Affiliate Disclosure

The short, plain-English version

TechSpecs is reader-supported. Some of the links on this site are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you click one and buy something - at no extra cost to you. That's it. The price you pay is exactly the same whether you use our link or not, and earning a commission never changes our opinion of a product. We share this openly because we think you deserve to know, and because it's the right thing to do - it also happens to align with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) guidance on endorsements and disclosures. This page expands on our editorial & affiliate disclaimer.

What affiliate links are and how they work

An affiliate link is a special URL that tells a retailer you arrived from TechSpecs. When you click one, the retailer may set a cookie in your browser. If you go on to buy something, that cookie lets the retailer attribute the sale to us, and they pay us a small percentage of the purchase as a referral commission. You are buying directly from the retailer on their normal terms - we are simply the introduction.

It costs you nothing extra

This is the most important part: using our affiliate links never costs you a penny more. The commission comes out of the retailer's margin, not your wallet. You pay the same price you would have paid by going to the retailer directly. If our links ever helped fund the site at your expense, we wouldn't use them.

Our editorial independence

Commissions do not buy a good review, a higher score, or a place on a “best of” list, and they never decide what we choose to cover. Our verdicts come from our own research and testing methodology alone. Specifically:

• Our opinions never change. A commission can't move a rating, a verdict, or a ranking.
• Our coverage isn't for sale. Affiliate relationships don't decide which products or topics we write about.
• Your interests come first. We'll gladly point you to a cheaper or better alternative when one exists - affiliate link or not - and we'll tell you when something isn't worth buying.

Which programs and retailers we use

TechSpecs participates in a number of affiliate programs operated by retailers and affiliate networks. These may include programs such as the Amazon Associates program and similar arrangements with other major electronics and technology retailers and networks. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. The specific programs we belong to can change over time as products, retailers, and regions vary, so we describe them generally rather than maintaining an exhaustive list.

How we pick products

We recommend products on merit. Our picks are driven by research, specifications, hands-on testing where possible, value for money, and how well a product suits the reader and use case we're writing for - never by which retailer pays the highest commission. If two products are close, the one we'd genuinely recommend to a friend wins, full stop.

Prices and availability

Any prices, deals, or availability we mention are accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing and can change without notice. Always check the current price and stock on the retailer's own page before you buy - the figure shown there at checkout is the one that counts.

Ads, affiliate links, and sponsored content - all labelled

These are three different things, and we keep them clearly separated:

• Affiliate links are normal editorial recommendations that happen to earn us a commission if you buy. We choose the products; the retailer pays us only when a sale results.
• Advertising (for example via Google AdSense) is third-party advertising that is clearly distinguishable from our editorial content. Advertisers have no say over what we write.
• Sponsored content is content a brand has paid us to produce or partner on. If anything is ever sponsored, we label it clearly and unmistakably. Anything not labelled is independent editorial.

How to identify an affiliate link

We aim to be transparent across the site, with a disclosure like this one available on relevant pages. If you ever want to be certain whether a particular link is an affiliate link, you can hover over it to inspect the destination - or simply ask us. We're always happy to tell you.

Questions and contact

Want to know whether a specific link is an affiliate link, or have a question about how any of this works? Just reach out via our contact page and we'll give you a straight answer. For how cookies and data from affiliate links are handled, see our cookie policy and privacy policy.