Welcome to our Affiliate Disclosure page. We’ve created this resource to explain, in plain language, how 18Candles.com makes money through some of the links and recommendations on our website. Our goal is complete transparency about our business relationships while ensuring you receive honest, valuable guidance for your international dating and travel experiences.
What Are Affiliate Links?
How affiliate links work: When you click and make a purchase, we receive a commission
When you visit 18Candles.com, you’ll find recommendations for dating apps, hotels, tours, and other services that can enhance your international dating experience. Many of these recommendations include special links called “affiliate links.”
Here’s how affiliate links work in simple terms:
- When you click on an affiliate link on our website, your browser stores a small piece of data (called a “cookie”)
- If you then make a purchase or sign up for a service through that link, the company knows you came from our website
- The company pays us a small commission as a “thank you” for referring you
- You don’t pay anything extra – the price is exactly the same as if you had visited their website directly
Think of it like getting a recommendation from a friend about a good restaurant. If you tell the restaurant your friend sent you, and they give your friend a small reward for the referral, that’s similar to how affiliate marketing works.
Ready to Explore Our Recommended Services?
Browse our carefully selected dating apps and travel services that have been researched and vetted by our team.
Why We Use Affiliate Links
Running a quality website like 18Candles.com requires significant resources. We invest in:
- Researching and testing dating platforms to find those that actually work
- Traveling to verify hotels and tour experiences firsthand
- Creating helpful guides and articles about international dating
- Maintaining a secure, user-friendly website
- Providing customer support to answer your questions
Affiliate commissions help fund these activities without charging you, our readers, for access to our content. This allows us to keep all our articles, guides, and resources completely free for you to use.
Important: The commissions we earn from affiliate links NEVER increase the price you pay. The cost is exactly the same whether you use our affiliate link or go directly to the company’s website.
We believe this is a fair arrangement that benefits everyone: you get free, quality content and recommendations, we earn income to support our work, and our partners gain new customers.
Our Standards for Recommendations
We want to be absolutely clear: our recommendations are based on quality and value, not commission rates. Here’s our promise to you:
Our Commitment to You
- We personally test dating apps before recommending them
- We stay at hotels or use services we recommend whenever possible
- We recommend products and services we believe offer genuine value
- We are honest about both pros and cons of each recommendation
- We prioritize your experience over our commission potential
What We Don’t Do
- We never recommend services based solely on commission rates
- We don’t hide negative aspects of services we recommend
- We don’t exaggerate benefits or success rates
- We don’t share your personal information with our partners
- We don’t accept payment for positive reviews
Sometimes we recommend services that don’t offer us any commission at all, simply because we believe they provide excellent value. Our primary goal is building long-term trust with you, not maximizing short-term profits.
FTC Compliance and Legal Requirements
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires websites to disclose when they might receive compensation for recommending products or services. This page fulfills that legal requirement.
According to the FTC’s guidelines, we must disclose our relationship with companies in a clear, conspicuous manner that is:
- Easy to notice and understand
- Placed near our recommendations
- Written in plain language
- Not hidden among other information
That’s why you’ll see disclosure statements throughout our website, not just on this page. We want to ensure you always know when we might benefit from your clicks or purchases.
Official Statement: 18Candles.com is a participant in various affiliate marketing programs. This means we may earn commissions on products and services purchased through links on our website at no additional cost to you.
How to Identify Affiliate Links on Our Site
To make it easy for you, please consider all links on 18Candles.com to be affiliate links.
Your Trust Matters Most
Your trust is the foundation of our relationship with you. We understand that when you’re seeking guidance on international dating and travel, areas that involve both your heart and your wallet, you need advice you can rely on. We’d rather lose a commission than lose your trust. Our long-term success depends on providing genuine value to our readers.
We encourage you to do your own research beyond our recommendations. While we strive to provide accurate, helpful information, your personal experience with any service may differ from ours.
We’re committed to transparency and are happy to answer any questions you might have about our affiliate relationships or how we make recommendations. If you’d like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
– The 18Candles.com Team
Do I pay more when I use your affiliate links?
No, you never pay more by using our affiliate links. The price is exactly the same as if you had visited the company’s website directly. The commission comes from the company’s marketing budget, not from an increase in your price.
How do you decide which services to recommend?
Our recommendations are based on a combination of personal testing, user feedback, company reputation, and value for money. We consider many factors beyond commission rates, including reliability, customer service quality, and success rates for dating platforms.
Do you recommend services that don’t offer commissions?
Yes, absolutely. We regularly recommend services that don’t have affiliate programs if we believe they provide excellent value. Our primary goal is to give you the best advice possible, regardless of our financial benefit. Tinder is one of them. That app is huge in online dating. To not include it would be obvious flag. It’s not the best app for online dating but it’s one of the big ones and mentioned on 18Candles.com even though there is no commission.
How can I support 18Candles.com?
The best way to support us is by using our affiliate links when you decide to sign up for services we recommend. This costs you nothing extra but helps us continue providing free content and resources. We also appreciate when you share our articles with friends who might find them helpful. Word of mouth recommendations are super helpful and appreciated.
Have More Questions?
We’re here to help with any questions about our affiliate relationships or recommendations.
Thank You for Your Understanding
Thank you for taking the time to read our affiliate disclosure. We believe that honesty and transparency are essential in building a relationship with our readers, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like international dating and travel.
By understanding how we earn revenue through affiliate partnerships, you can make more informed decisions about the recommendations we provide. We’re grateful for your support, which allows us to continue creating helpful resources for men exploring international dating opportunities.
We invite you to explore our site with confidence, knowing that we prioritize your success and satisfaction above all else. Whether you’re just beginning your international dating journey or looking to enhance your existing relationships, we’re here to provide guidance based on real experience and honest evaluations.
Ready to Begin Your Journey?
Explore our guides, reviews, and recommendations to help you navigate the world of international dating with confidence.
