Affiliate Program Terms and Operating Agreement
This document outlines our policy for affiliates participating in the Stellar Equipment Affiliate Program. It defines the terms and conditions related to commissions, payments, refunds, and other financial aspects of the program.
This policy applies to all affiliates who promote Stellar Equipment products through the affiliate program. By participating in the Stellar Equipment Affiliate Program, affiliates agree to comply with the terms outlined in this transaction policy. Affiliates who do not comply with this policy may have their affiliate status terminated, forfeiting any pending commissions.
Commission Structure
Standard Commission Rates
- Affiliates earn a standard commission rate of 10%* on the net sale amount of each qualifying transaction made through their unique affiliate link.
- Commission rates may vary for specific products or promotional campaigns, which will be communicated to affiliates in advance.
Qualifying Transactions
- A qualifying transaction is a purchase made by a customer who:
- Clicks on the affiliate's unique link.
- Completes the purchase within 30 days of the initial click (cookie duration).
- Pays for the product in full.
- Transactions that do not meet these criteria are not eligible for commissions.
AOV-Based Tiered Commissions
- Affiliates will earn 10% on sales up to $500 and earn an additional 3% on any amount exceeding $500 for a total of 13% per sale.
*10% is our base rate, but we're open to increasing it as the partnership matures to ensure it's mutually beneficial.
Payment Terms
Payment Schedule
- Commission payments are processed on a monthly basis.
Payment Methods
- Payments are made via the affiliate’s preferred method in accordance with the afiliate platform - e.g., bank transfer, PayPal, et.
- Affiliates are responsible for ensuring their payment details are accurate and up-to-date in the affiliate portal.
Publisher Policy
Eligibility Criteria
- Stellar Equipment emphasize that Industry Relevance is mandatory to be eligible for the affiliate program. Publishers eligible to join the Stellar Equipment Affiliate Program must operate within the ski, snowboard, or adjacent outdoor industry. This includes websites, blogs, social media platforms, and other online entities that focus on:
- Skiing, snowboarding, or winter sports.
- Outdoor adventure, hiking, climbing, or camping.
- Gear and apparel related to outdoor activities.
Quality Standards
- Publishers must maintain high-quality, original content that aligns with Stellar Equipment's brand values. This includes:
- Accurate and informative content about outdoor activities and gear.
- Ethical practices in content creation, avoiding misleading or deceptive information.
Prohibited Content
- The following types of content are not permitted:
- Adult content, gambling, or any material that could harm the Stellar Equipment brand.
- Content that promotes illegal activities or violates any applicable laws.
Brand Representation
- Publishers must accurately represent Stellar Equipment products and adhere to provided brand guidelines. Please see separate brand guidelines document.
Use of Affiliate Links
- Affiliate links should be placed on relevant content and must not be used in any form of spam or unsolicited messages.
Refunds, Returns, and Chargebacks
Impact on Commissions
- If a customer returns a product or if a chargeback occurs, the commission earned on that transaction will be deducted from the affiliate’s balance.
- If a commission has already been paid for a transaction that is later refunded or charged back, the corresponding amount will be deducted from future payouts.
Return Period
- Stellar Equipment offers a 30 day free return policy to customers. Affiliates are only eligible for commissions on transactions that are not returned within this period.
Transaction Disputes & Fraudulent Activity
Dispute Resolution Process
- Affiliates may dispute a transaction or commission calculation by contacting the affiliate support team within [30 days] of the transaction date.
- The dispute must include details such as the transaction ID, date, and the reason for the dispute.
Resolution Timeline
- Stellar Equipment will investigate and respond to disputes within 10-15 business days.
- Final decisions on disputes are made at the discretion of Stellar Equipment and are binding.
Prohibited Actions
- Affiliates are prohibited from engaging in fraudulent activities, including but not limited to:
- Generating fake clicks or transactions.
- Engaging in deceptive marketing practices.
- Using software or services to artificially inflate traffic or sales.
Consequences
- Any affiliate found to be engaging in fraudulent activities will have their account immediately suspended.
- Commissions earned through fraudulent means will be forfeited.
