Affiliate Disclosure

Affiliate Disclosure – TechMilkyway Transparency Policy

Effective Date: December 9, 2025
Last Updated: December 9, 2025

At TechMilkyway, we believe in complete transparency about how we earn money. This page explains our affiliate relationships and how they work in simple, honest terms.

💰 How TechMilkyway Earns Money

TechMilkyway is supported by affiliate marketing, advertising, and occasional sponsored content. This allows us to provide free, high-quality tech content to our readers.

Here’s the truth: When you click certain links on our website and make purchases, we may earn a small commission from retailers. This doesn’t cost you anything extra—the price you pay is exactly the same whether you use our link or not.

🤝 What Are Affiliate Links?

Affiliate links are special tracking links that tell retailers when someone came from our website.

How It Works

Simple explanation:

You read our review of a product
You click a link to buy that product
The retailer knows you came from TechMilkyway
You complete your purchase at the normal price
The retailer pays us a small commission (usually 3-10% of the sale)

Important: The commission comes from the retailer’s marketing budget, not your pocket. You pay the same price whether you use our link or go directly to the retailer.

🏪 Affiliate Programs We Participate In

We partner with various affiliate programs to support our operations.

Amazon Associates Program

TechMilkyway is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

What this means:

Many of our product links go to Amazon
We earn a small commission on qualifying purchases
Your Amazon price is never affected
Our commission is paid by Amazon, not by you

Other Retail Affiliates

We also participate in affiliate programs with:

Best Buy – Electronics and tech products
Walmart – General consumer electronics
Newegg – Computer components and tech
B&H Photo – Cameras and photography equipment
Other Retailers – Various specialized tech retailers

Each program works the same way—we earn a commission when you make purchases through our links at no extra cost to you.

Direct Brand Partnerships

Sometimes we partner directly with tech brands and manufacturers for:

Product reviews and testing
Affiliate commissions on sales
Sponsored content (always clearly labeled)
Brand ambassador relationships

All partnerships are disclosed, and our honest opinions are never compromised.

✅ Our Promise to You

We want to be crystal clear about our affiliate relationships and editorial integrity.

Editorial Independence

Our reviews are honest, always.

Yes, we earn commissions from affiliate links. But here’s what that DOESN’T mean:

We don’t recommend products just because they pay higher commissions
We don’t hide negative opinions to protect affiliate relationships
We don’t promote bad products to earn money
We don’t let affiliate programs influence our editorial content

What it DOES mean:

We recommend products we genuinely believe are good
We share both pros and cons honestly
We compare products fairly, even if some have better commissions
We prioritize your needs over our earnings

How We Choose Products to Review

We review products based on:

Reader interest – What you ask about and want to know
Market relevance – Popular or important products in tech
Value to consumers – Products that genuinely help people
Innovation – New technology worth covering
Availability – Products you can actually buy

NOT based on:

Which products have the highest commissions
Which brands pay us the most
Which retailers offer the best affiliate rates

🔍 How to Identify Affiliate Links

We believe in transparency, so we make it easy to know when links are affiliate links.

Disclosure in Content

You’ll see disclosures:

At the beginning of articles with affiliate links
In product recommendation sections
On comparison and buying guide pages
Anywhere affiliate links appear

Common disclosure language:

“This post contains affiliate links”
“We may earn a commission from purchases”
“As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases”
Links marked with asterisks (*) or labels

Not All Links Are Affiliate Links

Regular links:

Links to manufacturer websites (for information)
Links to tech news and sources
Links to our own pages and content
Educational and reference links

These don’t earn us commissions—they’re just helpful resources.

💡 Why We Use Affiliate Marketing

Running a quality tech blog costs money. Here’s why affiliate marketing makes sense.

Operating Costs

Creating content requires:

Purchasing products for testing and review
Camera equipment for photos and videos
Web hosting and technical infrastructure
Software and tools for content creation
Time and expertise of our team
Research and fact-checking

Alternative Business Models

We could:

Put content behind a paywall (but then it wouldn’t be free for you)
Run intrusive ads everywhere (annoying and bad for user experience)
Accept payment for positive reviews (unethical and we’ll never do this)
Sell your data (we don’t do this either)

Instead, we choose affiliate marketing because:

Content remains free for everyone
You only support us if you find our content valuable enough to make purchases
It aligns our interests with yours—we succeed when we help you find good products
It’s transparent and honest

📊 Types of Affiliate Content

Different types of content may contain affiliate links.

Product Reviews

Our product reviews include:

Hands-on testing and real-world use
Honest pros and cons
Comparison with similar products
Who should buy and who shouldn’t
Affiliate links to purchase reviewed products

Remember: We test products before reviewing them. Affiliate commissions don’t influence our opinions.

Buying Guides

Our buying guides help you:

Understand different product categories
Compare multiple options
Find the best products for different budgets
Make informed purchasing decisions

These guides contain affiliate links to recommended products. We only recommend products we genuinely believe are good choices.

Comparison Articles

Product comparisons include:

Side-by-side feature analysis
Performance testing results
Price and value comparisons
Recommendations based on use cases

All products in comparisons may have affiliate links, regardless of which we recommend most.

