Terms for Affiliates

DS18 Affiliate Program Terms & Conditions

Effective Date: January 1st, 2026

By joining or participating in the DS18 Affiliate Program ("Program"), you ("Affiliate") agree to comply with the following Terms & Conditions. DS18 reserves the right to approve, deny, withhold, or revoke commissions and participation at its sole discretion.

1. Affiliate Commissions

Affiliates may earn commissions on qualifying sales generated through their approved affiliate referral links. All commissions:

  • Subject to manual review and approval

  • Not guaranteed

  • Void if generated through prohibited traffic sources or promotional methods

Commissions are calculated on the product order value only, excluding taxes, shipping, and any additional fees.

Commissions are paid only for completed transactions. Commissions will not be paid on orders that are refunded, cancelled, or subject to a chargeback. If a commission has already been credited or paid on such an order, DS18 reserves the right to reverse it or deduct it from future payouts.

Commission status is displayed in the Commission tab of your affiliate dashboard, and all issued payments are listed in the Payment tab.

DS18 reserves the right to reverse or withhold commissions at any time if violations are identified.

2. Strict Prohibition on Paid Advertising

NO PAID ADS ARE ALLOWED — UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES

Affiliates are strictly prohibited from using paid advertising of any kind to promote DS18 products, brand assets, or affiliate links.

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Paid search advertising (Google Ads, Bing Ads, Yahoo Ads, etc.)

  • Paid social advertising (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Snapchat, etc.)

  • Display advertising, native ads, shopping ads, retargeting ads, or programmatic ads

  • Sponsored posts, boosted posts, or promoted content

  • Paid ads on marketplaces, forums, blogs, or third-party websites

  • Any paid traffic source intended to drive users to DS18 or affiliate links

This prohibition applies regardless of:

  • Keywords used (brand, non-brand, product names, model numbers, or generic terms)

  • Match type (exact, phrase, broad, or any variant)

  • Whether DS18 is explicitly mentioned or not

  • Whether traffic is redirected, masked, cloaked, or routed through intermediary URLs

If money is spent to generate traffic, it is NOT allowed.

3. Keyword Targeting Is Not Permitted

Affiliates may not use keyword-based advertising strategies of any kind, whether paid or indirectly monetized, including:

  • Keyword bidding

  • Keyword-targeted traffic acquisition

  • Using product model numbers, SKUs, or identifiers (e.g., "PROX6")

  • Any method designed to capture search demand through paid placement

DS18 does not permit affiliates to compete in or influence search traffic in any capacity.

4. Approved Promotion Methods (Organic Only)

Affiliates are allowed to promote DS18 ONLY through organic, non-paid methods, including:

  • Original content on websites or blogs

  • Organic social media posts

  • YouTube videos or reviews (non-paid)

  • Forums or community posts (where permitted, and only in communities where you are an active, established member)

  • Email marketing to opt-in audiences you own

  • Educational, review-based, or informational content

All promotion must be:

  • Organic

  • Value-driven

  • Non-incentivized

  • Non-paid

5. Prohibited Traffic Sources & Methods

The following are strictly prohibited:

  • Paid traffic of any kind

  • Coupon, deal, rebate, cashback, or discount websites

  • Posting affiliate links in DS18's official groups, pages, posts, comment sections, or any DS18-branded spaces

  • Posting affiliate links in external groups, forums, or platforms where you are not an active, established member, or in any manner DS18 deems non-compliant with these Terms

  • Incentivized traffic

  • Traffic exchanges or click farms

  • Bots, automation, or artificial engagement

  • Misleading redirects, cloaking, or URL masking

  • Misrepresentation of pricing, promotions, or availability

6. Content Requirements

Affiliates must create original content. The following are not allowed:

  • Copying or reposting DS18 website content

  • Using DS18 images, videos, or creatives without permission

  • Low-effort or duplicate content

  • AI-generated content without meaningful human value or commentary

Approved content includes:

  • Reviews

  • Tutorials

  • Comparisons

  • Install guides

  • Educational or experiential content

DS18 reserves the right to determine content quality and compliance.

7. Proof of Promotion

Affiliates must provide proof of how DS18 was promoted upon request, including:

  • URLs

  • Screenshots

  • Engagement metrics

  • Traffic source explanations

Failure to provide adequate proof may result in:

  • Withheld commissions

  • Reversed payments

  • Termination from the Program

8. Commission Review & Approval

All affiliate sales are subject to manual internal review, regardless of tracking platform status.

DS18 may deny commissions if:

  • Traffic source is unclear

  • Promotion violates these Terms

  • Paid advertising is suspected or confirmed

9. Payment Requests & Minimum Withdrawal

Affiliates must request payment and provide proof of compliant promotion. DS18 is not obligated to issue payments for sales that do not meet Program requirements.

To receive payouts, Affiliates must provide accurate payment details in the Settings section of the affiliate dashboard. Full payment instructions and guidelines are detailed on the Affiliate Guide page. DS18 is not responsible for delayed or failed payments resulting from missing or inaccurate payment details.

Commission payouts are subject to a minimum withdrawal amount of $100.00 USD. An Affiliate may request a commission payout only when their approved and available commission balance reaches or exceeds $100.00. Commission balances below the $100.00 minimum withdrawal threshold will remain in the Affiliate's account and carry forward until the minimum withdrawal amount is reached.

All payment requests remain subject to DS18's review and approval in accordance with these Terms & Conditions.

10. Cookies & Tracking

DS18 uses cookies to track clicks on your affiliate referral link. Tracking begins when a customer clicks your link. During the cookie period, any subsequent qualifying orders placed by that customer will be attributed to you without the customer needing to click your link again.

The cookie duration is specified in the Affiliate registration form.

If a customer disables cookies, clears their cookies, or uses a browser or device that blocks tracking, we cannot track their activity, and no commission will be issued for those orders.

DS18 does not offer affiliate discount codes. All attribution is handled exclusively through your affiliate referral link.

11. Confidentiality of Affiliate Contract

Your affiliate agreement is strictly confidential and is intended solely for you and DS18. The details of your agreement — including commission percentages, payment amounts, and any other terms — must not be shared publicly or privately with anyone outside of this agreement.

Sharing this information, whether on social media, forums, group chats, or in private communications, is a violation of these Terms and will result in the immediate termination of your affiliate account and forfeiture of any pending commissions.

12. Truthful Representation

Affiliates may not:

  • Make false, misleading, or exaggerated claims

  • Advertise fake discounts or promotions

  • Misrepresent DS18 products, pricing, or availability

All claims must be accurate and verifiable.

13. Legal & Platform Compliance

Affiliates must comply with:

  • FTC affiliate disclosure requirements

  • All applicable laws and regulations

  • Platform-specific rules where content is posted

14. Account Ownership & Control

Affiliate accounts:

  • Are non-transferable

  • May not be shared or resold

  • May not be operated by third parties without written approval

15. Enforcement & Termination

DS18 reserves the right to:

  • Reverse or withhold commissions

  • Immediately terminate affiliate accounts

  • Deny future participation

Affiliates who do not comply with these Terms & Conditions, or who engage in prohibited or non-compliant promotional activities, may be removed from the DS18 Affiliate Program at DS18's sole discretion. DS18 may also reverse or withhold commissions associated with violations and may deny future participation in the Program.

No prior notice is required.

To voluntarily withdraw from the Program, contact us at SMedia@ds18.com.

16. Modification of Terms

DS18 may update these Terms at any time. Continued participation in the Program constitutes acceptance of any changes.