Are you looking to monetize your website or content with a partnership that offers both value to your audience and a strong revenue stream for you? The Discover Car Hire AS Affiliate Program, often referred to as the DiscoverCars.com affiliate program, could be the perfect opportunity. This program allows you to earn commissions by directing your audience to DiscoverCars.com, a leading platform for comparing and booking car rentals worldwide. Let’s explore the details of this program and how you can benefit from becoming a partner.
Joining the DiscoverCars.com Affiliate Program: Enrollment and Participation
The first step to becoming a DiscoverCars.com affiliate is straightforward: submitting an online Program Application. Discover Car Hire AS reviews each application and, while they aim to be inclusive, reserve the right to reject applications if they don’t align with their partnership criteria. This ensures the quality and integrity of their affiliate network.
Once your application is accepted, you’ll gain access to approved hyperlinks that direct traffic to the DiscoverCars.com website. A key aspect of participation is transparency. As an affiliate, you’re expected to clearly identify yourself as a DiscoverCars.com affiliate and prominently display these approved links on the websites you listed in your application. This builds trust with your audience and ensures compliance with the program terms.
Earning Commissions: How the DiscoverCars.com Affiliate Program Works
The core of any affiliate program is the commission structure, and DiscoverCars.com offers a compelling one. You earn commission when users, referred through your unique affiliate links, book car rentals on DiscoverCars.com. These users are termed “Affiliate Referrals,” and the process is clearly defined:
- Referral Tracking: A customer clicks on your Discover Car Hire AS-approved link and is directed to the DiscoverCars.com website.
- Booking and Completion: During the same website visit, the customer books a vehicle rental using DiscoverCars.com’s Online Booking System.
- Commission Calculation: You earn a commission based on the actual amount collected from the Affiliate Referral for the car rental, after deducting for potential issues like credit card fraud, bad debt, or cancellations.
DiscoverCars.com provides monthly payments of these commission referral fees. Crucially, commission is only paid if the Affiliate Referral is accurately tracked through their Online Booking System, emphasizing the importance of using the provided approved links correctly. To keep affiliates informed, Discover Car Hire AS provides monthly online reports detailing website traffic from each Affiliate Site and the earned Commission Fees. This transparency allows you to track your performance and optimize your promotional efforts.
Unpacking the Commission Structure: Rates, Cookie Lifetime, and Payment Details
DiscoverCars.com offers a generous commission structure designed to reward successful affiliates. Here’s a detailed look at the commission rates and related terms:
- Commission Rates: Affiliates earn a substantial 70% commission on car rentals and 30% commission on Full Coverage purchases. It’s important to note that these percentages are calculated from DiscoverCars.com’s profit margin, ensuring a fair and sustainable partnership.
- Payment Threshold and Schedule: Commissions are paid monthly, but only when the total earned amount exceeds $200.00. Payments are processed around the 10th day of the following month, after the car rental has been completed (rental period ended and car returned). This completion-based payment system ensures that commissions are tied to actualized rentals.
- Cookie Lifetime: DiscoverCars.com utilizes a 365-day cookie lifetime. This is a significant advantage for affiliates, meaning you can earn commissions on bookings made within a full year after a user initially clicks your affiliate link. This extended cookie duration increases your earning potential considerably.
- Payment Methods: Commissions are typically paid to the affiliate’s bank or PayPal account. Providing accurate bank details is essential before your affiliate integration can be fully activated to ensure timely and correct payments.
Important Restrictions: Traffic Sources and Prohibited Activities
To maintain the integrity of the affiliate program and ensure fair practices, Discover Car Hire AS has outlined certain restrictions on traffic sources and affiliate activities. Understanding these is crucial for remaining compliant and maximizing your earning potential within the program’s guidelines:
- No Commission on Paid Channel Bookings: Commissions are not paid for bookings originating from paid advertising channels. For instance, if a customer clicks an affiliate link after initially clicking a link on platforms like kayak.com, scyscanner.com, or through paid advertising like Google AdWords, the resulting booking will not be commissionable. This is to avoid commission conflicts with DiscoverCars.com’s own paid marketing efforts.
- Prohibition of Display Ads and PPC Advertising: Display advertisements and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising are strictly prohibited. Traffic generated through these methods will not be eligible for commissions. This restriction focuses affiliate efforts on organic and content-driven promotion methods.
