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Affiliate Network Policies and Guidelines

Last Updated on July 13, 2026

Affiliate Network Policies and Guidelines

These Network Policies and Guidelines are incorporated into and made a part of the Publisher Membership Agreement, which can be found here. All capitalized and other defined terms used herein without definition will have the meaning given to them in the Publisher Membership Agreement. As used herein, the terms “Supplier”, “we”, “our”, and “us” refer to Rakuten Marketing LLC dba Rakuten Advertising, on behalf of itself and its Corporate Affiliates, and “you” and “your” refer to you.

FTC ENDORSEMENT COMPLIANCE

It is our intent to treat our customers fairly and to comply fully with all Federal Trade Commission regulations related to advertising. As such, we require that our Publishers comply with these regulations, including, but not limited to, Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, as revised effective June 2023 (“FTC Endorsement Guides”), which requires, among other criteria, that material connections between advertisers and endorsers be disclosed. This means that directories, review/rating sites, blogs and other websites, email, and collateral that purports to provide an endorsement or assessment of an advertiser must prominently disclose the fact that financial or in-kind compensation is provided from the advertiser. The 2023 revisions to the FTC Endorsement Guides significantly expanded coverage to address endorsements on social media platforms, AI-generated endorsements, virtual influencers, and consumer reviews. Publishers must ensure their practices comply with the current version of the Guides, including any future updates.

In order to participate in any Publisher Program offered through the Supplier affiliate network, you hereby agree that: (i) you will at all times adhere to FTC Endorsement Guides; (ii) your participating website(s) and communications in connection therewith will reflect your honest views, opinions, and experiences; and (iii) you will disclose your affiliate relationship with the applicable Network Advertiser when discussing such Network Advertiser or its products (collectively, “Products”), directly or indirectly. You further agree that all such disclosures will comply with the following four (4) Standards:

1) Frequent
Placing a single disclosure on your home page or a link to one in your footer is not enough. Disclosures must be on every page of your site that has a review, recommendation, comment, or article that promotes a product for which you receive any form of compensation.

2) Clear
The disclosure must make it immediately clear to the reader that you are compensated for your review. You may include other information in your disclosure, such as whether you personally tested the product or that your review is honest, but you must clearly disclose compensation first (at the beginning). Your disclosure must not be hidden in legalese.

3) Conspicuous
The disclosure must be conspicuous and easy to see on your site (in other words, it should stand out). It must stand out from other text on the page so that it is immediately evident to all visitors. The disclosure text must be as large or larger than the main text. The disclosure text must be colored (not black or gray) and contrast with both its background and the main text. It must not be lighter than its background or the main text. It must begin with the word “Disclosure:”

4) Requiring No Action
Your disclosure must be immediately visible to anyone who visits your reviews or endorsements. The visitor should not be required to take any action, such as scrolling (your disclosure must appear “above the fold,” meaning the visitor does not have to scroll down to see it) or clicking (visitors should not have to click a link), to view the disclosure.

For content published on social media platforms, in video format (including short-form video such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts), in audio or podcast format, or through any other non-website medium, disclosures must be adapted to the format and platform. For video content, disclosures must be made verbally and/or displayed on screen at the beginning of the content and must not be placed only in descriptions, captions, or comment sections. For audio and podcast content, disclosures must be made verbally at the beginning of the content. For social media posts, platform-native disclosure tools (such as Instagram’s Paid Partnership label or TikTok’s branded content toggle) must be used where available, in addition to all required hashtag disclosures (e.g., #ad, #sponsored).

You are advised to seek and obtain your own legal advice on how these rules apply to your website, social media profiles, and promotional activities for which you receive compensation.

Supplier and the applicable Network Advertiser reserve the right to withhold commission fees and may suspend or terminate your participation in any Publisher Program on the Supplier affiliate network should we determine, at our discretion, that you are not in compliance with the previously mentioned guide or other FTC regulations/guides we deem relevant.

PROHIBITED CONTENT AND PROMOTIONAL METHODS
Publishers are prohibited from using any of the following content or promotional methods in connection with their participation in the Supplier affiliate network:

  • Adult or sexually explicit content;
  • Content promoting illegal products or services, including counterfeit goods;
  • Content making false, misleading, or unsubstantiated health or medical claims;
  • Content targeting minors in connection with products or services not appropriate for minors;
  • Content that is defamatory, harassing, threatening, or discriminatory;
  • Content that infringes the intellectual property rights of any third party;
  • Malware, spyware, or any technology designed to harm end users’ devices or data;
  • Fake or AI-generated reviews or testimonials;
  • Misleading price comparisons or false urgency tactics (e.g., fabricated countdown timers or false stock scarcity claims); or
  • Any content or method that violates applicable law or the policies of any Network Advertiser.

Supplier and the applicable Network Advertiser reserve the right to withhold commission fees and may suspend or terminate your participation in any Publisher Program if we determine, at our discretion, that you have used prohibited content or methods.

USING ELECTRONIC MESSAGES
Electronic communications – including email, SMS (text messaging), push notifications, instant messaging, and automated calling systems – can be valuable marketing tools but can also be easily abused and become a nuisance to both recipients and marketers alike. Therefore, it is imperative that if you use any form of electronic communication to promote products and services of Network Advertisers in the Supplier affiliate network, you comply with all laws and rules applicable to your use of such communications and conduct your activities in accordance with the highest industry standards for electronic marketers. Please note that this same requirement applies to messages sent by you via instant messaging, SMS (text messaging), picture and video messaging, mobile service messages, telephone and automated calling systems, and any other types of electronic messages used by you in connection with your participation in the Supplier affiliate network.

