Affiliate Disclosure
At The Coffee Locator, we believe trust requires complete honesty about how we make money. This page explains our affiliate relationships, how they work, and the safeguards we've implemented to ensure they never compromise our editorial integrity.
Our Commitment to Transparency
The short version: We earn commissions when you buy products through our links. This helps fund our testing. It does not influence our ratings or recommendations.
You pay the same price whether you use our affiliate link or go directly to the retailer. There is no additional cost to you.
1What Are Affiliate Links?
The Basics
An affiliate link is a special URL that tracks when someone clicks from our site to a retailer and makes a purchase. When this happens, the retailer pays us a small commission (typically 3-8% of the purchase price).
Important: You pay the same price whether you use our affiliate link or go directly to the retailer. There is no additional cost to you.
How They Work
- 1.You read our review of a coffee grinder
- 2.You click our "Check Price on Amazon" button (an affiliate link)
- 3.You purchase the grinder (or anything else) on Amazon within 24 hours
- 4.Amazon pays us a commission (typically 4% for kitchen products)
- 5.You paid the same price you would have paid anyway
2Which Affiliate Programs We Use
We participate in several affiliate programs to offer you retailer choice and price comparison options:
Amazon Associates Program
• Commission rate: ~4% on kitchen products
• Link duration: 24 hours
• Why: Widest product selection, competitive pricing, fast shipping
Other Retail Partners
• Walmart Affiliate Program (~4% commission)
• Best Buy Affiliate Network (~3% commission)
• Target Affiliate Program (~3-5% commission)
• Specialty Coffee Equipment Retailers (5-8% varies)
Disclosure: All affiliate relationships are disclosed on every page where they appear — prominent disclosure at top of reviews, button labels indicating affiliate relationship, and footer disclosure on every page.
🔒Editorial Independence Firewall
For complete details about how we maintain editorial independence despite affiliate revenue, see our dedicated transparency page:
How We Make Money→3What We DON'T Do
Practices We Reject
No Pay-for-Placement
Manufacturers and retailers cannot pay us to rank their products higher or feature them prominently.
No Fake Reviews
We never publish reviews of products we haven't personally tested for weeks or months.
No Hidden Affiliate Links
We don't use cloaked, shortened, or disguised URLs to hide affiliate relationships.
No Bait-and-Switch
We don't claim a product is "best" just to link you to a different (higher-commission) product.
No Suppressing Negative Reviews
We don't delete, hide, or soften negative reviews because a product generates revenue.
No Misleading Urgency
We don't use fake scarcity tactics unless the deal is genuinely time-limited and verified.
4FTC Compliance
Following Federal Guidelines
We comply fully with the Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255).
✓ Clear and Conspicuous Disclosures
Our affiliate disclosures are placed prominently at the top of articles, written in plain language, visible on both mobile and desktop, and impossible to miss.
✓ Material Connection Disclosure
We disclose that we may earn commissions from purchases made through our links.
✓ Honest Opinions
Our reviews reflect genuine opinions based on hands-on testing. We do not make claims we don't believe or can't substantiate.
Example FTC Disclosure (from our reviews):
"Affiliate Disclosure: The Coffee Locator participates in affiliate programs including Amazon Associates. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps fund our product testing and keeps our content free. Our editorial team maintains complete independence — affiliate revenue does not influence our ratings, recommendations, or content."
6Your Support Helps Us
How Using Our Links Supports Our Work
When you buy through our affiliate links, you're directly supporting:
- Independent product testing — We can afford to buy more products
- Long-term reviews — We can hold products for 60-90 day testing
- Testing equipment — Professional tools for accurate measurements
- Free content — No paywalls or subscription requirements
- Editorial independence — No need to accept free products or sponsored content
You pay nothing extra. The price is identical whether you use our link or not.
Thank you to the readers who use our links. You make independent, honest reviews possible.
Related Transparency Pages
Last Updated: January 2026
We review and update our affiliate disclosure quarterly to ensure FTC compliance and transparency.
Questions or Concerns?
We welcome scrutiny and feedback on our affiliate disclosure practices. If you found an undisclosed affiliate link, our disclosure was unclear, or you have questions, please let us know.
Contact: Get in Touch
Response Time: Typical response within 24–48 business hours.
We take disclosure compliance seriously. Every report is investigated, and we'll correct any issues immediately.