Affiliate Disclosure
📅 Last Updated: June 10, 2026
At Kitchen Zoes (kitchenzoes.com), honesty and transparency are the foundation of everything we publish. This page fully discloses all affiliate relationships, compensation arrangements, and advertising partnerships in accordance with the FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255) and the Amazon Associates Program Operating Agreement.
Amazon Associates Program
Required disclosure — Amazon Associates Operating Agreement
Kitchen Zoes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for websites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated Amazon websites.
“As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”
What This Means for You
- No extra cost to you — The price you pay on Amazon is exactly the same whether you click our link or go directly to Amazon.com.
- Supports our free content — Commissions help fund product testing, website hosting, and the creation of free kitchen guides and reviews.
- No obligation — You are never required to purchase through our links.
- 24-hour cookie window — If you click our link and purchase within 24 hours, or if items remain in your cart for up to 90 days after clicking, we may earn a commission.
- Amazon controls all pricing — We have no ability to set, influence, or guarantee Amazon prices or product availability.
International Amazon Sites
Depending on your location, you may be directed to your regional Amazon site through geo-targeting tools. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases from these international sites under the applicable Associates programs.
FTC Endorsement Guides Compliance
16 CFR Part 255 — U.S. Federal Trade Commission
Kitchen Zoes complies with the Federal Trade Commission’s Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (16 CFR Part 255). The FTC requires that any “material connection” between an endorser and a marketer be clearly and conspicuously disclosed so consumers can make fully informed decisions.
“A material connection is any relationship that might affect the weight or credibility that readers give to an endorsement — including financial compensation, free products, discounts, employment, personal relationships, or ownership interests in a company whose products are recommended.”
| Situation | Our Disclosure Method | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Affiliate product links (Amazon & others) | Disclosure box at the top of every article containing affiliate links, before the first link appears | Required |
| Sponsored / paid posts | Labeled “Sponsored Post” or “Paid Partnership with [Brand]” at the very top | Required |
| Free products received for review | Stated within the review: “We received this product at no cost for review purposes” | Required |
| Display advertising (AdSense) | Ads are labeled “Advertisement” or “Sponsored” automatically by Google | Recommended |
| Amazon Associates links specifically | This dedicated disclosure page + in-post disclosure box in all relevant content | Required |
| Email newsletters with affiliate links | Disclosure note included in every newsletter containing affiliate links | Required |
In-Post Disclosure Policy
How disclosures appear within individual articles and reviews
Beyond this dedicated disclosure page, we include clear disclosure boxes directly within our content. Below is our exact in-post disclosure practice:
- Top-of-Article Disclosure A visible disclosure box appears at or near the beginning of every post containing affiliate links — before the first affiliate link appears in the article.
- Standard In-Post Wording (Affiliate Articles) Our standard in-post disclosure reads: “This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases — at no additional cost to you.”
- Product Review Posts Reviews additionally state: “We independently research and test all products. This review may contain affiliate links.”
- Comparison Guides and Best-Of Lists Guide posts state: “Links in this buying guide are affiliate links. See our full Affiliate Disclosure for details.”
- Footer Reinforcement A brief disclosure note also appears at the bottom of every page containing affiliate links as a secondary notice.
Other Affiliate Programs & Networks
Additional affiliate relationships beyond Amazon Associates
In addition to the Amazon Associates Program, Kitchen Zoes may participate in other affiliate and advertising programs. The same principles of full transparency, editorial independence, and no extra cost to you apply to all affiliate relationships.
🛒 Retailer Programs
- Walmart Affiliate Program
- Target Affiliate Network
- Williams Sonoma
- Sur La Table
- Wayfair
- Home Depot
- Crate & Barrel
📡 Affiliate Networks
- ShareASale
- CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction)
- Impact Radius
- Rakuten Advertising
- Awin
- AvantLink
“Kitchen Zoes (kitchenzoes.com) may receive a commission or other compensation when you click links to products or services on this website. This applies to Amazon Associates links and all other affiliate program links. The price you pay is never affected by our affiliate relationships.”
Editorial Independence
How affiliate relationships affect — and do not affect — our content
Kitchen Zoes maintains 100% editorial independence from all affiliate relationships. Earning a commission from a product recommendation has no influence on whether we recommend it or how we review it.