- Social Media Ad Restrictions: Similarly, social media advertisements are not permitted. Commissions will not be paid for sales originating from social media ad campaigns.
- Brand Protection on Social Media: Affiliates are explicitly prohibited from creating social media pages or running social media advertising campaigns that use the Discovercars.com brand name. This protects the brand’s social media presence and prevents unauthorized representation.
- Restrictions on Website Types: Advertising Discovercars.com on review websites, coupon or discount code websites (unless explicitly approved), and websites promoting “gray niche” content (like gambling, adult services, crypto, etc.) is not allowed. These restrictions ensure brand safety and alignment with DiscoverCars.com’s desired brand image.
- Digital Marketing Agency Participation: Digital marketing agencies require explicit approval from the DiscoverCars.com affiliate manager to participate in the program. This ensures proper vetting and management of agency partnerships.
- Referral URL Importance: If a sale lacks a referral URL, it may be considered as originating from a prohibited traffic source, potentially leading to commission denial. This highlights the importance of proper link implementation and tracking.
- Booking Credit and VAT/EIN Considerations: Commissions are not paid on sales where customers use Booking Credit. Additionally, affiliates requesting payouts to businesses without a valid VAT/EIN or similar tax ID may face adjusted commission rates (58% on car rentals and 25% on Full Coverage) to account for Discover Car Hire AS covering the tax.
- Sales Validation Period: Sales are validated 30 days after the car rental drop-off date. This validation period is in place to prevent affiliate fraud and to process potential customer claims, ensuring the legitimacy of commissions.
- Right to Cancel Sales in First 30 Days: Discover Car Hire AS reserves the right to cancel sales made within the first 30 days of an affiliate’s registration, particularly if the partnership appears fraudulent or traffic sources are unclear.
These restrictions are in place to create a fair, sustainable, and brand-safe affiliate program. Focusing on content marketing, direct referrals, and building genuine value for your audience are key to success within the DiscoverCars.com affiliate program.
Trademarks, Warranties, and Agreement Terms: Key Legal Points
The Affiliate Agreement also covers important legal aspects concerning trademarks, warranties, and the overall terms of the partnership. While this is not legal advice, understanding these points is important for all affiliates:
- Trademark Usage: Discover Car Hire AS may choose to display Affiliate Marks (logos, trademarks) on their website, but this is not obligatory.
- Affiliate Warranties: Affiliates warrant that they own their Affiliate Marks, have the right to license their use to Discover Car Hire AS, and that this use will not infringe on any third-party rights. Affiliates also warrant responsibility for their websites’ development, operation, and content, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations and that their content is not defamatory, obscene, or infringing.
- Prohibited Actions: Affiliates are prohibited from “spamming,” making warranties on behalf of Discover Car Hire AS, using Discover Car Hire AS trademarks without written consent (beyond approved links), bidding on Discover Car Hire AS brand names in PPC campaigns (unless agreed), copying the Discover Car Hire AS website’s look and feel, using customer information improperly, and must ensure the truthfulness of their Program Application statements.
- Agreement Term and Termination: The agreement automatically renews yearly unless terminated. Either party can terminate the agreement at any time, with or without cause. Discover Car Hire AS can terminate immediately for breach of warranties, and both parties can terminate for uncured breaches after a 15-day notice period.
- Agreement Modification: Discover Car Hire AS can modify the agreement terms at any time by providing notice through the PostAffiliatePro software. Continued participation after notice implies acceptance of modifications.
- Independent Contractor Relationship: The agreement establishes an independent contractor relationship, not a partnership, joint venture, employment, or agency relationship. Neither party can bind the other.
Is the DiscoverCars.com Affiliate Program Right For You?
The DiscoverCars.com affiliate program offers a compelling opportunity for website owners and content creators in the travel and automotive niches. With its generous commission rates, extended cookie lifetime, and a globally recognized brand, it provides the tools for affiliates to generate significant revenue. However, success requires adherence to the program’s guidelines, particularly regarding traffic sources and prohibited activities.
If you are looking to Discover Car Affiliate Program opportunities and believe your audience would benefit from access to a leading car rental comparison platform, then exploring a partnership with DiscoverCars.com is a worthwhile endeavor. By focusing on providing valuable content and driving targeted traffic through approved methods, you can pave your road to revenue in the lucrative car rental market. Consider applying today and explore the potential of the DiscoverCars.com Affiliate Program!
