October 3, 2026 · 5 min read
YouTube Shopping for Creators: How to Earn From Products and in Which Countries It Works
Vladimir Sivenkov · Official RHEI representative YouTube Shopping promises creators extra income: you tag products in a video, a viewer buys, you earn a commission. It sounds simple. But the program has a hard limit that few people mention: it doesn’t work in every country. I went through YouTube’s official help pages and pulled out the essentials.
How It Works
In the YouTube Shopping affiliate program a creator tags products from brands in their videos. You can do this in long-form videos, Shorts and live streams. When a viewer clicks a tagged product and buys it on the seller’s site, the creator may earn a commission.
The commission rate is set by the merchant and differs by product. The money arrives through AdSense, usually 60 to 120 days after the purchase: YouTube waits for the return period to pass.
You can tag products from other brands, not only your own.
What the Conditions Are
According to YouTube’s help page, a creator must:
- be in the YouTube Partner Program and meet its subscriber requirements;
- be based in one of the countries where the program operates;
- run a channel that is not a music channel and isn’t tied to labels, distributors or Vevo;
- have a channel not made for kids: the audience must not be set as “Made for Kids” and neither should a significant share of videos.
In March 2026 YouTube announced the program is opening to all Partner Program members with 500+ subscribers. This is an important expansion, but country still matters.
In Which Countries It Works
The program is currently available to creators in: Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.
Canada, Russia, CIS countries and European countries are not on the list.
What this means in practice:
- If you live in the US, India or Brazil, the program is for you.
- If you live in Canada, Europe or the CIS, you can’t join it yet, even with more than 500 subscribers.
- Don’t buy courses on “how to earn with YouTube Shopping” if you live in another country.
Countries are added gradually, so the list may change. Check it on the YouTube Help page.
Who It Suits
Shopping brings money where you can show a product in the video:
- reviews of tech, cosmetics, clothes;
- “what I use” videos, roundups;
- cooking, DIY, hobbies with tools;
- vlogs and streams where you show items.
For channels about expertise, consulting and services Shopping is almost useless: you will sell your own thing, not someone else’s.
How It Connects to the 2027 Thresholds
In many countries Shopping requires Partner Program membership. And from February 1, 2027 the entry thresholds rise; details in YouTube Partner Program From February 1, 2027. YouTube also promises bonuses for Shopping to creators below 10M Shorts views, but without details so far. I wrote about this in Shorts Monetization in 2027 and will update it when the terms appear.
What to Do If You Aren’t in These Countries
It doesn’t mean you have no product-based monetization:
- Affiliate programs outside YouTube. Links to products and services in the description or on a website.
- Your own products. Consulting, courses, templates; this is often more profitable than commission.
- Sponsorship and ad integrations.
- Monetizing the channel through a partner network. If you have original content, you can work through RHEI without your own AdSense: Earning on YouTube Without AdSense.
The Main Takeaway
YouTube Shopping is a real way to earn, but only for creators in 14 countries. If you live there and shoot product content, join once you pass the threshold. If not, don’t waste time: it is better to build income on your own products and services.
Not sure which way of earning suits your channel? Leave a request: I will look at the channel and suggest options.