How gift sites make money
Evaluate gift guides, product pages and gift budgets. Lesson 1, 16 min.
A gift site may earn money when you buy. Find out how a site is paid before you weigh what it recommends.
Two common models
- Affiliate links: a retailer pays the site a commission when a visitor buys through its link. On this site, some links to retailers earn a commission. The price you pay is the same either way.
- Paid placement: a shop or brand pays to put a product in a slot. On this site that slot is labelled featured. Payment buys placement, not a review, a rating or the word best.
What the FTC says about disclosure
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission publishes the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (16 CFR Part 255). The Guides say that a connection between an endorser and a seller must be disclosed clearly and conspicuously when it could affect how much weight people give to the endorsement and the audience does not expect it. The FTC's question and answer page on the Guides discusses affiliate links. Other countries have their own rules.
What to look for on a gift page
- A statement that says how the site makes money.
- A label on each paid slot, close to the product.
- A clear difference between editorial text and paid placement.
If you cannot find any of these, give the recommendation less weight. A label does not make a product good or bad. It tells you who paid.
Sources
- Gift Ideas guide, How we pick and price products (/guides/how-we-pick-and-price-products)
- US Federal Trade Commission, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, 16 CFR Part 255, revised 2023, checked 2026-11-04
- US Federal Trade Commission, FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking, checked 2026-11-04