✅ What We DO
- Research products independently before recommending them
- Include both pros and cons in every review
- Recommend only products we believe provide genuine value
- Update and remove recommendations when products decline in quality
- Write honest negative reviews even for products with affiliate links
❌ What We DON’T DO
- Accept payment in exchange for positive reviews
- Guarantee positive coverage for free products
- Let commission rates drive which products we feature
- Recommend products we would not personally use
- Alter honest opinions at a brand’s request
A Personal Note from Renee Erickson: “I only recommend kitchen products I genuinely believe in. My credibility with you — the reader — is worth far more than any affiliate commission. If a product is not worth your money, I will say so, regardless of whether there is an affiliate link attached.”
Sponsored Content & Free Products
How we handle paid partnerships and complimentary items
Sponsored Content
Occasionally, Kitchen Zoes may publish sponsored content — articles or posts where a brand has contributed financially to production costs. All sponsored content will be clearly labeled at the top with one of these disclosures:
- “Sponsored Post”
- “Paid Partnership with [Brand Name]”
- “This post is sponsored by [Brand Name]”
- “In collaboration with [Brand Name]”
Free Products Received for Review
Brands and manufacturers occasionally provide complimentary products for review purposes. When this occurs:
- The review explicitly states: “We received this product at no cost for review purposes.”
- Receiving a free product does not guarantee a positive review or any review at all.
- We apply the same rigorous, honest evaluation process regardless of how we obtained the product.
- Products we cannot honestly recommend will either be declined or reviewed with complete candor.
- Free products are returned to the brand, donated, or disposed of at our discretion after review.
Google AdSense & Display Advertising
Third-party advertising disclosure — Google policies
Kitchen Zoes uses Google AdSense and may use other third-party advertising networks to display contextually relevant advertisements. These advertisements are independent of our affiliate links and represent a separate revenue source.
- Ad Labels — Display ads are automatically labeled “Advertisement,” “Sponsored,” or “Ad” by Google and other ad providers per their own disclosure requirements.
- Personalized Advertising — Google may use cookies and browsing history to serve ads relevant to your interests through the Google Display Network and DoubleClick system.
- No Editorial Influence — Advertisers who appear via display ads have absolutely no influence over our content, reviews, or product recommendations.
- DART Cookie Opt-Out — You may opt out of personalized Google ads by visiting Google’s Advertising Privacy Policy.
- Third-Party Privacy Policies — Third-party ad servers have their own privacy policies governing data collection and use. We are not responsible for the practices of third-party advertising networks.
Pricing & Product Information Accuracy
Amazon PA-API compliance — required pricing disclaimer
Product prices, availability, star ratings, and feature descriptions displayed on Kitchen Zoes are sourced from the Amazon Product Advertising API (PA-API) and are accurate as of the time of publication. The following disclaimer applies to all product information on this site:
“Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of the product. Kitchen Zoes (kitchenzoes.com) may not always reflect the most current pricing or availability data.”
- Prices change frequently — Amazon adjusts prices multiple times per day. Always verify the current price on Amazon.com before purchasing.
- Product availability — Items may become unavailable, go out of stock, or be discontinued without notice.
- Star ratings — Ratings shown are snapshots from the Amazon PA-API and may differ from the live ratings on Amazon.com.
- Product specifications — Manufacturers may update product features or descriptions. Always confirm full details on the Amazon product listing.
- PA-API data refresh — We refresh product data on a regular schedule, but a lag may exist between Amazon’s live data and what is displayed here.
How Affiliate Revenue Supports This Site
Full transparency on where commissions are reinvested
We genuinely appreciate every purchase made through our affiliate links. Here is exactly how commissions earned by Kitchen Zoes are used:
🖥️ Website Infrastructure
Hosting, domain registration, SSL certificates, CDN, and plugin licenses.
🔬 Product Testing
Purchasing kitchen products for hands-on testing, photography, and honest review.
✍️ Content Creation
Research, writing, editing, and photography for free guides and reviews.
🆓 Free Access
Keeping all kitchen guides, reviews, and recipes freely accessible to everyone.
Thank you for your support. Every qualifying purchase through our links — at no extra cost to you — directly funds the independent testing and honest content that Kitchen Zoes is built on. We are deeply grateful.
Questions About This Disclosure?
We are fully committed to transparency. If you have questions about our affiliate relationships, how we test products, or anything on this page, please reach out — we typically respond within 2 business days.