Depending on where your recipients are located, you are subject to the following:

  • You must comply with all applicable federal, state, provincial, and foreign laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, orders, judgments, and decrees, including, but not limited to, the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (as amended), Data & Marketing Association (DMA) Code of Practice, the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code ), the Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD) (Lei nº 13.709/2018) (Brazil), the Marco Civil da Internet (Lei nº 12.965/2014) (Brazil), Mobile Marketing Association, the CAN-SPAM Act (15 U.S.C. § 7701 et seq.), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) (47 U.S.C. § 227), Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) (S.C. 2010, c. 23), and all successor legislation and amendments.
  • You must not engage in sending messages that relate to Prohibited Activities.
  • You must not send messages to recipients that you know to be minors.
  • You are responsible for knowing the source of all addresses contained in email lists used by you, and you are further prohibited from sending messages to addresses acquired by means of an automated generator, script, or other automated means.
  • You shall only send messages to recipients who have given affirmative consent to receive such messages. Where recipients did not originally give consent directly to you, you must obtain the following information from the data owner before sending messages to the recipient:
    • evidence that, at the point their email address was supplied, recipients were given notice that their email addresses could be transferred to another party, such as you, for the purpose of initiating commercial email messages, and were asked their preferences regarding future email marketing;
    • time and date stamp of the recipients’ consent;
    • “unsubscribe” records from the recipient and suppression policies of the data owner;
    • if the recipient is a part of an email list, information on how and when such list was built, and the data protection policies and privacy policies of the data owner in effect at the time of recipient’s consent.
    • Where you use addresses that you did not personally collect and acquire, you must have authorization from the data owner that collected the addresses.
  • You must retain full Consent Verification (see below) for all email addresses used by you.
  • You shall not sell the email addresses of people who have elected to unsubscribe.
  • You shall include your identity and a valid physical postal address for yourself and/or the applicable Network Advertiser, as required by applicable laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, orders, judgments, and decrees, to appear in each email. If your company is a corporation, you must also include your company registration number, place of registration, and registered office address.
  • Each email must identify itself as an advertisement or solicitation by “clear and conspicuous” means and must contain a clearly and conspicuously displayed unsubscribe link. In the event that the Network Advertiser, Supplier, or a designated third party provides an unsubscribe link, that link alone shall be used. The unsubscribe link must remain active for at least thirty (30) days after email delivery. The unsubscribe link may create a menu so that the recipient can choose from a variety of opt-out options; it must also include the option to unsubscribe from any and all further messages from you and from the Network Advertiser being promoted in the email. You must process all unsubscribe requests within five (5) business days of receipt of same. You shall promptly suppress the individual’s email contact details rather than delete the details to ensure that the individual’s opt-out/unsubscribe request is recorded, retained and respected until such time as that individual opts back-in/re-subscribes, overriding their previous opt-out request. Once a recipient has unsubscribed, you shall not help another entity send messages to that address or have another entity send messages to that address on your behalf.
  • You may not use a Network Advertiser’s or Supplier’s name (including any abbreviation thereof) in the originating email address line or subject line of any email transmission without the express written consent of such Network Advertiser (which will be deemed to have been given if a Network Advertiser provides an address line or subject line that includes such Network Advertiser’s name).
  • No email transmitted by you may include falsified header, source, destination, or routing information. Such information shall be considered falsified if it is altered or concealed in a way that would impair a person’s ability to identify, locate, or respond to the person who initiated the message. You shall not use false email registrations, false IP addresses, or any other false identifying information in connection with email transmissions (or retransmissions) for the purpose of concealing the email’s origin.
  • You must not relay or transmit email from a computer or network without authorization.
  • Subject lines may not contain false or misleading information about the message content. To the extent specified by the Network Advertiser or Supplier, you may only use approved Subject Lines made available for use in connection with the applicable Campaign, or other Subject Lines for which you have received written approval from such Network Advertiser or Marketing.
  • In the event that Supplier or a Network Advertiser receives a complaint from a recipient of an email Advertisement transmitted by you, upon Supplier’s and/or Network Advertiser’s request, as applicable, you will immediately provide Supplier with appropriate records verifying such recipient’s consent to receive email transmissions from you. Such records shall include, but may not necessarily be limited to, the URL of the underlying web site where the recipient consented to receive email transmissions from you (or from third parties), the date and time stamp of such recipient’s consent, the IP address of the computer used by the recipient at the time consent was provided, and the privacy policy of such underlying web site (collectively, “Consent Verification”). If you fail to provide satisfactory source information, Supplier has the right to suspend payment, terminate you from the Supplier affiliate network, and/or pursue any other remedy available under the Agreement, at law or in equity.
  • Network Advertisers and/or Supplier may make available, at a designated “Access Site”, a suppression list (and associated login information), updated on a regular basis, generated from email campaigns transmitted by and/or through such Network Advertiser or Supplier, for your use in connection with applicable campaigns. In such event, and depending on the specific Network Advertiser, you may be asked to upload your own list of suppressed email addresses to the Access Site via encrypted technology, or to download an available suppression list to be used to scrub against your existing email address list. If the Access Site is provided and no such suppressed email addresses are supplied by you, Supplier and applicable Network Advertisers may conclude that no such addresses exist. The suppression list and login provided are deemed to be Confidential Information of the party that provided the suppression list. Suppression lists may not be used by you for any purpose other than to comply with applicable laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, orders, judgments, codes, and decrees regulating email transmissions. You agree to process all unsubscribe requests as soon as possible and not more than five (5) days after being posted at the Access site.
  • You agree that, no more than forty-eight (48) hours before sending out any electronic communication associated with any Network Advertiser or with any Supplier-tracked engagement, you will compare your email list against the suppression list made available as per the above. You further agree that you will not send any electronic communication associated with any Network Advertiser or with any Supplier-tracked engagement to any suppressed email address.
  • You acknowledge and agree that Supplier does not maintain email suppression lists for each of the Network Advertisers, that Supplier is not responsible for any failure by a Network Advertiser to make available or to maintain any email suppression list for any Network Advertiser, and that as between you and Supplier, you are solely responsible for all violations of applicable federal, state, provincial, and foreign laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, orders, judgments, and decrees arising through your use of electronic communications promoting Engagements.
  • You hereby warrant that you have the right to use all material contained in your messages, including, but not limited to trademarks, service marks, copyrighted information, and all other intellectual property.

