Walmart Affiliate Compliance Guidelines ~ What is your take on this?

blog cover image
26
3.7K followers
Updated

I am a Walmart Affiliate, not because of the commission but because of the exposure! Unlike Amazon, that allows us to promote products as long as we abide by the Sitestripe rulings, I find Walmart's to be restrictive. I copy pasted the email I received from them. What is your take on their Affiliate Restrictions?

Dear Walmart Affiliates: we want to pass along the following reminders and guidelines to help ensure compliance with relevant laws, guidelines, and best practices. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Failure to follow the applicable laws or guidelines may result in removal from our affiliate program.

Intellectual Property:

  • Don’t use music in your affiliate content unless you have secured the appropriate licensing rights to use the song, sound, etc.
  • Never state or imply that Walmart’s product is a counterfeit or copy of another’s product. For example, do not use the following or similar words: dupes, duplicates, fake, knock-off, same as, copy, or look-alike. Instead use words such as: market trend, inspired by, inspo, or compare to.
  • When comparing products, never specifically name or use pictures of the inspiration brand but instead refer to it as “name brand,” “luxury brand,” “leading brand,” or “market trend.” For example, “XYZ product is inspired by the leading brand.”

Endorsements:

  • When posting content with an affiliate link, include a clear and conspicuous disclosure such as “I may earn a commission when you buy through this link” or “eligible for commission.”
    • Your disclosure should be prominent, that is, big enough to easily read, in a font that doesn’t blend into the background.
    • Your disclosure should be clearly worded so that it is easily understood.
    • Your disclosure must be next to the content to which it relates, not hidden at the bottom of a page or screen.
  • More details on Endorsements can be found in Section 3(c) of the Walmart Standard Affiliate Agreement.

Additional Restrictions:

  • Please remember that under the terms of use, affiliates are not permitted to share Walmart data, including the information available through Impact Radius, with any third parties.
  • Affiliates are also not permitted to bid on keywords that are Walmart trademarks.

Please reach out with any questions!

Walmart Affiliate Team



Login
Create Your Free Wealthy Affiliate Account Today!
icon
4-Steps to Success Class
icon
One Profit Ready Website
icon
Market Research & Analysis Tools
icon
Millionaire Mentorship
icon
Core “Business Start Up” Training

Recent Comments

57

I guess what is shocking to me isn't their restrictions which as others have pointed out are fairly standard.

For me it's shocking anyone would waste time with them after them lowering commissions to zero as you reported on a previous article.

That was a bold move on their part, banking most wouldn't go back and delete those pages or restructure them to point to a competitor. I would have went scorched earth on every post I had pointing to them within hours of them announcing they were no longer paying.

It made me sick to read when Amazon lowered theirs as the pandemic hit, but to zero is taking it to the next level of greed.

I would never trust them not to pull that stunt again, nor will I ever use them now that they have a record of doing such.

Regards,

Jason

I am 100% in agreement to everything you just stated here Jason!
When they took away commission rate last December, 2022, I already lost interest in doing business with them, but didn’t officially removed myself, that’s why I still get their communications .
Clearly, not a good company to do business with!
Thanks for dropping by!

Cheers,
Maria 🌹

Hi - to be honest, I find them to be perfectly reasonable and on par with most affiliate programs.

And certainly, much easier to comply with than Amazon, which has the strictest rules and will scour your website to check for infringements.

And remove you even if you break just one rule.

And surely, it's just common sense not to say a product is counterfeit?

It implies it's illegal and would have your customer running a mile away!

It would lead to a better conversion rate if you were to say - "inspired by one of our favorite luxury brands but without the astronomical price tag!" etc.

And as for not bidding on trademarked keywords, again, that's standard procedure.

Walmart (or any other program) will not want paid ads to look as though they are from themselves rather than an affiliate.







Thank you Diane for dropping by!
I certainly place so much regard on your perspectives, especially that you helped me greatly when I asked for you to check my website in reference to Amazon’s associate guidelines in lieu of posting Amazon products.
You graciously gave me your time and gave me your advice!
Although I am still not agreeable that Amazon won’t give commission if the sale is within your family and friends’ circle. For a sale is a sale, regardless!
However, since I am just starting, and would need exposure, I am okay with that!
With Walmart, however, when they
placed so much restrictions including how to advise your clients , and placed so much regards on sales versus integrity, that is just unacceptable. Moreover, they have no respect to what we do when they decided not to pay us as we promote their products last December 2022, and then decide to place back the commission rate beginning February 1st of this year to 3 to 4%..
Clearly , it’s not a favorable company to do business with!

Cheers,
Maria 🌹

Thanks, Maria; I appreciate the information. I haven't been able to get into Walmart or the Bass pro affiliate program through Impact.

My site needs to get a little older, Or I have to establish my brand, but it has been a while since I tried.

The commissions are not great with either one, but as you say, the exposure is good.

Chet

I understand Chet!
I actually was a part of Walmart’s affiliate marketing just for exposure .
What ever can bring traffic in.
But I am looking to do other things. We shall see!

Thank you Chet for dropping by!

Cheers,
Maria 🌹

Hey Maria, Thank you for the information. It is important to be on top of things.

I am like you, whatever brings traffic.

Have a great evening!

Chet

Yes, Chet! I have to figure out something as I am not doing business with Walmart!

Cheers,
Maria 🌹

Great information, Maria!

It's good to know these things.

Myra

Thanks for dropping by Myra!

Cheers,
Maria 🌹

Wow, Maria! I did not know that they were so restrictive!

Jeff

That’s affiliate marketing for you Jeff! Our hands are tied, if we want to have business with them!!!🙁

You are so right about that, Maria!

Jeff

I taught going to be about the lowered commission rates. As I received an email that they are cutting back on commissions and lot of the categories we will not earn anything.

Like you pointed out about we need to be honest when writing our reviews, basically that is protecting their business.

Walmart had raised up the Commission rates to 3-4% for 0% starting February 1, 2023.
I just received this email yesterday about the Compliance rules!
I was taken aback by the "Intellectual Property restrictions". and keywords restrictions.

The Walmart Compliance guidelines for affiliates seem reasonable to me. They are protecting themselves against copyright infringement and other things that may occur with affiliate sites. Amazon has conditions on how long affiliates can go without a sale. Amazon restricts affiliates from buying through their own link. Walmart is not as strict as Amazon in my opinion. All the best with your business.
Jim

Thanks Jim!
Yeah I get that with Amazon, on conditions that affiliates needs to have a sale or they get removed.

My concern with Walmart is on the "Intellectual Property" Restriction, that we cannot state or imply that the product is a counterfeit or a copy of another product.

Aren't we suppose to be honest with our consumers ?

That's what I thought, too...I had never seen anyone actually put it into words...

Apparently, they needed ro clarify what many people take for granted when promoting products.

Plus, there are SO many other affiliate programs out their, granted many are within a marketplace like awin or impact, still, its a matter of finding the right affiliate.

Rudy

By principle, we just don’t get affiliated because of the shiny objects.
Thanks Rudy for understanding!

So true...grin. damn shiny stuff!

Rudy

🥹😵‍💫😅

See more comments

Login
Create Your Free Wealthy Affiliate Account Today!
icon
4-Steps to Success Class
icon
One Profit Ready Website
icon
Market Research & Analysis Tools
icon
Millionaire Mentorship
icon
Core “Business Start Up” Training