Affiliate Disclosure

Effective Date: January 15, 2025
Last Updated: 2/18/2026

FTC Disclosure: Cool Nice Things participates in affiliate marketing programs. We earn commissions when you purchase products through our affiliate links at no additional cost to you. This disclosure is made in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

1. What Are Affiliate Links?

Affiliate links are special tracking URLs that allow us to earn a commission when you click on them and make a purchase from the merchant. These links contain unique identifiers that track the referral back to our website.

Important: Using our affiliate links does not cost you anything extra. The price you pay is the same whether you use our link or go directly to the merchant's website.

2. How We Use Affiliate Links

When you see links to products or services on our site, many of them are affiliate links. This includes:

  • Product review articles and comparisons
  • Pricing guides and tool recommendations
  • Buttons labeled "Try Now," "Get Started," or "Check Price"
  • Text links to software tools and services
  • Banner advertisements (when present)

3. Affiliate Networks We Work With

We participate in the following affiliate programs and networks:

  • ShareASale: Affiliate network with various software and SaaS companies
  • CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction): Large affiliate network with enterprise software partners
  • Impact: Performance marketing platform for SaaS and tech companies
  • PartnerStack: B2B software affiliate network
  • Direct Programs: We also participate in direct affiliate programs with individual software companies including Descript, Jasper AI, Surfer SEO, Copy.ai, Frase, Opus Clip, Originality.ai, Content at Scale, and others

4. Our Commitment to Honest Reviews

We are committed to providing honest, unbiased content. Here's how we maintain editorial integrity:

4.1 Editorial Independence

  • Honest opinions: Our reviews reflect our genuine opinions and are not influenced by affiliate commission rates
  • Balanced coverage: We clearly disclose both pros and cons of every product we review
  • No pay-to-play: Companies cannot pay us to write positive reviews or hide negative feedback
  • Real testing: We test products when possible or rely on verified user reviews and feedback

4.2 What We Recommend

We only recommend products and services that:

  • We believe provide genuine value to our readers
  • Solve real problems for their target audience
  • Have positive reputation and user feedback
  • Offer fair pricing and transparent terms

If we recommend a product, it's because we genuinely think it's a good fit for certain use cases—not just because it pays higher commissions.

5. How Commissions Work

When you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Here's how it typically works:

5.1 Commission Structure

  • Percentage-based: We earn a percentage (typically 20-40%) of the purchase price
  • Flat rate: Some programs pay a fixed amount per sale
  • Recurring: For subscription software, we may earn recurring monthly commissions as long as you remain a customer

5.2 Cookie Duration

Affiliate programs use cookies to track referrals. If you click our link but don't purchase immediately, we may still earn a commission if you return and purchase within the cookie window (typically 30-90 days).

5.3 No Extra Cost to You

Important: You always pay the same price whether you use our affiliate link or not. The commission comes from the merchant's marketing budget, not from an inflated price.

6. How Affiliate Revenue Supports Our Work

The commissions we earn help us:

  • Keep our website free and accessible to everyone
  • Pay for hosting, tools, and infrastructure
  • Invest time in testing products and writing detailed reviews
  • Create comparison guides and pricing breakdowns
  • Maintain and update existing content regularly

Without affiliate revenue, we wouldn't be able to provide the depth of research and quality of content that we strive for.

7. Alternatives to Affiliate Links

You are never obligated to use our affiliate links. You can:

  • Go directly to the merchant's website by typing the URL
  • Search for the product on Google or other search engines
  • Use comparison shopping tools or deal sites

The product and pricing will be exactly the same. However, if you found our content helpful and want to support our work, using our affiliate links is a great way to do so at no cost to you.

8. Clear Disclosure on All Pages

In addition to this comprehensive disclosure page, we also provide context-specific disclosures:

  • At the top of review articles: We include a brief disclosure stating that the article contains affiliate links
  • Near affiliate buttons: Major CTAs may include a small indicator or footnote
  • In link attributes: Our affiliate links include rel="sponsored" for search engine transparency

9. FTC Compliance

We comply with the Federal Trade Commission's guidelines on endorsements and testimonials. Specifically:

  • We clearly and conspicuously disclose material connections (affiliaterelationships)
  • Disclosures are made in plain language that consumers can easily understand
  • Disclosures are placed where they are hard to miss—not buried in fine print
  • Our endorsements reflect our honest opinions and actual experiences

Learn more about FTC guidelines: FTC Disclosure Guidelines for Influencers

10. Changes to Our Affiliate Relationships

Our affiliate relationships may change over time as we:

  • Join new affiliate programs
  • End relationships with programs that no longer align with our values
  • Negotiate better terms with existing partners

We will update this disclosure page to reflect any material changes. However, our commitment to honest, transparent disclosure will never change.

11. Your Trust Matters Most

We understand that trust is earned, not given. While we do earn money from affiliate commissions, we value your trust far more than any short-term revenue.

If you ever feel that our affiliate relationships are compromising our editorial integrity, please let us know. We take feedback seriously and constantly work to improve.

12. Questions or Concerns

If you have any questions about:

  • Our affiliate relationships
  • How we select products to review
  • Our editorial process
  • Disclosure practices

Please contact us:

  • Email: disclosure@coolnicethings.com
  • Website: coolnicethings.com

We're committed to transparency and happy to answer any questions you may have.

Summary: Cool Nice Things earns affiliate commissions when you purchase products through our links. This doesn't cost you extra and helps us provide free, high-quality content. We only recommend products we genuinely believe in and maintain full editorial independence. Thank you for supporting our work!