Our Current Position
MarketReview does not currently accept payment in exchange for publishing favourable articles, product recommendations or editorial coverage.
We also do not currently earn affiliate commissions when readers click links or purchase products mentioned on the website.
This means that, at present, the inclusion of a company, product or service in MarketReview’s editorial content is not based on an affiliate arrangement or payment from that provider.
The absence of a commercial relationship does not by itself make an article accurate or useful. Editorial quality still depends on sound research, clear reasoning, appropriate sourcing and honest presentation of risks and limitations.
Similarly, if MarketReview introduces advertising or affiliate links in the future, the existence of a commercial relationship will not automatically make the underlying product unsuitable. What matters is whether the relationship is disclosed clearly and whether the editorial treatment remains independent.
This page will be revised when MarketReview’s monetization practices change. Readers should rely on the most recently reviewed version of this disclosure.
What Affiliate Links Are
An affiliate link is a specially tracked link that may allow a publisher to receive a commission or another form of compensation when a reader clicks the link, opens an account, submits an application, makes a purchase or completes another qualifying action.
The amount paid to a publisher may depend on the arrangement. Some programs pay for a completed sale, while others may pay for a lead, application, account opening or another defined result.
Where affiliate links are introduced on MarketReview, using one would ordinarily not increase the price paid by the reader unless the relevant provider’s terms state otherwise. However, readers should always review the provider’s current pricing, fees and conditions rather than assume that every tracked link operates in the same way.
Affiliate compensation creates a commercial relationship that readers should know about. If MarketReview may benefit financially from a reader’s action, that relationship will be disclosed in clear language.
A general disclosure page such as this one is useful for explaining the overall policy, but it does not replace a disclosure placed close to the relevant recommendation or affiliate link.
FTC guidance emphasizes that a required disclosure should be clear and conspicuous, including on the devices and platforms through which readers view the content. UK advertising guidance similarly treats affiliate marketing as advertising when commission is connected to the interest or transactions generated by the content.
How Commercial Content Will Be Identified
If MarketReview introduces commercial content, readers should not have to investigate the site or interpret vague wording to discover that a financial relationship exists.
An article containing affiliate links may include a notice near the beginning of the page such as:
MarketReview may earn a commission if you use certain links on this page. This does not affect our editorial conclusions.
The exact wording may vary according to the relationship and the article, but it should clearly communicate that MarketReview may receive compensation.
A disclosure should appear before or near the commercial content rather than only at the bottom of a long article. It should remain readable on desktop and mobile devices and should not be hidden behind an icon, hover action or unclear label.
Expressions such as “partner link” or “supported link” may be too vague when they do not explain that money or another benefit may be received. Where a direct description such as “we may earn a commission” is more understandable, MarketReview should use it.
Sponsored articles, advertorials or other material paid for by a company should be labelled prominently as advertising or sponsored content. Their commercial nature should be evident before readers begin treating them as independent editorial work.
Display advertisements should also be visually distinguishable from article content. Advertising should not be designed to imitate navigation links, editorial recommendations or ordinary paragraphs in a way that could mislead readers about what they are clicking.
The details required by law may differ across countries. MarketReview’s general approach is to disclose commercial relationships clearly and prominently, even where a less visible disclosure might technically be permitted.
Editorial Independence
Payment, affiliate commissions or advertising relationships must not determine MarketReview’s editorial conclusions.
If affiliate marketing is introduced, a provider will not be entitled to a favourable review, a higher rating or a place in a comparison merely because it offers compensation.
MarketReview may criticize a commercial partner, exclude its product from an article or conclude that a competing product is more suitable for a defined type of reader.
Likewise, a company that has no commercial relationship with MarketReview may be included when its product is editorially relevant.
Advertisers and commercial partners should not be allowed to approve an independent article before publication, rewrite its conclusions or require the removal of legitimate criticism.
A company may be contacted to confirm factual details or respond to a specific issue. Allowing a provider to clarify a fee, feature or product term is not the same as giving it control over the final article.
Commercial considerations may affect which products have affiliate links available. They should not be used to falsely claim that a comparison covers the entire market when it does not.
Where an article examines only a selected group of products, that limitation should be clear. A ranked list should not describe itself as comprehensive if relevant products were excluded solely because they did not offer a commercial arrangement.