DATA PRIVACY AND COOKIE CONSENT
Publishers must comply with all applicable data protection and privacy laws in connection with their participation in the Supplier affiliate network, including but not limited to those listed in the compliance requirements above. In addition, publishers must:

  • Maintain a current, accurate, and accessible privacy policy on all websites and applications used in connection with their participation in the network, which clearly describes the data collected, the purposes of collection, and all third parties with whom data is shared;
  • Obtain all necessary consents for the placement of cookies, tracking pixels, and similar technologies on end users’ devices, in accordance with applicable law (including the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (as amended) in the UK and applicable US state privacy laws);
  • Not collect, use, or share personal data of end users beyond what is necessary for the purposes of the affiliate marketing activities and as disclosed in their privacy policy;
  • Promptly notify Supplier if they become aware of any data breach or security incident that may affect personal data collected in connection with their network activities; and
  • Cooperate with Supplier in responding to any data subject access requests or regulatory inquiries relating to data collected through their affiliate activities.

Publishers who operate in jurisdictions subject to the EU GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, or other comprehensive privacy laws must ensure their data practices comply with all applicable requirements, including lawful basis for processing, data minimization, and data subject rights.

USING ADWARE, PLUG-INS, POP-UP ENGINES, AND OTHER DOWNLOAD TECHNOLOGY

Software Publishers must recognize and Stand-down on publisher-driven traffic immediately prior to the software dropping a cookie. “Stand-down” means the software may not activate or redirect the end user to the advertiser site with their Supplier Affiliate link for the duration of the browser session. Specifically, all software must recognize Supplier domains and the linksynergy tracking links. When a Supplier domain or the linksynergy code is detected, the software may not operate or redirect the consumer to the advertiser site using the Software Publisher tracking ID (also known as Supplier Affiliate ID or Encrypted ID). We do not allow any DSA software that interferes with or deters from any Publisher or Advertiser website.

Downloadable Software Applications

Guidelines and Policies

Supplier recognizes that downloadable software applications (“DSA”), such as adware, plug-ins, pop-up engines, toolbars, browser extensions, AI-powered shopping assistants and recommendation tools, and other downloadable or installable technology (including mobile applications) can be a powerful way to drive sales for advertisers and commissions for publishers. Once installed on an end user’s device (including computers, smartphones, and tablets), DSAs use information that is input or received by the end user’s web browser, mobile application, or other similar technology to trigger the display of an advertisement, coupon reminder, or some other action. DSAs also have a real potential for abuse.

DSAs can force an end user to endure promotions or messages that they did not consent to viewing, collect personally identifiable information about the end user without their knowledge or consent, and interfere with other web browser functions. We prohibit these kinds of practices and reserve the right to immediately suspend or terminate your participation in any Supplier affiliate network if we find you are engaged in any such activity.

To ensure the quality of the Supplier affiliate network (“Network”), publishers must adhere to the Publisher Membership Agreement and these Network Policies and Guidelines, which may be amended from time to time, when developing, deploying and promoting DSAs to consumers.

Advertisers may also require their own unique policies and guidelines with respect to the use of DSA’s. Therefore, publishers need to be aware of each advertiser’s unique DSA policy, which is typically outlined in the applicable terms and conditions of the advertiser’s Affiliate Marketing program or in the Advertiser Profile; in some cases, advertisers may require you to obtain written permission in connection with the use of DSAs. These DSA guidelines and policies apply to all publishers in the Supplier affiliate network.

If you run any type of network within the Supplier affiliate network whereby you have publishers of your own which you distribute Supplier links to, within ten business days from the day of request, you will share site lists and provide visibility to Supplier and/or our advertiser partners of who is in your network.

Obtaining Approval for Your DSA

  • Please be aware that publishers must receive approval from Supplier and must submit the DSA for compliance testing prior to launching the DSA with Network links. Failure to obtain approval may result in your suspension or termination of your participation of the Network.
  • Publishers must notify Supplier of any new or updated DSA including detailed descriptions of any new or updated functionality before using such new or updated DSA in the Network, which may be subject to additional Compliance Testing.
  • For instructions on how to request approval, please follow the detailed steps located in the Publisher Help Center found in the article “Downloadable Software Applications (DSAs).”
  • Publishers must specifically request and obtain permission from the advertisers to allow SERP injection/overlay, direct type-in, natural and PPC search to be automatically redirected through their Supplier Affiliate tracking link. You must provide information on these agreements to Supplier as part of the approval process by providing us access to your cloud storage (i.e. Google Drive, Box, DropBox, etc).

Compliance Testing
To ensure your DSA is and remains in compliance with Supplier’s policies and guidelines, we require that all publishers interested in using DSAs submit to compliance testing as outlined below:

  • Prior to commercial release or revision of a DSA, you will notify us in writing that such DSA may be made available and will give us a reasonable opportunity to test such technology.
  • If we receive any complaints, claims, inquiries, or allegations that indicate or suggest that your DSA violates Supplier’s policies or guidelines, we may ask you to provide us a copy of such DSA for testing, which you must promptly provide.
  • Upon completing testing of your DSA, we will notify you whether your DSA is authorized for use in the Network. If it is not approved, we will notify you of any deficiencies in your DSA and you will be required to make modifications to bring it up to our standards. You will not be authorized to use the DSA in the Network until you make the required modifications. Modifications to your DSA must be in compliance with our standards. If changes to our policies result in your DSA no longer being compliant, you will have sixty (60) days from our notice to update the DSA for it to retain authorization.

