ShopStart Affiliate Program Terms
1. Eligibility and approval
Participation is by approval only. Submitting an application does not require PLS to approve an applicant. You must provide accurate application information, have authority to participate on behalf of any listed business or organization, and comply with applicable laws and platform rules.
2. Current approved offer
The standard affiliate offer covered by this version is the ShopStart 14-month prepaid plan for $1,490. The purchase provides one 14-month service term, does not include a free trial, and does not automatically renew. PLS may separately approve different offers in writing.
3. Standard commission
For affiliates approved under the standard program, a qualifying $1,490 prepaid sale earns a $149 commission, equal to 10% of the approved subscription price. Taxes, fees, credits, unrelated charges, discounts not approved by PLS, and amounts not actually collected by PLS are excluded from the commission basis.
4. Attribution and privacy choices
The standard attribution window is 90 days and uses first qualified affiliate attribution. Attribution depends on ShopStart being able to establish and retain a valid referral record.
ShopStart honors applicable visitor privacy choices. Optional affiliate-attribution tracking is disabled when a visitor chooses necessary-only technologies or when ShopStart honors a supported Global Privacy Control signal. Because of those choices, browser settings, deleted cookies, device changes, technical limitations, blocked storage, or other circumstances, not every referral or later purchase can be tracked. A commission is payable only when ShopStart's records establish a qualifying attribution.
Affiliates may not bypass, defeat, manipulate, or attempt to override a visitor's privacy preference or ShopStart's consent controls.
5. Qualifying sales
A commission is created only for a transaction that PLS determines is a valid qualifying sale. Among other requirements, the sale must use the approved offer, be successfully paid, be associated with a valid affiliate attribution, and not result from fraud, manipulation, cookie stuffing, an unauthorized incentive, or a prohibited self-referral.
ShopStart's transaction, attribution, payment, and commission ledgers control program accounting absent a demonstrated system error.
6. Thirty-day hold and reversals
Commissions begin in Pending status and are subject to a 30-day hold. A Pending commission may become Eligible after the hold if the underlying payment remains valid.
A commission may be reversed if the related payment is refunded, charged back, reversed, found fraudulent, duplicated, determined not to qualify, or associated with a violation of these Terms. If a commission was already paid before a later reversal, PLS may recover the amount or offset it against future amounts otherwise payable to the affiliate.
7. Payout and tax information
PLS pays Eligible commissions through its then-current affiliate payout process. Eligibility does not require instantaneous payment, and PLS may reasonably batch or administratively process payouts.
PLS may require accurate payment details and tax documentation, including a Form W-9 or other documentation when applicable, before releasing payment. Affiliates are responsible for their own taxes, reporting obligations, licenses, and business expenses. PLS may make tax filings or issue information returns when required by law.
8. Required affiliate disclosure
Whenever promoting ShopStart through an affiliate relationship, the affiliate must clearly and conspicuously disclose that the affiliate may earn a commission or other compensation from qualifying purchases. The disclosure must be placed where a reasonable person will notice and understand it and may not be hidden only in a profile, footer, terms page, or other remote location.
9. Prohibited promotion
Affiliates may not:
- make false, deceptive, unsubstantiated, or misleading statements about ShopStart, PLS, pricing, features, savings, availability, profitability, or business results;
- send unlawful unsolicited commercial email, spam, automated messages, or communications that violate applicable marketing or privacy laws;
- use cookie stuffing, forced clicks, hidden redirects, adware, malware, fabricated leads, fake identities, fraudulent transactions, or other artificial attribution methods;
- make self-referrals or arrange sham purchases primarily to generate commission;
- claim to be PLS, ShopStart, an employee, an exclusive representative, or an authorized agent of PLS;
- offer unauthorized rebates, coupons, discounts, guarantees, or incentives;
- register domains, accounts, or identities that deceptively impersonate ShopStart or PLS; or
- use ShopStart intellectual property in an unlawful, misleading, defamatory, obscene, or reputation-damaging manner.
10. Brand and promotional materials
PLS grants an approved affiliate a limited, revocable, nonexclusive, nontransferable permission to use approved ShopStart affiliate links, logos, graphics, and promotional materials solely to participate in the program. PLS retains all ownership of its trademarks, copyrights, software, and brand assets.
Affiliates must stop using PLS or ShopStart materials when participation ends or when PLS requests removal of outdated or unauthorized material.
11. Independent relationship
The affiliate is an independent participant and not an employee, partner, franchisee, joint venturer, fiduciary, broker, or legal representative of PLS. The affiliate has no authority to bind PLS, make commitments on behalf of PLS, negotiate ShopStart contracts for PLS, or create warranties not expressly provided by PLS.
12. Program administration, suspension, and termination
PLS may review affiliate activity and may suspend tracking, commissions, portal access, or participation while investigating suspected fraud, abuse, legal risk, security issues, payment disputes, or violations of these Terms.
Either PLS or the affiliate may end participation. Termination ends eligibility for new referrals. Commissions that became Eligible before termination remain subject to valid reversals, fraud review, and other requirements of these Terms. Pending commissions remain subject to the hold and may be reversed when the underlying transaction or referral does not qualify.
13. Changes to the program
PLS may modify the affiliate program prospectively, including approved offers, attribution rules, commission structures, promotional requirements, or these Terms. Material changes will be communicated or presented for renewed acceptance when PLS determines renewed acceptance is appropriate or when required by law. A previously earned commission is governed by the rules applicable to the underlying qualifying transaction unless a lawful correction, refund, chargeback, fraud determination, or reversal applies.
14. Privacy and data
Affiliate applications, referral activity, attribution records, portal activity, payment information, and related personal data are handled under the ShopStart Privacy Policy. Affiliates must independently comply with privacy and marketing laws applicable to information they collect or use outside ShopStart.
15. No guaranteed earnings
PLS does not guarantee traffic, referrals, conversion rates, commissions, earnings, sales volume, program availability, or any other business result. Participation is at the affiliate's own business risk.
16. Disclaimer and limitation of liability
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE AFFILIATE PROGRAM, PORTAL, TRACKING, REPORTING, LINKS, AND RELATED MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE." PLS DOES NOT GUARANTEE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE TRACKING OR OPERATION.
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PLS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST REVENUE, LOST OPPORTUNITIES, LOST DATA, OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THE AFFILIATE PROGRAM.
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PLS'S AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THE AFFILIATE PROGRAM WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) AFFILIATE COMMISSIONS ACTUALLY PAID OR VALIDLY PAYABLE TO THE AFFILIATE DURING THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM OR (B) $100, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT A DIFFERENT LIMIT IS REQUIRED BY LAW.
17. Indemnification
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the affiliate will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless PLS and its officers, managers, employees, and contractors from third-party claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and reasonable expenses arising from the affiliate's unlawful promotion, misleading statements, infringement, privacy or marketing violations, unauthorized commitments, fraud, or breach of these Terms.
18. Other ShopStart terms
Use of ShopStart software, websites, or services remains subject to the applicable ShopStart Terms of Service. If these Affiliate Program Terms specifically address an affiliate-program issue, these Terms control that affiliate-program issue.
19. Contact
Questions about the ShopStart Affiliate Program can be submitted through Affiliate Support.