// how we test
A program gets a verdict after real money moves.
Not after reading the sales page, and not after a week. Here's exactly what has to happen first.
Two stages: checked, then tested
A program goes on the list once it's been checked. It gets a verdict only after it's been tested.
check 01
The page has to load
The company's own program page, not a directory entry about it. If it won't load, the entry says so.
check 02
The number has to be published
If a company doesn't publish a rate, the entry reads “not published” rather than an estimate borrowed from somewhere else.
check 03
An individual has to be able to join
Programs restricted to agencies, accountants or existing customers get named on the rejected list instead of quietly listed.
No program that needs a professional license appears on the list. The insurance entries are quote referral links whose own pages say no license is needed.
Before anything counts as tested
test 01
We join it ourselves
With a real site and a real account, under the same terms anyone else gets.
test 02
We save the terms
A dated copy, so any change later is on the record.
test 03
We send real traffic
For at least 90 days, long enough to see reversals come through.
test 04
We track everything
Clicks, orders, reversals, and the money that actually arrived, with dates.
test 05
We contact support
Because you'll need them the day a commission goes missing.
test 06
We publish the sample size
A result from 40 clicks gets called a small sample, in those words.
The three verdicts
| Verdict | Means |
|---|---|
| Holds up | What landed was close to what the terms led us to expect. |
| Mixed | It paid, but slower, lower or with more reversals than the pitch suggested. |
| Doesn't hold up | The headline and the money in the account didn't come close. |
The scorecard
No programs tested yet.
Results go here as tests finish, with dates and sample sizes. We'd rather show an empty scorecard than a made-up one. Until then, the checked list is the place to start.
Walk away if you see these
- You have to pay to join. Real affiliate programs pay you, not the other way round.
- Income is “guaranteed.” Nobody can guarantee what your audience will buy.
- You earn more for recruiting people than for selling anything. That's a warning sign, not a bonus.
- There are no public terms. If they won't show you the rules, the rules aren't in your favour.
- Commissions can be voided for vague reasons. “At our discretion” means they decide after the sale.