General Development and Approval Guidance

  • The DSA should be free of bugs, viruses, and malware, and should behave consistently. We do not test BETA DSAs.
  • The DSA should have clearly defined version numbers.
  • The DSA should be configured so that it can be remotely updated from older versions.
  • We recommend publishers use a separate marketing channel and obtain individual approval from each advertiser for the DSA.

Development & Functional Requirements
The following guidelines should be discussed with your developer before you invest the time and resources required to create and build a DSA.

  • DSAs should be constructed with a consumer opt-in/opt-out.
  • These terms and tracking links should be the parameters used by the DSA to recognize other publishers’ tracking links, even if the links are cloaked or hidden from the end user.
  • The toolbar must recognize other affiliate publisher activity within the consumer clickstream and/or on the landing page, and must stand-down and not automatically overwrite the parameter.
    • The keyword to look for within the consumer clickstream to identify referred Publisher traffic is “linksynergy”.
      Landing pages associated with referred Publisher traffic may include (but not be limited to) the following query string parameters:

      • ranEAID
      • ranSiteID
  • The DSA must stand-down and not display any forms of sliders or pop-ups to prompt activation if another publisher has already referred an end user.
  • The DSA must not interfere with or manipulate the tracking code of another publisher when a user clicks through a link on another site.
  • The DSA must not alter the design or behavior of any other publisher or advertiser website.
  • The DSA must not interfere with the Supplier tracking technology, advertiser’s web-based links, other web-based advertisements, or other commercial offerings.
  • The DSA must not force clicks or “cookie stuff”. The DSA must not insert a cookie onto the user’s computer without the user knowingly taking an action that results in the cookie being placed.
  • The end user must click through the offer that is presented. Placing the mouse over an offer, only viewing it, or viewing all offers is not a click through.
  • The DSA must not automatically drop a cookie when the end user is only viewing offers. The cookie should only be dropped once the end user clicks on a specific offer.
  • The DSA must not contain malicious software such as viruses or Trojan horses.
  • The DSA must not change the default search functionality unless explicitly selected by the end user during installation.
  • The DSA must not automatically overwrite the advertiser’s organic and natural search.*
  • The DSA must not automatically overwrite the advertiser’s PPC or paid search.*
  • If the DSA overlays on the advertiser’s search engine results pages (e.g. SERP Overlay or injection), the DSA must not automatically overwrite the advertiser’s organic and natural search.*
  • The DSA must not overlay/inject on another publisher’s website search results.
  • The DSA must not overlay/inject on advertiser’s paid search results.
  • The toolbar must recognize when the ‘lsclick_mid#’ cookie is set. Where this cookie is detected, the toolbar must stand down and must not overwrite or otherwise interfere with the existing attribution.

* You must have documented permission from the advertiser for this functionality.

For purposes of clarity, The term “interfere” means, whether intentionally or unintentionally, to: (i) replace, intercept, redirect, disrupt, block, alter, or otherwise adversely affect; (ii) substitute, insert, or append; (iii) impair or adversely affect the behavior or functionality, or simulate, copy, or assume control of, or create a substitute or derivative version of, any browser, plug-in, email, software, file, or other platform or technology provided by any third party; (iv) cause an error or unintended result to occur; (v) cause the parties involved or affected to violate any applicable laws; or, (vi) aid, abet, contribute, facilitate, or support any third party to do any of the foregoing.
The stand-down, anti-overwrite, and anti-interference obligations in this section apply to publisher-deployed software and downloadable applications. They do not limit or restrict Supplier’s configuration or administration of attribution and commissioning models and criteria selected by a Network Advertiser, as described in the “Attribution and Commissioning” section.

Guidelines and Functional Requirements for End User Notification
All approved DSAs used by you must require “an end user’s express and informed consent” and, in connection with each and every offer or proposal, must provide for the option of both (i) rejecting such offer or proposal and (ii) deleting, terminating, or opting out of the DSA altogether. For purposes of clarity, the term “end user’s informed consent”, in this context, means the operation of any DSA requires all of the following: (i) the express and informed consent to download and/or activate such DSA upon reasonable notice and disclosure that such DSA is being offered for download or activation; (ii) the full opportunity and right to completely remove, reject, and deactivate, as applicable in the circumstances, such DSA; (iii) the full and prominent disclosure each time the DSA is triggered or otherwise prompts the end user to allow or undertake an action or transaction which disclosure must be sufficient to ensure that any choice by the end user to allow or undertake such action or transaction is fully informed as to the benefits and potential consequences thereof; (iv) the express consent of such end user to allow or undertake such action or transaction; and, (v) compliance with all applicable laws.

  • Consumers must be aware of your DSA and take the appropriate action to enable the tracking functionality of your DSA.
  • When it provides Supplier offers to the consumer, the DSA must alert or prompt the user to take action before any redirection takes place or a cookie is dropped.
  • The only way the Supplier cookie can be set is by a voluntary click from the user.
  • The offer may not automatically redirect to the advertiser website, even if the user has indicated that they “always” want to receive rewards, cash back, or donate a portion of their purchase. It must be clicked on by the consumer before the offer can be redirected.
  • If a user clicks on the link of another publisher, the DSA must not warn the user that the DSA’s own cookie is going to be overwritten.
  • The DSA notification may pop-up, slide down, or change color within the browser to alert the user. The offer cannot automatically redirect to the advertiser simply because the notification has been displayed. It must be clicked on by the consumer before the offer can be redirected.
  • The notification should be of a reasonable size such that it does not obscure the user’s browsing experience.
  • The notification should appear to the end user for a reasonable amount of time such that it does not obscure the user’s browsing experience.
  • Notifications which prompt the user to take action should be prompted only once per session.
  • The DSA must not trigger notifications that interfere with basic use of the end user’s computer or with Supplier’s tracking technology.

