you’re not sure which it means, it’s almost always the PID — and that’s the one you’ll need when connecting it to a tool.
Getting paid
CJ pays twice monthly — around the 20th for all currencies, and around the 28th for USD, GBP and EUR. Payment is by direct deposit or Payoneer, in over 150 currencies.
The threshold is unusual: you set it yourself, under Account then Administrative Settings. Your closed commission balance has to clear whatever minimum you’ve chosen. So if you’re wondering why nothing has arrived, check what you set rather than assuming there’s a network default.
Commissions move through four states — new, extended, locked, closed — and only closed balances pay out. Closing happens around the 13th and 22nd. How quickly a commission locks depends on the advertiser, and it can be anywhere from ten days to sixty.
Scale
CJ publishes a figure of over 3,800 global brands across retail, travel, finance and home services. That’s their number rather than an audited one, but it’s current and it’s on their own about page.
Three IDs, and that’s just CJ
Every network numbers you differently. CJ gives you three. Awin gives you a publisher ID. Impact calls it an account ID. Rakuten buries theirs inside a generated link. None of them mean the same thing and all of them get asked for.
Squirrel holds them all in one account, alongside the networks we connect to — your own relationships always take priority, and the gaps get filled where you don’t have one.
Before you add another, a free link check will show you what your existing links are actually doing. About a minute, no account.
Common questions
Is CJ Affiliate free to join?
Yes, for publishers. You need a live website to apply.
What is the difference between a CJ CID and PID?
The CID identifies your account - one per publisher. The PID identifies a promotional property - one per site or channel. Tracking links carry the PID.
Where do I find my CJ PID?
Under Account, then the Websites tab. Your CID is top right next to your username.
What is the CJ payment threshold?
You set it yourself under Account then Administrative Settings. There’s no fixed network minimum.
When does CJ pay?
Around the 20th for all currencies, and again around the 28th for USD, GBP and EUR.