EPC (earnings per click)
EPC (earnings per click) is the average revenue a click generates, used mainly in affiliate marketing to compare which offers pay best.
What is EPC (earnings per click)?
EPC stands for earnings per click and is the average revenue a single click generates. It is calculated as total earnings (usually commission) divided by the number of clicks. Note that several classic affiliate networks such as ShareASale and CJ Affiliate report EPC as earnings per 100 clicks to make the number more readable — always check whether a source measures per click or per 100 clicks.
Why does EPC (earnings per click) matter?
EPC makes it easy to compare which offers, programs, or traffic sources actually pay best per visitor — independent of how many clicks each source delivers. For a Shopify store running affiliate or partner sales, EPC is a quick way to prioritize: is it worth more to send traffic to product A or product B? Keep in mind that EPC alone ignores cost per click and volume, so it should be read alongside ROAS, conversion rate, and average order value.
Common use cases
- Comparing affiliate offers: pick the program or advertiser that yields the highest earnings per click.
- Prioritizing traffic sources: decide whether newsletter, blog, or paid traffic delivers the most value per click.
- Evaluating affiliate partners: find the partners whose traffic converts best, not just those with the most clicks.
- Optimizing landing pages: measure whether product-page or checkout changes lift earnings per click.
Shopify perspective
Shopify does not report EPC directly, so you calculate it from your network’s commission data and click data. Use consistent UTM parameters on affiliate links so clicks and sales can be matched in your analysis. EPC is most closely tied to affiliate marketing, but the principle — revenue per click — applies to any channel where you know both the clicks and the revenue they generate.