Distribution and Installation Policies
After developing your DSA in accordance with Supplier functional requirements, please note the following before distributing it:

  • All DSAs with links to Supplier advertisers must be approved and tested by Supplier before distribution.
  • Distribution of the DSA should be implemented with full user consent from your website or a reputable download website partner.
  • The DSA must not be bundled with other software.
  • Full user consent requires the user to agree to your terms and conditions and privacy policies.
  • Installing/uninstalling the DSA should be clear, easily identifiable, and simple to do. Once the DSA software is uninstalled, it should be completely removed. Note that deactivating/disabling is not the same as uninstalling.
  • Supplier should be made aware of all distribution partners for the DSA.

USING MARKETING NETWORK COMMUNICATION TOOLS

As a Network Publisher, you will have access to tools that enable you to communicate with us and your Network Advertiser partners regarding your participation in their respective affiliate marketing programs and to make inquiries regarding transactions, reports, commissions, and any related matter. You are not authorized to and should not use any communication tool provided by us for purposes other than to facilitate your participation in the affiliate marketing and other programs of Network Advertisers. We may refuse to permit you to use any Supplier affiliate network communications tool or other resource or facility if we believe that your use of such tool, resource, or facility is, has been, or is likely to be unsuitable or inappropriate. You should consider all your communications made or received through use of any Supplier affiliate network communication tool as public, and not private, communications and, therefore, susceptible to being read by others without your knowledge or consent.

Publishers are required to maintain a current, valid contact email address in their account at all times. Keeping your contact information up to date is essential to ensure you receive important communications from Rakuten Advertising, including compliance inquiries and policy updates. Please note that failure to respond to email from our Network Quality team may result in account termination and denial of commissions. Timely responses to our inquiries are a condition of continued participation in the Rakuten Advertising affiliate network.

ACCESSIBILITY

Publishers should ensure that their websites and digital content used in connection with their participation in the Supplier affiliate network meet applicable web accessibility standards, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA or higher. Publishers operating in the United States should be aware of accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as applied to websites and digital services. Publishers operating in the European Union should be aware of the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882), which requires certain digital products and services to meet accessibility standards from June 28, 2025.
Publishers who receive notice of an accessibility complaint or legal claim relating to their affiliate marketing activities should promptly notify Supplier.

ENGAGING IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF QUALIFYING LINKS

If you currently distribute, or plan to distribute, qualifying links on, to, or through Sites other than those owned or operated by you and registered with us, you may do so (or continue to do so) until such date as we may designate. After such date, you will be required to obtain our approval to continue to do so. Such approval may be conditioned upon your agreement to additional terms and conditions and additional disclosures in respect of your distribution and/or use of such qualifying links.

PARTICIPATING IN THE AFFILIATE MARKETING PROGRAMS OF NETWORK ADVERTISERS ENGAGED IN REGULATED BUSINESSES
Network Advertisers engaged in certain kinds of businesses or activities may be subject to special laws and regulations that are not ordinarily applicable to commercial establishments generally, including, but not limited to: (i) selling insurance, tobacco, securities, prescription drugs, or firearms; (ii) providing mortgages, loans, or other extensions of credit; (iii) providing banking services, including the maintenance of deposit accounts; (iv) providing investment advice or investment advisory services; (v) other businesses or activities that require registration with a governmental authority or agency charged with special responsibility for regulating the conduct of such businesses or activities; (vi) acting as a broker, agent, or finder for any person engaged in any business or activity referred to in any of the foregoing clauses; (vii) promoting, selling, or facilitating transactions in cryptocurrency, digital assets, or non-fungible tokens (NFTs); (viii) selling or promoting CBD, cannabis, or cannabis-derived products; (ix) providing or promoting Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) or other deferred payment credit products; or, (x) promoting online gambling, sports betting, or daily fantasy sports products or services (“Regulated Businesses”). If a Network Advertiser uses the Supplier affiliate network for conducting a Regulated Business, you may be subject to additional requirements intended to prevent violations of applicable laws and regulations. Those requirements and policies apply to Network Publishers who participate or seek to participate in an affiliate marketing program of a Network Advertiser conducting a Regulated Business, notwithstanding any conflicting terms that the Network Advertiser may adopt for its affiliate marketing program, offers, or engagements. If you participate in any affiliate marketing program of any Network Advertiser engaged in a Regulated Business, you agree to not do any of the following, even if otherwise authorized by such Network Advertiser:

  • Describe or recommend any product or service of such Network Advertiser, except solely by posting, displaying, or publishing the Promotions that such Network Advertiser creates and supplies to you for such purpose on or through any website, social media account, application, or other platform, property, or channel that you own, operate, or control.
  • Take part in the provision of any such products or services;
  • Provide assistance in resolving problems, discrepancies, or disputes involving any such products or services;
  • Answer questions or engage in negotiations involving any such products or services;
  • Except with respect to established Publishers who operate primarily in the loyalty or cash back industry, extend credit to any customer for the purpose of purchasing any such product or service (e.g. pyramid schemes, kickbacks, etc.);
  • Handle customer funds, securities, or other property related to any such product or service; or,
  • Provide any other service or perform any other function related to any such product or service which, under any applicable law, regulation, or rule:
    • may only be provided or performed by a person registered and in good standing in a specified capacity,
    • if performed or provided by a person, requires registration of such person, or
    • the provision or performance of which is subject to restrictions, limitations, or other special requirements.

You are solely responsible for ensuring that your participation in the affiliate marketing program of Network Advertisers engaged in Regulated Businesses complies with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. If participation requires you or your agents and representatives to register with a governmental agency in any capacity under the laws, regulations, or rules applicable to a Regulated Business, you must register and remain in good standing in each registered capacity.

