How to comply with affiliate disclosure laws (FTC and ASA)

If you earn commissions from affiliate links on your store, you are legally required to tell your visitors. This is called an affiliate disclosure, and it applies in most countries including the USA and UK.

The good news is that it's straightforward to set up, and FreshStore has a built-in feature to help.

Why Disclosure Matters

• It's the law. Regulators like the FTC (USA) and ASA/CMA (UK) require you to clearly disclose that you earn money from affiliate links.
• It builds trust. Visitors appreciate honesty. Being upfront about how you earn money makes your store more credible.
• It protects your accounts. Amazon and other affiliate programmes require disclosure in their terms of service. Failing to disclose can get your affiliate account closed.

What the Law Says

USA: Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

The FTC requires that affiliate disclosures are:

• Clear and conspicuous. Visitors should not have to search for the disclosure.
• Close to the affiliate links. A disclosure buried in a separate page is not enough on its own. It should appear near the content that contains affiliate links.
• Easy to understand. Use plain language, not legal jargon.

UK: Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

UK rules are similar. If you earn from affiliate links, you must:

• Make it obvious that your content is commercial
• Not hide the fact that you earn commissions
• Label affiliate content clearly

Other countries

Most countries have similar consumer protection rules. If you are unsure about the rules in your country, check your local consumer protection or advertising standards authority.

What You Need to Do

1. Add a site-wide affiliate disclaimer

FreshStore has a built-in Affiliate Disclaimer feature that displays a disclosure notice across your store. This is the easiest way to cover your entire site.

🔗 Affiliate Disclaimer feature guide

2. Add a disclosure to your articles

For articles that contain affiliate links or product recommendations, add a short disclosure near the top. This can be a simple sentence like:

3. Create a dedicated disclosure page

Create a page on your store (e.g. "Affiliate Disclosure" or "How We Earn") that explains your affiliate relationships in full. Link to it from your footer so it's accessible from every page.

This page should explain:

• That your store contains affiliate links
• Which affiliate programmes you participate in (Amazon, eBay, etc.)
• That you earn commissions when visitors purchase through your links
• That this does not affect the price the visitor pays

Example Disclosure Wording

Here are some examples you can adapt for your store:

Short version (for articles):

"We earn commissions from the links on this page. This doesn't cost you anything extra."

Medium version (for a footer or sidebar):

"[Your Store Name] is a participant in affiliate programmes including Amazon Associates. We earn commissions from qualifying purchases made through links on this site."

Full version (for a dedicated page):

"[Your Store Name] is an affiliate store. We partner with retailers like Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Etsy, and AliExpress through their affiliate programmes. When you click a link on our site and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay. We only recommend products we believe are relevant and useful to our visitors. Our editorial content is not influenced by our affiliate partnerships."

Amazon's Specific Requirement

Amazon requires a specific statement on your site. Their terms state that you must include wording similar to:

Common Mistakes

• Hiding the disclosure. Putting it only on a separate page that nobody visits is not enough. Make sure it's visible near your affiliate content.
• Using vague language. Don't say "we may receive compensation from partners". Be specific: you earn commissions from affiliate links.
• Forgetting about social media. If you share affiliate links on Facebook, X, Pinterest, etc., you need to disclose there too (e.g. #ad or #affiliate).
• Not having one at all. This is the biggest mistake. Even if enforcement is rare, the risk to your affiliate accounts and reputation is not worth it.