Affiliate Program Terms

Version 1.0 · Effective July 19, 2026.

These Affiliate Program Terms (“Affiliate Terms”) are a binding agreement between Digital Empire Holdings LLC (“Citation Safe,” “we”) and each person or entity enrolled in the Citation Safe Affiliate Program (“Affiliate,” “you”). They incorporate our Terms of Service by reference; if any provision here conflicts with the Terms of Service, these Affiliate Terms control as to the Affiliate Program.

1. FTC Disclosure Requirement (16 CFR §255)

Affiliates must conspicuously disclose their affiliate relationship in every post, video, tweet, newsletter, or other communication that includes a Citation Safe referral link. This is required by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s Endorsement Guides, codified at 16 CFR §255. Failure to disclose may result in program termination and FTC enforcement action against the affiliate individually.

Standard disclosure language (use this or a materially equivalent phrase):

I earn a commission on Citation Safe subscriptions purchased through this link.

Placement rules (aligned with FTC guidance):

• Blog posts and articles: place the disclosure at or near the top, above the fold, before the reader reaches the affiliate link.
• Social media (Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Threads, etc.): include the disclosure in the same post as the link, not in a separate thread reply or bio-only reference.
• Video (YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn video, webinars): say the disclosure aloud AND caption it on screen. A description-only disclosure is not sufficient under current FTC guidance.
• Newsletters and email: include the disclosure in the same email as the link, not in a subscribe-page or footer-only disclaimer.
• Podcasts: disclose in each episode that includes the referral, not only in the show notes.

You may not use hashtag-only disclosures buried among other hashtags (e.g., stacking #ad as the last of ten hashtags). Disclosures must be in plain view and in plain language.

2. Commission structure

Commission is 20% of every renewal charge on a referred subscription for as long as the referred customer stays subscribed, or 20% of a referred one-off purchase (e.g., Opposition Check $49 → $9.80). Live SKU payouts are published on /affiliates. Refunds, chargebacks, and disputes reverse the corresponding commission for that period.

3. Attribution

Attribution is 30-day last click: whichever Affiliate’s link the customer clicked most recently within thirty (30) days before signup is credited. The attribution cookie is cg_aff and is set by our middleware on any inbound URL carrying ?ref=<code>. See Terms of Service for cookie disclosure.

4. Payouts

Payouts run monthly on the 5th via Stripe Connect once you clear a $50 payout floor. You must set up your Stripe Connect account from the affiliate dashboard before your first payout can be processed; unclaimed balances roll forward.

5. Prohibited conduct

• Self-referrals. Signing up with your own affiliate link, or coordinating with someone (family, employee, colleague) to do so, forfeits all pending commission and revokes the affiliate account.
• Misleading claims. You may not describe Citation Safe as legal advice, a law firm, or a substitute for independent professional review. You may not claim accuracy rates, error rates, or verdict-outcome statistics that are not currently published at /quality.
• Trademark bidding. You may not bid on paid search terms containing “Citation Safe,” “CitationSafe,” or minor variants without our prior written approval.
• Spam. No unsolicited bulk email or SMS. Your promotion must comply with CAN-SPAM, TCPA, and any applicable jurisdictional anti-spam rules.
• Deceptive comparisons. Comparisons to competitors (Clearbrief, Casetext, Lexis+ Protégé, vLex Vincent, etc.) must be factually accurate and current.

6. Termination for breach

Material breach of these Affiliate Terms — including any failure to disclose under Section 1, any prohibited conduct under Section 5, or any misrepresentation in your signup — results in immediate termination of the Affiliate account and forfeiture of any earned-but-unpaid commission for the period of breach. Commission already paid before breach was discovered is not clawed back except in cases of fraud.

7. No agency, no employment

You are an independent third party. These Affiliate Terms do not create an employment, partnership, joint venture, or agency relationship. You have no authority to bind Citation Safe or Digital Empire Holdings LLC to any obligation.

8. Changes

We may update these Affiliate Terms; material changes will be posted here with a new effective date, and we will notify active Affiliates by email. Continued participation after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

9. Contact

Affiliate program questions: affiliates@citationsafe.com. Legal notices: legal@citationsafe.com. Digital Empire Holdings LLC, 30 N Gould St Ste N, Sheridan, WY 82801.