Our notification or approval or the availability of Regulated Business affiliate marketing programs on the Supplier network is not an indication of whether or not such activity is legal in your specific jurisdiction, nor does it excuse the need for you to register with the appropriate government agencies as per the relevant rules, regulations, and laws in the jurisdictions you operate. Please seek independent legal advice if you are uncertain of your specific obligations

GENERATING INVALID TRACKED ACTIVITIES
Network Advertisers use the Supplier affiliate network to increase sales of products or services, to obtain customer leads, to increase traffic to their designated Websites to attract advertisers, to increase brand recognition, or to otherwise benefit their businesses. In all cases, the full benefit expected by the Network Advertiser is only present if the qualifying link produces a “valid” action by an end user of the kind desired by the Network Advertiser. When compensated actions are not valid, the Network Advertiser does not receive the full benefit it expects from the action. Offers made by Network Advertisers to pay Network Publishers compensation based on a specified end user action are interpreted by us as being offers to pay only for “valid” actions of that kind. This interpretation applies even if the offer does not expressly state that payment shall be made only for valid actions.

Whether a compensated action is “valid” depends mainly on the terms of the offer set by the Network Advertiser and/or by Supplier. Network Advertisers may structure their offers at their discretion. They decide what actions qualify for a fee or other compensation, the amount payable, and any lawful conditions for payment. If a Network Publisher does not find an offer attractive, it may choose not to use the qualifying link related to that offer. Once a Network Publisher accepts an offer, it is bound by that offer’s terms.

Some factors used to determine whether compensated actions are valid may not be stated expressly in the offer, but may be implied by the nature and business purpose of the offer. For example, if a Network Advertiser pays a “bounty” for completed forms to generate leads, it is generally seeking genuine leads. If a Network Publisher encourages employees or others with no independent interest in the Network Advertiser’s services to click the qualifying link and complete the form in order to increase compensation, those submissions may not be genuine leads. In that case, the Network Advertiser should not be required to pay for those form completions.

Similarly, if a Network Advertiser makes a pay-per-click offer, it is generally seeking actual visitors to its Site. A Network Publisher that uses technology or methods to inflate recorded clicks on a qualifying link should not be paid for those clicks, because they do not represent real visits to the Network Advertiser’s Site.

If we determine, or reasonably believe, that compensated actions from your qualifying links are invalid, questionable, or suspicious, we may terminate your participation in any Network or affiliate marketing program. Network Advertisers also may terminate your participation or withhold or require forfeiture of payments otherwise due to you. These rights are in addition to any other remedies available to us or the affected Network Advertiser.

If your website generates click-throughs or other compensated actions at rates higher than Network or industry averages, inconsistent with what is known about your website or its traffic, or otherwise appears questionable or suspicious, the same actions may be taken.

We or any Network Advertiser may, from time to time, introduce additional policies or requirements that determine your eligibility for click-through or other offers, or which clicks or other compensated actions qualify for payment. We may use any methods we deem advisable in order to detect and exclude clicks or other compensated actions that we consider invalid or questionable.

Without limiting the foregoing, the following activities are prohibited and will be treated as invalid tracked activities: (i) using bots, automated scripts, click farms, or AI tools to generate or simulate clicks, impressions, leads, or other compensated actions; (ii) coupon or cashback stacking that manipulates transaction attribution or circumvents the intended commission structure; (iii) using AI-generated or synthetic traffic that does not reflect genuine consumer interest or intent; and (iv) using any other automated or artificial means to inflate tracked activities or avoid valid attribution.

Fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity may result in referral to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution.

ATTRIBUTION AND COMMISSIONING
Network Advertisers determine the attribution and commissioning model that applies to their Offers. Subject to applicable law, each Network Advertiser may, in its sole discretion and from time to time, select, configure, combine, change, or discontinue any attribution or commissioning model, and may designate the publisher(s), touchpoint(s), click(s), or other criteria that receive credit for a Tracked Activity. Such models include, without limitation, last-click, first-click, combined first- and last-click, multi-touch, position-based, and any other model or rule now existing or developed in the future, including rules that reassign, override, or reallocate credit among publishers.

You acknowledge and agree that, depending on the model and criteria selected by a Network Advertiser, a click or other activity tracked to you may earn a reduced commission or no commission (including 0% or zero value), including where credit for the relevant Tracked Activity is allocated to another publisher or touchpoint. The specific models, rates, lookback periods, designated publishers, and related parameters in effect for an Offer are made available through the Network Platform, the applicable Offer terms, and the Publisher Help Center, each as updated from time to time.

Reporting relating to attribution and commissioning is provided for informational purposes; a tracked activity that earns no commission under an applicable model may be displayed with a zero or reduced outcome, and all commission determinations remain subject to validation and are final in accordance with the applicable Offer terms and the Publisher Membership Agreement.

For the avoidance of doubt, Supplier’s configuration or administration of attribution and commissioning models and criteria selected by a Network Advertiser is performed in accordance with these Policies and the applicable Offer and does not constitute prohibited interference, overwriting, or manipulation under the “Using Adware, Plug-ins, Pop-up Engines, and Other Download Technology” section, which governs publisher-deployed software and downloadable applications.

MANDATORY USE OF RAKUTEN ADVERTISING TRACKING LINKS
To prevent fraud, ensure accurate tracking, and provide fair attribution across the Rakuten Advertising affiliate network, all publisher promotional content and links must use our designated tracking links beginning with click.linksynergy.

Any transaction that does not originate from a tracking link beginning with click.linksynergy may be deemed invalid, and commissions for that transaction may be denied. We have identified instances of search engine marketing (SEM) hijacking and other abusive practices that bypass our designated tracking links. Requiring use of approved tracking links helps protect the integrity of the network and ensures transactions are properly recorded and attributed.

We also treat transactions with unusually low numbers of recorded clicks as suspicious. For example, multiple Order IDs originating from the same IP address with zero or one recorded click may be treated as potentially fraudulent. We reserve the right to deny commissions for such transactions and to take any other action available under these Policies or the Publisher Membership Agreement.

