Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using TheAffiliateIndex ("we", "us", "our", or the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to all of these Terms, you may not access or use the Service. We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time, and your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

2. Description of Service

TheAffiliateIndex is an open registry and discovery platform for affiliate programs. We operate as a two-sided marketplace connecting:

• Brands (also referred to as "Organizations") that create and manage affiliate program listings; and
• Partners (also referred to as "Affiliates") who browse, compare, review, and apply to affiliate programs.

We do not operate an affiliate network. We do not process affiliate commissions, handle payouts, or mediate disputes between brands and partners. Our role is limited to providing the discovery platform, click-through attribution tracking, and communication tools described herein.

3. User Accounts

To access certain features, you must create an account. When registering, you agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration.
• Maintain and promptly update your account information to keep it accurate and complete.
• Maintain the security and confidentiality of your login credentials.
• Accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account.
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.

You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account. We reserve the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, or remove content at our sole discretion.

4. Partner Accounts

Partner accounts are free and provide access to the following features:

• Public Profiles: Each partner has a public profile page displaying their username, bio, niches, and review history. You understand that your profile is publicly visible to all visitors.
• Reviews: You may submit reviews for affiliate programs you have experience with. All reviews are subject to our review guidelines (Section 7).
• Saved Searches: You may save search queries and program bookmarks for later reference, subject to plan limits.
• Notifications: You may receive notifications about new programs, messages from brands, and updates to saved searches.

5. Brand / Organization Accounts

Brands register as organizations and may access the following features:

• Organization Workspaces: Each organization has a dedicated workspace with its own dashboard, analytics, and settings.
• Team Roles: Organization owners may invite team members and assign roles (Owner, Admin, Member). You are responsible for the actions of all team members within your organization.
• Listing Creation: Organizations may create affiliate program listings that appear in the public registry, subject to our approval workflow (Section 6).
• Messaging: Organizations on eligible plans may contact partners through our messaging system, subject to the rules in Section 9.

Some organization features require a paid plan. See Section 10 for details on paid plans and billing.

6. Listings & Content

All affiliate program listings submitted by organizations are subject to the following requirements:

• Approval Workflow: New listings and significant edits to existing listings are subject to review and approval by our team before they appear publicly.
• Accuracy: Listing information, including commission rates, cookie duration, payment terms, and program requirements, must be accurate, current, and not misleading.
• No Misleading Information: You may not exaggerate earnings potential, misrepresent program terms, or include deceptive claims in your listings.
• Right to Reject: We reserve the right to reject, remove, or request modifications to any listing at our sole discretion, including but not limited to listings that violate these Terms, contain inappropriate content, or promote prohibited products or services.

7. Reviews

Reviews are a core part of TheAffiliateIndex. By submitting a review, you agree to the following:

• Honest Reviews: Reviews must reflect your genuine experience with the affiliate program. You must have actual experience with the program you are reviewing.
• Minimum Length: Reviews must meet our minimum character requirements to ensure they provide meaningful value to the community.
• No Spam or Fake Reviews: You may not submit fake, duplicate, or incentivized reviews. You may not solicit or pay for reviews.
• Moderation: We reserve the right to moderate, edit, or remove reviews that violate these guidelines, contain offensive language, or are otherwise inappropriate.
• Brand Responses: Organizations may respond publicly to reviews of their programs. Responses must remain professional and constructive.

8. Click-Through Tracking

TheAffiliateIndex provides click-through tracking as part of the platform:

• When a partner clicks an affiliate program's apply or visit link, we record the click for attribution and analytics purposes.
• Click data is made available to both the partner (in their dashboard) and the brand (in their organization dashboard).
• We do not handle payouts, commissions, or any financial transactions between brands and partners. All payment terms are strictly between the brand and the partner, governed by the affiliate program's own terms.
• We make reasonable efforts to ensure click-tracking accuracy but do not guarantee that all clicks will be recorded or attributed correctly.

9. Messaging

Our messaging system allows brands to communicate with partners, subject to the following rules:

• Consent: Brands may only initiate contact with partners who have opted in to receive messages.
• Opt-Out Rights: Partners may opt out of receiving messages from any specific organization or from all organizations at any time.
• No Spam: Messages must be relevant, professional, and directly related to affiliate program opportunities. Bulk, automated, or unsolicited promotional messages are prohibited.
• Content: Messages may not contain offensive, abusive, or harassing content. We reserve the right to monitor and moderate messages to enforce these rules.

10. Paid Plans & Billing

Certain features require a paid subscription plan (Pro or Enterprise). By subscribing to a paid plan, you agree to the following:

• Payment Processing: All payments are processed through Stripe. By providing payment information, you agree to Stripe's terms of service.
• Auto-Renewal: Paid plans automatically renew at the end of each billing cycle (monthly or annually) unless cancelled before the renewal date.
• Cancellation: You may cancel your subscription at any time from your account settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. No partial refunds are provided for unused time within a billing period.
• Price Changes: We may change subscription prices with at least 30 days' notice. Price changes take effect at the start of the next billing cycle after the notice period.
• Free Trials: If we offer a free trial, you will not be charged until the trial period ends. You may cancel before the trial ends to avoid being charged.

11. Intellectual Property

You retain ownership of all content you submit to TheAffiliateIndex, including reviews, profile information, and listing content. By submitting content, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to:

• Display, distribute, and reproduce your content on the Service.
• Use your content for promotional and marketing purposes related to the Service.
• Create derivative works (such as excerpts or summaries) for use on the Service.

This license continues for as long as your content remains on the platform. You may delete your content at any time, at which point the license terminates, except where your content has been shared or referenced by other users. All trademarks, logos, and service marks displayed on the Service are the property of their respective owners.

12. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to engage in any of the following activities:

• Spam: Submitting unsolicited or bulk content, messages, or reviews.
• Fake Reviews: Creating, soliciting, or purchasing fake or misleading reviews.
• Unauthorized Scraping: Scraping, crawling, or otherwise collecting data from the Service without prior written consent or use of our official API.
• Impersonation: Impersonating any person or entity, or falsely stating or otherwise misrepresenting your affiliation with a person or entity.
• Interference: Interfering with or disrupting the Service, servers, or networks connected to the Service.
• Circumvention: Attempting to bypass any security or access controls of the Service.
• Illegal Use: Using the Service for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by these Terms.

13. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account and access to the Service at any time, with or without notice, for conduct that we believe violates these Terms, is harmful to other users of the Service, or is otherwise objectionable. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. We may, at our sole discretion, delete your account data following termination. You may also delete your account at any time from your account settings.

14. Disclaimers

The Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We specifically disclaim:

• No Guarantee of Earnings: We do not guarantee that you will earn any income through affiliate programs discovered on our platform. Affiliate earnings depend on many factors outside our control.
• Program Accuracy: While we require brands to provide accurate listing information, we do not independently verify all program details. Commission rates, cookie durations, and other terms may change without notice from the brand.
• Availability: We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation of the Service.
• Third-Party Programs: We are not responsible for the actions, policies, or terms of any third-party affiliate program listed on our platform.

15. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, TheAffiliateIndex and its officers, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, data, use, or goodwill, arising out of or in connection with your use of the Service, whether based on warranty, contract, tort (including negligence), or any other legal theory, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Our total liability for any claim arising from or relating to these Terms or the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

16. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes, we will notify you by posting the updated Terms on this page with a revised "Effective Date" and, where appropriate, by sending you a notification through the Service or via email. Your continued use of the Service after any changes to these Terms constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the new Terms, you must stop using the Service.

17. Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at legal@theaffiliateindex.com.