Our broader standards for independence, research and attribution are explained in the Editorial Policy and Review Methodology: How We Rate.
Reviews, Recommendations and Rankings
MarketReview’s reviews and comparisons are intended to help readers understand financial products, their costs and their limitations.
No commission or advertising payment should guarantee a particular rating or recommendation.
Where MarketReview uses rankings, star ratings or terms such as “best,” the conclusion should be supported by a defined editorial process appropriate to the product category.
A rating cannot determine which financial product is suitable for every reader. Individual circumstances, eligibility, location, goals and risk tolerance can materially change the answer.
Commercial relationships will be considered separately from the factors used to assess a product. If a financial relationship exists, it will be disclosed, but it should not be treated as evidence that the product is either good or bad.
MarketReview will not claim that a product has been personally tested unless genuine hands-on testing occurred. Documentary research, provider information and regulatory sources may form the basis of a useful review, but such work should not be presented as first-hand product use.
If a provider supplies free access, a complimentary product, travel, hospitality or another material benefit connected with coverage, that fact should be disclosed where it may affect how readers evaluate the article.
A free product or service will not entitle the provider to favourable treatment. Where accepting a benefit would compromise editorial independence or create an unmanageable conflict, MarketReview may decline it.
Sponsored and Paid Content
MarketReview does not currently publish sponsored articles or paid placements.
If sponsored content is introduced, it will be clearly separated from independent editorial material.
A sponsored article may be created or funded by an advertiser, but it should not be formatted or labelled in a manner that causes readers to mistake it for ordinary independent coverage.
Labels may include:
Sponsored
Paid Content
Advertisement
Presented by [Sponsor]
The appropriate wording will depend on the nature of the arrangement. Whatever label is used, its meaning should be immediately understandable.
Sponsored content will not be labelled “editorial,” “independent review” or “staff recommendation” when the sponsor exercised control over its subject, wording or publication.
MarketReview will not accept payment to disguise an advertisement as an independent news article or review.
Native advertising presents particular transparency concerns because it may resemble the surrounding editorial content. FTC guidance says disclosures should help readers recognize the commercial nature of native advertising before they rely on it as independent material.
If MarketReview cannot present a commercial relationship in a way that readers can clearly understand, the arrangement should not be used.
Conflicts of Interest
Writers and editors should disclose relationships that could reasonably affect their coverage.
A relevant conflict may include a financial interest in a company, employment or consulting relationship, close personal connection, material gift or another benefit connected with the subject.
Not every personal interest requires public disclosure. The question is whether the relationship could reasonably affect—or appear to affect—the independence of the work.
Depending on the circumstances, MarketReview may disclose the relationship, assign the article to another contributor or decide not to publish the coverage.
Writers should not recommend a product while concealing compensation received directly from the provider.
MarketReview will also not publish fabricated testimonials, purchase fake reviews or knowingly present incentivized opinions as independent customer experiences.
Reader reviews, social-media comments and forum discussions may sometimes be referenced to illustrate individual experiences. They should not be treated as proof that every customer will have the same result.
Your Relationship With External Providers
When a reader leaves MarketReview through an external link, the destination website is operated under that provider’s own terms, privacy practices and product conditions.
MarketReview does not control whether an external provider approves an application, changes a price, modifies a product, withdraws an offer or determines that a reader is ineligible.
A link from MarketReview does not mean that we guarantee the provider’s service, financial condition, security practices or future conduct.
Readers should verify current information directly with the provider before opening an account, applying for credit, purchasing a service or making another important financial commitment.
Product availability may depend on location, age, financial circumstances, credit history, residency and other requirements. Rates and terms shown on MarketReview may change after publication.
MarketReview provides general editorial information and does not act as an agent, broker or representative for a provider merely because it links to that provider.
Updates to This Disclosure
MarketReview’s commercial model may change as the publication develops.
If display advertising, sponsorships, affiliate links, referral arrangements or other paid relationships are introduced, this page will be updated to explain the arrangements that actually exist.
The presence of this policy does not mean that every possible form of monetization described here is currently in use.
The “last reviewed” date should change only when the page has been meaningfully checked or revised. It should not be updated merely to make the policy appear more recent.
Questions about advertising, affiliate links or a commercial relationship connected with a MarketReview article may be submitted through our Contact Us page.
When contacting us about a specific disclosure, include the article URL and enough information to identify the link or relationship in question.