PROHIBITION OF TIERED SUBNETWORK STRUCTURES
Rakuten Advertising prohibits subnetwork publishers from using other subnetworks to drive traffic to advertisers in the Rakuten Advertising network. Subnetworks must maintain direct relationships with their individual sub-publishers. Multi-layered or tiered subnetwork structures, where one subnetwork relies on another to generate or route traffic, are not permitted.

These structures create significant risks to network integrity, including: (i) reduced transparency and auditability, making it difficult to trace traffic sources, verify promotional methods, or confirm compliance; (ii) increased fraud risk, including concealment of activities such as cookie stuffing, link hijacking, and fake orders; and (iii) weaker policy enforcement, as communicating and enforcing network and advertiser requirements becomes more difficult across multiple layers.

Failure to comply with this policy may result in immediate action, including suspension or termination of the subnetwork account, denial of commissions for traffic from non-compliant structures, removal from advertiser programs, and permanent removal from the Rakuten Advertising network.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF RETURN DAY FEATURES
In General
Network Advertisers generally set their own rules for participation in their affiliate marketing programs, so return day policies may vary by Network Advertiser. You should carefully review the terms of each advertiser program and, if you have questions, contact the Network Advertiser or us.

However, certain basic rules relating to return days apply across all Marketing Network affiliate marketing programs, as set out below.

Add Value by Delivering the User
To receive the benefit of a merchant’s Return Days, you must have actually referred the end user to the Network Advertiser’s site. You will be considered to have referred a user if, after the user clearly indicates an interest in the Network Advertiser’s offerings, you direct that user to the relevant page of the Network Advertiser’s site. Examples include:

  • Direct Link to Network Advertiser Site, where a user clicks a link on your site and is taken to the Advertiser’s site.
  • Indirect link through your site, where a user clicks a link on your site, is taken to a page on your site about the advertiser, and a fully visible window also opens to the relevant advertiser page.
  • Search results on your site, where a user searches your site for a specific advertiser or its products, and is then redirected to, or shown, the relevant advertiser page. Generic search terms do not qualify.
  • Third-party search engine listings, where you purchase search placement for a specific advertiser and the user clicks through to a page on your site about that advertiser or its products, while a fully visible advertiser page also opens. The user’s search query must specifically reference the advertiser or its products, not generic terms.

These principles also apply to mobile app referrals. If you direct a user to a Network Advertiser’s mobile app through a deep link or app store redirect, you will be considered to have referred that user only if the referral is tracked through Supplier’s designated tracking links and the user completes the qualifying action within the applicable Return Day period.

Don’t Try to Beat the System
The concept of Return Days is based on a simple principle: you must have actually referred an end user to the Network Advertiser after that user clearly expressed interest in the advertiser or its products, and your referral must add value. If a user has not clearly indicated any desire to visit the advertiser, you have not made a valid referral and are not entitled to commission.

If you attempt to manipulate or simulate referrals in order to “beat the system,” you may lose the benefit of Return Days, forfeit commissions, and be required to repay commissions already received. Such conduct also may violate applicable laws.

For example, if your site loads a 1×1 pixel or a hidden version of a merchant’s page without making it visible to the user, you have not delivered the user. We consider these practices deceptive. Supplier may terminate your participation in the affiliate network if you engage in conduct designed to game the system.

These guidelines are not intended to discourage legitimate optimization or innovation in promoting your Network Advertiser partners. However, you must act ethically and responsibly, with a primary focus on adding value to the advertiser’s affiliate marketing program. We are committed to maintaining the integrity of the Network and expect the same from all participants.

If you have questions or concerns about one of your current or proposed promotional strategies, please contact us at https://rakutenadvertising.com/support/; please be as descriptive as possible in identifying the promotional strategy in question, include an example path or search for us to review, and feel free to include diagrams and screenshots, if applicable.

PAYMENT POLICIES FOR PUBLISHER NETWORK OPERATING IN BRAZIL

Applicability and Purpose. This policy governs the payment of compensation owed to Publishers for their performance with Network Advertisers in Brazil. Publishers with tax domicile outside Brazil (“Foreign Publishers”) acknowledge and agree that payment, taxation, and foreign exchange procedures are distinct and must fully comply with these rules.

Validation and Billing Process. After the end of each working month, transactions captured through Supplier’s technology will undergo a validation process with Advertisers. Starting from the fifth business day of the month following validation, Supplier will make available in the Publisher’s account area a statement with the consolidated amounts of compensation owed. Based on this statement, the Publisher must issue the corresponding invoice.
For example, transactions tracked in July will be validated by Advertisers in August. In this example, on the 5th business day of September, you will be able to check the total compensation amount owed to you on Supplier’s payment platform and therefore send the respective invoice to receive payment for July transactions.

Deadlines and Settlement. Payments will be made by bank transfer within 10 (ten) business days after confirmation of receipt of the corresponding invoice on Supplier’s receiving platform, provided all amounts and information are correct. The bank transfer receipt issued by Supplier constitutes proof of payment and will serve as an instrument of automatic, full, general, and irrevocable settlement regarding compensation for the billed period, with nothing more to claim under any title. The issuance of the invoice, followed by receipt of compensation without formal contestation within 30 (thirty) days, will imply tacit and definitive acceptance of the amounts.

Obligations and Declarations. The Publisher is solely responsible for the correct collection of all taxes levied on amounts received.
(a) For Corporate Publishers: You declare that you are a duly constituted legal entity, capable of conducting your activities and receiving payments, and are current with your tax obligations.
(b) For Individual Publishers: For payments via Autonomous Payment Receipt (RPA), Supplier will withhold applicable taxes at source, in accordance with current Brazilian legislation, applied according to the progressive rates in effect in the month of payment. Withheld amounts will be deducted from the compensation amount owed to the Individual Publisher.

