Affiliate disclosure.

VelourIndex (the “Site”) uses affiliate marketing as one way to monetise our content and keep our service free for all users. This means we sometimes use special links that earn us a commission if you click them and make a purchase. These affiliate links may appear across our website and related communications – including blog posts, product comparison pages, email newsletters, and even on our homepage. We value your trust, so we want to be completely transparent about how these affiliate relationships work and how they affect you (spoiler: they don’t increase your costs).

Our affiliate partnerships

We participate in several affiliate programs that allow us to earn fees by referring customers to products or services. Key programs we are involved in include:

• Amazon Associates Program – VelourIndex is a participant in the Amazon Associates affiliate program. In compliance with Amazon’s requirements, we clearly disclose that “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.” In other words, when you buy products on Amazon through links on our Site, we may receive a small commission on those purchases. This partnership does not influence the products we choose to feature or their prices. For UK readers, this applies to Amazon’s affiliate programs such as Amazon.co.uk as well.
• Awin (Affiliate Window) – We also partner with Awin, an affiliate marketing network that connects us with numerous retailers. If you click an Awin affiliate link on VelourIndex and then make a purchase from the retailer, we may earn a commission from that sale. These commissions help support our Site’s operations at no extra cost to you. Awin recommends that publishers provide a clear disclaimer to users that content may result in a payment if a sale occurs, and we adhere to this advice on our Site.
• Rakuten Advertising – VelourIndex is a member of the Rakuten Advertising affiliate network (formerly known as LinkShare). Similar to Awin, this network enables us to earn referral fees by linking to products or services offered by various brands. Any links you click that go through Rakuten’s network function like our other affiliate links – if you make a purchase, we may get a commission, but your purchase price remains the same.
• Other Affiliate Programs – In the future, we may join additional affiliate programs or individual retailer partnerships. Regardless of the affiliate source, our commitment remains: we will always disclose our affiliate relationships and maintain honesty in our content.

How affiliate links work

When you click an affiliate link on VelourIndex, a tracking code is embedded in the link that tells the merchant or affiliate network (like Amazon, Awin, or Rakuten) that you came from our Site. If you then proceed to make a purchase (or complete another qualifying action), we earn a commission from that sale. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. The price you pay for any product or service is exactly the same as it would be if you had navigated to the merchant’s site directly without our link. In some cases, you might even receive special discounts or promotions through our affiliate links, but you’ll never pay more because of them.

Any commission we earn through affiliate links is paid by the retailer or network as a marketing fee for referring a customer. These earnings help us cover the costs of running VelourIndex – from web hosting to content creation – and allow us to continue providing quality content and product recommendations. Your support through using our affiliate links is greatly appreciated.

Sponsorships and display advertising

In addition to affiliate partnerships, VelourIndex occasionally works with brands or agencies on sponsorships or display advertising.

• Sponsored Content – From time to time, we may publish articles, guides, or product features that have been sponsored by a brand. When content is sponsored, it will always be clearly labeled as such – for example, with a note like “Sponsored Post” or “Paid Partnership.” We only accept sponsorships that align with the values and editorial standards of VelourIndex. Sponsorship does not guarantee a positive review or endorsement, and all sponsored material will be clearly distinguished from editorial content.
• Display Advertising – We may display banner ads, native ads, or other paid placements throughout the Site. These advertisements may be served directly by us, or by third-party ad networks. These networks may use cookies or tracking technologies to measure ad performance and deliver more relevant advertisements. Any data used for advertising purposes complies with GDPR and ePrivacy requirements. You can manage your preferences regarding cookies and ad tracking via our consent banner or browser settings.

All sponsored and advertising content is subject to the same transparency and compliance standards as our affiliate relationships. Paid placements do not influence our editorial independence, and we clearly separate advertising from the rest of our content.