Stellar Equipment reserves the right to take legal action against affiliates involved in fraud
Attribution and Tracking
Attribution Model
- Stellar Equipment uses a last-click attribution model facilitated by the AWIN conversion tracking setup. This model credits the last-clicked affiliate link before the purchase as the referral source.
Cookie Duration
- The program has a 30-day cookie window. If a customer clicks on an affiliate link and makes a purchase within 30 days, the affiliate is eligible for a commission.
Payment Schedule
- Commissions will be paid out monthly. Payments will be made to affiliates through the AWIN network based on the accrued commissions for the previous month.
Voucher Codes
Authorized Voucher Codes
- Affiliates are only allowed to promote voucher codes that are provided through the Stellar Equipment affiliate program. (either through the Advertiser’s account or directly from the Advertiser’s Affiliate Manager)
Unauthorized Voucher Codes
- Affiliates promoting unauthorized voucher codes will have their commissions withheld. Repeated use of unauthorized codes may result in the affiliate’s commission being set to zero until the unauthorized code(s) are removed.
Expired Voucher Codes
- Voucher codes with an expiration date must be clearly marked as such, and the code should be removed or marked as expired after the expiration date. Failure to do so may lead to suspension from the program.
Best Practices
- Affiliates are expected to adhere to the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) voucher code best practice guidelines to ensure compliance and maintain the integrity of promotions.
Affiliate PPC Guideline
Paid Search Policy
- Stellar Equipment enforces a strict no-paid-search policy unless explicit consent is granted. This includes search engines, advertising networks, and social media platforms. Affiliates are not permitted to include any brand terms, misspellings, variations or derivatives in any search string or display URL on any pay-per-click search engines (including, but not limited to, Google AdWords, Google Content Network, Yahoo, Overture, Miva, Mirago, Bing, AOL search, 7Search etc.). Examples of prohibited terms include but are not limited to: Stellar Equipment, Stellar EQ, Stellar Ski Clothing, Stellar Outdoor Clothing, Stellar Shell Jacket etc. Consistent breaches of this policy may lead to commissions being declined and potential suspension from the program.
Required Negative Keywords
- Affiliates engaging in any paid search activity must add the following keywords in their negative keyword lists and apply the negative keywords to all campaigns in order to avoid conflicting bidding:
- Stellar Equipment (exact match)
- "Stellar EQ" (phrase match)
- "stellar" (phrase match)
Product Launches
Coordinated Efforts
- During product launches, a coordinated effort tied to a unique commission structure will be implemented. This will be communicated to affiliates by Stellar Equipment and by Awin through the news manager in advance, no later than 7 days ahead of the planned launch.
Use of Media Assets
- Specific media assets for new launches will be provided to affiliates and must be used in conjunction with the release event. Please ensure you are subscribed to receive receive these communications.
Promotion Restrictions
- Affiliates are prohibited from promoting any launch products before the agreed launch time. Any premature promotion will result in the decline of associated sales commissions. Stellar Equipment reserves the right to cancel commissions for sales that breach these terms.
Product Data Feeds
Accessing Product Information
- Affiliates are required to use the product feeds provided by Stellar Equipment for accessing product information. Scraping the Stellar Equipment website for product data is strictly prohibited and may result in termination from the program.
Compliance and Enforcement
- Stellar Equipment reserves the right to enforce these terms and take necessary actions against affiliates who violate any part of this policy. This includes withholding commissions, suspending accounts, or terminating the affiliate relationship.
Ownership and Licenses
- Stellar Equipment and its partners retain full ownership of all names, logos, trademarks, service marks, trade dress, copyrights, and proprietary technology, including any future developments.
- We grant you a revocable, non-exclusive, worldwide license to use our designated names, logos, and technology on your site solely for creating links to our site during Engagements. You may not copy, modify, reverse engineer, or create derivative works from these materials unless explicitly permitted by this Agreement or applicable law. Sub-licensing, assigning, or transferring these rights is prohibited and void.
- You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use any graphic or banner ad you submit for co-branding or return links from our site to yours. We will remove these materials upon your request.
Amendments and Updates
Policy Changes
Stellar Equipment reserves the right to amend this transaction policy at any time.
Affiliates will be notified of any significant changes at least [30 days] before they take effect.
Continued Participation
Continued participation in the affiliate program after changes to the policy constitutes acceptance of the new terms.