Change of Condition and Indemnification: Irregularity or change in the Publisher’s tax condition will result in payment retention until regularization, without interest, monetary correction, or penalty. The Publisher undertakes to fully indemnify Supplier for any damages or assessments arising from their non-compliance with tax obligations.

Audit, Fraud, and Legislative Changes. Supplier reserves the right to audit transactions and, in case of suspected fraud, suspend or offset payments and cancel undue amounts. Additionally, in the event of changes in tax or foreign exchange legislation, Supplier may, upon notification, adjust procedures and rates to comply with new regulations.

Incorrect Issuance and Statute of Limitations. The issuance of an incorrect tax document will result in payment retention until correction, at no cost to Supplier. If the Publisher does not send the correct tax document within 5 (five) years from the date the compensation information became available on Supplier’s platform, the statute of limitations provided in the Brazilian Civil Code will apply, and you hereby grant Supplier the broadest, general, and unrestricted settlement regarding any time-barred amounts.

Rules for Foreign Publishers. On amounts owed to Foreign Publishers, all service import taxes, banking fees, and foreign exchange costs will be withheld. We will accept invoices from foreign Publishers in the following currencies: Dollar (USD), Euro (EUR), Pound (GBP), or Yen (JPY). We reserve the right to modify this list periodically. Foreign Publishers in countries outside the USA, eurozone, United Kingdom, and Japan must send invoices in US dollars. The relevant exchange rate used will be the current exchange rate published daily by the Central Bank of Brazil at the time we make available the report indicating the amount you should invoice.
(a) Foreign Publishers must send invoices by the 20th (twentieth) of the month of issuance. On the 27th (twenty-seventh) of each month, Supplier will fix the exchange rate, according to the exchange rate published by the Central Bank of Brazil, in one of the currencies mentioned above and will make the corresponding payment for services rendered.
(b) Payment to Foreign Publishers will only be processed when the balance reaches the minimum amount of $50 USD (fifty US dollars). The Publisher is solely responsible for providing and maintaining correct and updated banking information, with payment conditional on the accuracy of this information. For Foreign Publishers, it is essential to inform Supplier of the account number that your bank uses to receive foreign currencies.
If you have problems with your compensation or with using the payment platform, contact our Brazil team at brpubsupport@rakuten.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA

To participate in any Publisher Program offered through the Supplier affiliate network, a Publisher/influencer must, at the time of application: (a) have at least five hundred (500) social media followers; and (b) have published at least five (5) posts within the previous six (6) months.

Publishers using social media must comply with the disclosure and advertising rules of each platform on which they post promotional content, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Snapchat. Where a platform offers a paid partnership or branded content disclosure tool, publishers must use that tool in addition to all other required disclosures and hashtags.

Publishers creating short-form video, long-form video, or audio/podcast content in connection with the Supplier affiliate network must clearly disclose affiliate relationships at the beginning of the content, verbally, on screen, or both. Disclosures must not appear only in descriptions, captions, or comments.

Publishers must not use AI-generated images, video, audio, or written content to create false or misleading endorsements, reviews, or testimonials. Where AI tools are used to create or assist with promotional content, publishers must make all disclosures required by applicable law and platform policies, including disclosure of AI use where required.

INFLUENCER MARKETING COMPLIANCE

Publisher Partners engaged in influencer marketing must stay informed of applicable laws, regulations, guidelines, and social media platform policies relating to influencer marketing and advertising disclosures. The requirements in the FTC Endorsement Compliance section above apply to all influencer and creator promotional activities. In addition, the following requirements apply:

  1. Publishers must use clear, conspicuous, and easy-to-understand disclosures in all promotional content, regardless of platform or format.
  2. Publishers must promptly address Advertiser requests for content changes needed to ensure legal and regulatory compliance.
  3. All sponsored content, endorsements, and testimonials must clearly disclose the commercial relationship using appropriate hashtags (such as #ad or #sponsored) and all other disclosures required by law or platform policies.
  4. Publishers must participate in compliance training required by Supplier and Advertisers.
  5. Publishers must maintain records of all disclosures and related compliance activities as reasonably requested by Supplier and Advertisers for audit and verification purposes.

Failure to comply may result in removal from Advertiser programs, withholding or denial of commissions, or suspension or termination from the Rakuten Advertising network.

ADVERTISER BRAND PROTECTION

Publishers are prohibited from engaging in all conduct, making of statements, or creating of content that could be reasonably expected to damage, disparage, or negatively impact the reputation, goodwill, or brand image of any Advertiser, their products, services, or associated brands, whether in connection with Network activities or otherwise. This prohibition extends to all forms of communication and content creation, including, but not limited to, social media posts, reviews, comments, articles, and other public and private communications.

Supplier and the applicable Network Advertiser each reserve the right to withhold commission fees and may suspend or terminate your participation in any Publisher Program on the Supplier affiliate network should we determine, at our absolute discretion, that you have engaged in conduct violating this policy.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND AI-GENERATED CONTENT

Publishers must comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and platform policies governing the use of artificial intelligence in marketing and advertising, including FTC guidance on AI-generated endorsements and all applicable state, federal, and international AI disclosure requirements.

Publishers are prohibited from using AI tools to:

  • generate false reviews, testimonials, or endorsements;
  • create synthetic or AI-generated personas that falsely appear to be real consumers or influencers;
  • produce deepfake or manipulated media that misrepresents a product, service, or person; or
  • generate or simulate clicks, leads, or other compensated actions.

Where AI tools are used to generate or substantially assist in creating promotional content distributed in connection with the Supplier affiliate network, publishers must clearly disclose the use of AI in such content as required by applicable law or platform policy.

Supplier reserves the right to update this policy as AI-related laws, regulations, and industry standards evolve.

Any questions regarding these Policies should be directed to https://rakutenadvertising.com/support/