Transparency and compliance

Transparency is extremely important to us. We want you to know when content on our Site is sponsored or when we might benefit financially from a recommendation. To that end, we follow all relevant regulations and guidelines for affiliate disclosures:

• Amazon Associates Requirements: Amazon’s program mandates that we make our affiliate status clear. That’s why you’ll see the statement “As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.” prominently on our Site. We place this disclosure in a clear, conspicuous manner wherever required. For example, if a blog post contains Amazon affiliate links, we will include a notice (often at the top of the post) informing you of this fact.
• FTC Endorsement Guides: In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires that online publishers and influencers disclose any material connections (like receiving a commission) that could affect the credibility of an endorsement. We adhere to these FTC guidelines by making sure any page or post with affiliate links has an obvious disclosure that is easily noticed and understood. This might be a short message like “This post contains affiliate links, and we may earn a commission when you buy through these links.” We avoid vague terms and ensure the wording is clear about the nature of the relationship (for instance, we won’t just label a link with “aff” since many readers might not recognize that as an advertisement).
• UK ASA/CMA Guidelines: Being UK-based, VelourIndex also complies with the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rules and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) guidance on affiliate marketing. UK regulations state that advertisements and affiliate content must be clearly identifiable as such. This means we will label affiliate content in plain language – often using terms like “Ad,” “Advertisement,” or explicit disclosures – so it’s immediately clear to readers. Whether the affiliate link appears on our website, in a newsletter, or on social media, we strive to ensure that the promotional nature is disclosed upfront in accordance with these standards. Both the brand/merchant and we as the affiliate share responsibility for transparency under the ASA rules, and we take that responsibility seriously.

In practice, you may notice disclaimers or tags adjacent to affiliate links or at the beginning/end of articles and emails. For example, on our homepage or within a product comparison chart, we might add a note like: “Disclosure: If you buy a product through our links, we may earn a commission.” Placing such a disclaimer prominently (ideally “above the fold” on the page) is considered a good practice in the affiliate industry. Our goal is that you never feel misled – whenever you see a recommendation on VelourIndex, you can assume we might have an affiliate relationship, and we’ll remind you of that wherever appropriate.

We do want to emphasize that our editorial content is independent. Affiliate partnerships do not determine which products or services we review or recommend. We research and select items based on their merit, usefulness, and relevance to our readers. Any opinions expressed about products are our own honest assessments. The presence of an affiliate partnership does not influence our verdict on a product – if we wouldn’t recommend something to a close friend, we won’t recommend it to you, regardless of potential commissions.

Privacy, cookies and GDPR compliance

Your privacy is of utmost importance. As part of our affiliate programs, certain cookies or other tracking technologies may be used by our partners to track the referral (so that our commission can be recorded). For instance, when you click an affiliate link on VelourIndex, a cookie may be placed on your browser by the retailer or affiliate network. This cookie simply notes that you came from our Site and typically expires after a set period. It does not provide us with personal information about you; we cannot see your name, address, or any payment details – we only receive aggregate information such as an item was purchased via our link.

We are committed to complying with privacy regulations like the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ePrivacy directives. Amazon, for example, explicitly requires that we disclose our use of cookies and other tracking technologies to users and obtain any necessary consents, in line with applicable laws. We fulfill this obligation through our Privacy Policy and cookie consent mechanisms on the Site. You will typically see a cookie consent banner when you first visit VelourIndex (especially if you’re in the UK/EU), which informs you about the use of cookies – including those that might be set by third-party affiliate networks – and allows you to manage your preferences.

In plain terms, any data collected via affiliate tracking is used solely for the purpose of tracking commissions. We do not collect or store personal data from you during this process, apart from standard analytics as explained in our Privacy Policy. We encourage you to read our Privacy Policy for full details on how we handle user data, cookies, and your rights under GDPR. If you have any concerns about data privacy in the context of affiliate links, please contact us (details below) and we’ll be happy to explain further.

Your consent

By using VelourIndex and clicking on our affiliate links, you acknowledge and consent to the fact that we may earn a commission in this manner. We assume, by your continued use of our Site after seeing our disclosures, that you understand and agree with our affiliate relationships. If you ever have questions about whether a link is an affiliate link or how we disclose financial relationships, feel free to ask us.

Contacting us

Transparency and integrity are core to VelourIndex’s mission. If you have any questions or concerns about this Affiliate Disclosure or our practices, please reach out to us. You can contact us at contact@velourindex.com (or use the contact form on our Site). We welcome feedback and will gladly provide more information if needed.

Thank you for supporting VelourIndex. Your readership and trust mean everything to us. By understanding our affiliate disclosure, you can continue to enjoy our content with confidence, knowing we’re committed to honesty and compliance at every step.