Affiliate Disclosure

1. How We Make Money

PlantCompare is a free service to help you compare plant prices across UK garden retailers. We do not charge you for using our website, and you will never be required to pay PlantCompare directly.

We earn revenue through affiliate commissions.

When you click on a link to a retailer's website through PlantCompare and make a purchase, the retailer pays us a commission. This is a standard business model used by many comparison and recommendation websites. The commission we receive does not increase the price you pay – you pay the exact same amount whether you reach the retailer directly or through our links.

2. Key Facts About Our Affiliate Relationships

3. How the Affiliate Process Works

1. You find a plant comparison

   You search for a plant or browse our site and find prices from multiple retailers.

2. You click a retailer link

   You click on a link to a retailer's website. This link contains tracking information that identifies it came from PlantCompare.

3. You're redirected to the retailer

   You are taken directly to the retailer's website to complete your shopping and purchase. You are no longer on PlantCompare.

4. You complete your purchase

   You shop on the retailer's website and make a purchase. You pay the retailer directly, using their payment methods and terms.

5. We receive a commission

   The retailer (either directly or through an affiliate network) pays PlantCompare a commission for referring you. This is typically 5-15% of the sale, depending on the retailer.

6. You pay nothing extra

   You pay the same amount as if you had found the retailer yourself. The commission comes from the retailer's margin, not from inflating your purchase price.

4. Which Retailers and Networks We Work With

PlantCompare participates in affiliate marketing programs through the following networks and retailers:

4.1 Affiliate Networks

• Awin (Awinning Limited): One of the largest affiliate networks. We are affiliated with numerous garden retailers through Awin.

  Website: awin.com

• CJ Affiliate (Conversant): Major affiliate network connecting us with garden retailers and plant suppliers.

  Website: cj.com

• Amazon Associates: Amazon's affiliate program. We may link to plants and garden products available on Amazon.co.uk.

  Website: affiliate-program.amazon.co.uk

4.2 Direct Affiliate Partnerships

In addition to affiliate networks, we have direct affiliate relationships with individual garden retailers. These may include:

• Major UK garden centers and nurseries
• Online-only plant retailers
• Specialty plant suppliers
• Horticultural suppliers

As we continue to partner with more retailers, this list may expand. The full list of affiliate retailers changes frequently and may not be practical to list exhaustively. However, you can always identify an affiliate link on PlantCompare because it contains tracking information.

5. Commission Rates

Commission rates vary by retailer and range from 3% to 15% of the sale value. Some retailers offer higher rates for specific product categories. Typical rates are:

• Garden centers and nurseries: 5-10% commission
• Online plant retailers: 5-15% commission
• Affiliate networks (average): 5-8% commission
• Amazon Associates: 1-5% commission (depending on product category)

The commission rates we receive do not affect the prices you pay. Retailers set their prices independently, and the affiliate commission is paid from their profit margin, not added to your bill.

6. How We Maintain Editorial Independence

Although we earn affiliate commissions, we are committed to maintaining editorial integrity and prioritizing your interests. Here's how we do it:

6.1 Price-Based Rankings (Not Commission-Based)

We rank retailers and products primarily by price, not by commission potential. If Retailer A offers a plant for £15 and Retailer B (which pays us more commission) offers it for £20, we will show Retailer A first. Your interest in finding the best price is our priority.

6.2 No Sponsored Results or Featured Listings

We do not offer paid "featured" or "sponsored" placement to retailers. All retailers on PlantCompare appear based on merit (price, product availability, relevance), not based on how much they pay us.

6.3 Honest and Transparent

We disclose our affiliate relationships publicly (on this page). We do not hide our business model or pretend to be something we're not. Transparency builds trust, and trust is essential for our long-term success.

6.4 We Benefit from Your Success

Our business model aligns with your interests. We only earn money when you click through and actually make a purchase. If we drove you to overpriced or unreliable retailers, you would:

• Buy less often (hurt our revenue)
• Share negative reviews and warnings (harm our reputation)
• Stop using PlantCompare (lose you as a future customer)

We have a strong financial incentive to recommend good retailers at fair prices.

6.5 User Reviews and Feedback

We encourage user reviews and feedback about retailers. If a retailer provides poor customer service, sells low-quality plants, or misrepresents products, we rely on user feedback to identify this. We will not continue promoting a retailer just because they pay commission if users consistently report problems.

7. What This Means for You

The fact that PlantCompare earns affiliate commissions should not deter you from using our service. Consider:

8. If You Prefer Not to Use Our Affiliate Links

If you would prefer to shop directly with retailers without using our affiliate links, that's completely fine. We provide pricing information that is useful to you whether or not you use our affiliate links.

You can:

• Use PlantCompare to find the best prices
• Note the retailer names and prices
• Visit the retailer's website directly by typing their URL into your browser
• Complete your purchase directly with the retailer

However, we hope you'll use our affiliate links if you're comfortable doing so – your purchases help sustain PlantCompare as a free service, allowing us to continue helping others find the best plant prices in the UK.

9. Legal Compliance

This affiliate disclosure complies with requirements from:

• Advertising Standards Authority (ASA): UK self-regulatory body for advertising
• FTC Guides (US-applicable standard): Requirements for clear disclosure of material connections
• UK Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008: Requirement for transparent business practices
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Privacy and transparency requirements

We take these obligations seriously and have designed our affiliate disclosure to be prominent, clear, and easy to find.

10. Questions or Concerns About Our Affiliate Relationships?

If you have any questions about how we earn money, our affiliate relationships, or concerns about bias in our rankings, please contact us. We welcome feedback.

We're committed to being transparent and trustworthy, and we're happy to discuss our business model openly.