Status: CostRule carries no affiliate links today and earns no commission from any purchase. This page explains how such links will be disclosed once the first one is added, and it is published now so that the rule is on record before it is ever needed.
When it will apply
Some pages on CostRule are expected to include links to retailers such as Home Depot or Lowe’s. Once those links exist, a purchase made after clicking one would earn CostRule a commission — at no additional cost to you. That would be a standard affiliate/referral arrangement, and it will be disclosed in line with the Federal Trade Commission’s Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255).
What the FTC requires
Under 16 CFR § 255.5, a “material connection” that could affect how much weight a reader gives to a recommendation — including a commission relationship — must be disclosed clearly and conspicuously if the audience wouldn’t otherwise expect it. Under 16 CFR § 255.0(f), a disclosure is clear and conspicuous when it is “difficult to miss (i.e., easily noticeable) and easily understandable by ordinary consumers.”
In practice, that means: on any page carrying a monetized retailer link, CostRule will place a disclosure — “This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.” — before the first such link, not only in this footer-linked policy.
What doesn’t change
A commission relationship will not change which products or price ranges are shown, or how they’re ordered. The underlying cost data comes from the sources described on the Methodology page, independent of any retailer relationship.
Questions about this policy: Contact.