Deal and Sale Posts

When we share deals:

We monitor price drops on popular products
We alert you to genuine discounts and sales
These posts contain affiliate links
You benefit from savings, we earn if you buy

Top Lists and Roundups

“Best of” articles like:

“Best Smartphones Under $500”
“Top 10 Gaming Laptops”
“Best Smart Home Devices”

These contain affiliate links to featured products. Products are chosen based on merit, not commission rates.

🚫 What We Don’t Do

Let’s be clear about our ethical boundaries.

We Never Accept Payment for Reviews

We don’t:

Accept money for positive reviews
Allow brands to dictate our opinions
Delete negative reviews for payment
Change ratings based on affiliate commissions
Hide flaws to protect business relationships

If a product is bad, we’ll tell you—even if we could earn money recommending it.

We Don’t Hide Important Information

We always disclose:

Major product flaws and limitations
Better alternatives if they exist
When competitors offer better value
Reasons you might NOT want to buy

We Don’t Manipulate Rankings

Our rankings are based on:

Actual product quality and performance
Value for money
User experience
Real-world testing

NOT based on:

Which product has the highest commission
Which brand is paying us the most
Which retailer gives us the best affiliate rate

📝 FTC Compliance

TechMilkyway complies with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines for affiliate marketing.

FTC Requirements

The FTC requires us to:

Clearly disclose affiliate relationships
Make disclosures easy to notice and understand
Place disclosures near affiliate links
Be honest about financial relationships

We follow these requirements strictly.

Your Rights as a Consumer

You have the right to:

Know when content contains affiliate links
Understand how we earn money
Make informed decisions about purchases
Trust that our opinions are honest

We respect these rights completely.

🌍 International Affiliate Programs

We work with retailers worldwide to serve our global audience.

Regional Affiliates

Amazon International:

Amazon.com (USA)
Amazon.co.uk (United Kingdom)
Amazon.ca (Canada)
Amazon.de (Germany)
Amazon.fr (France)
Amazon.it (Italy)
Amazon.es (Spain)
Amazon.com.au (Australia)
Amazon.co.jp (Japan)
Amazon.in (India)

Other International Retailers:

Regional electronics stores
Country-specific tech retailers
Global shipping options

Note: Different regions may have different affiliate programs and commission structures, but our editorial standards remain the same worldwide.

💬 Sponsored Content vs Affiliate Content

There’s a difference between sponsored content and affiliate content.

Affiliate Content (Most of Our Content)

Characteristics:

We create it independently
No brand pays us to write it
We choose what to review and how
We earn only if you make purchases through links
Our honest opinions, positive or negative

🔒 Privacy and Affiliate Tracking

Affiliate links use cookies to track referrals, but your privacy matters to us.

How Affiliate Tracking Works

When you click an affiliate link:

A cookie is placed on your device
This cookie identifies you came from TechMilkyway
It typically lasts 24 hours to 30 days
If you buy during that time, we get credit
The cookie only tracks purchases, not your personal information

Your Privacy

Important privacy notes:

Affiliate cookies don’t contain personal information
We don’t receive your name, address, or payment details
We only know a sale was made, not who made it
Your shopping remains private
You can delete cookies anytime through your browser

For complete details, see our [Privacy Policy].

📈 Cookie Duration and Attribution

Different affiliate programs have different tracking periods.

Common Cookie Windows

Amazon Associates: 24 hours

If you buy within 24 hours of clicking our link, we earn commission
Items added to cart are tracked for 90 days

Other Retailers: Varies

Some offer 30-day cookies
Others provide 7-14 day tracking
Premium programs may offer 60-90 days

What this means: If you click our link but buy later, we might not earn commission. That’s okay—your convenience matters more than our earnings.

🤝 Our Commitment to Transparency

Transparency builds trust, and trust is everything to us.

What We Promise

We will always:

Disclose affiliate relationships clearly
Prioritize honest opinions over earnings
Recommend products we genuinely believe in
Tell you about better alternatives if they exist
Update this disclosure as needed
Answer your questions about our affiliations

We will never:

Hide affiliate relationships
Let commissions influence editorial content
Recommend bad products for money
Delete negative reviews
Compromise our integrity for profit

📞 Questions or Concerns?

We’re here to address any questions about our affiliate relationships.

Contact us:

Email: mdfariv33@gmail.com
Subject: “Affiliate Disclosure Question”

We’ll respond to:

Questions about specific affiliate relationships
Concerns about our recommendations
Requests for more information
Feedback about our disclosure practices
General transparency inquiries

Response time: Within 24-48 hours on business days.

🔄 Updates to This Disclosure

We may update this affiliate disclosure as our partnerships evolve or regulations change.

How Updates Work

When we update:

The “Last Updated” date changes
We summarize significant changes
The current disclosure is always available here

You’re responsible for:

Reviewing this page periodically
Understanding our current affiliate relationships
Asking questions if anything is unclear

✅ Summary

The bottom line about TechMilkyway affiliates:

We earn commissions from product links to support free content creation.

You pay nothing extra – the price is the same whether you use our links or not.

Our opinions are honest – affiliate commissions never influence what we say about products.

We disclose clearly – you always know when content contains affiliate links.

Your trust matters most – we’ll never compromise integrity for profit.

You’re not obligated – use our links only if you find our content valuable.

Thank you for supporting TechMilkyway and allowing us to continue providing free, honest tech reviews and guides!

TechMilkyway Affiliate Disclosure

Honest reviews, transparent relationships

Last Updated: December 9, 2025

Questions? Email mdfariv33@gmail.com