Affiliate Agreement

1. Agreement Overview

This Affiliate Agreement (“Agreement”) governs your participation as an affiliate (“Affiliate”, “you”) in affiliate programs offered through the Tapref platform (“Platform”). By signing up as an affiliate or joining any program, you agree to be bound by this Agreement, the Terms of Service, and the Privacy Policy.

2. Independent Contractor Status

You are an independent contractor, not an employee, agent, partner, or joint venturer of Tapref or any developer using the Platform. You are solely responsible for:

• Your own taxes, including income tax, VAT/GST, and self-employment contributions
• Compliance with all laws applicable to your business and jurisdiction
• Your own business expenses and tools

Nothing in this Agreement creates an employment relationship. You will not represent yourself as an employee of Tapref or any developer.

3. Commission Structure

3.1 Commission Types

Commission rates and types are set by individual developers and may include:

• Percentage — A percentage of subscription revenue
• Flat rate — A fixed amount per qualifying event
• Tiered — Rates that increase as your referral volume grows
• Recurring — Ongoing commissions on renewal revenue

3.2 Platform Fee

Tapref deducts a 2% platform fee from gross commissions before payout. Your net commission = gross commission minus platform fee.

3.3 Hold Period

Commissions enter a hold period (typically 30 days, set by the developer) before becoming approved. This protects against chargebacks and refunds.

3.4 Minimum Payout

Payouts are processed when your approved commission balance reaches $50 USD (or equivalent). Balances below this threshold accumulate until the minimum is reached.

3.5 Refunds & Reversals

If a referred subscriber receives a refund, any associated pending, approved, or payable commissions will be reversed. For commissions already paid out, the amount may be deducted from future payouts.

4. Payment Terms

• Payouts are processed automatically via Stripe Connect. You must maintain a valid, fully verified Stripe Connect account.
• Payout processing occurs on a regular schedule (typically daily). Transfer times depend on Stripe and your bank.
• You are responsible for all taxes on your commission income. Tapref does not withhold taxes unless required by law.
• Currency conversion fees (if applicable) are handled by Stripe at their prevailing rates.

5. Disclosure Requirements

5.1 How to Disclose

Your disclosure must be:

• Clear — use plain language (e.g., “affiliate link”, “I earn a commission”)
• Conspicuous — visible before the user clicks the link, not hidden in fine print
• Proximate — near the affiliate link, not on a separate page

Acceptable examples:

• “This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission if you subscribe.”
• “#ad” or “#affiliate” (for social media posts)
• “Paid partnership” (when using platform disclosure features)

6. Prohibited Activities

You agree not to engage in any of the following:

6.1 Fraudulent Practices

• Self-referral — purchasing through your own affiliate links, creating fake accounts, or referring yourself or close family members
• Cookie stuffing — forcing affiliate cookies onto users without their knowledge or genuine engagement
• Click fraud — generating artificial clicks through bots, scripts, or paid click services
• Incentivised installs — paying, rewarding, or otherwise incentivising users to install an app solely for the purpose of generating commissions

6.2 Deceptive Practices

• False claims — making untrue statements about the products you promote
• Impersonation — posing as the developer, app creator, or official representative
• Misleading redirects — disguising affiliate links as non-affiliate content, or using deceptive URLs
• Hidden disclosure — failing to disclose your affiliate relationship as required by Section 5

6.3 Brand Bidding & PPC Restrictions

• Bidding on Tapref or developer brand names, trademarks, misspellings, or variations in paid search (Google Ads, Bing Ads, etc.) without explicit written permission
• Registering domains that are confusingly similar to Tapref or developer domains (typosquatting)
• Using developer logos or trademarks in ad copy without authorisation
• Creating landing pages that imitate official developer or Tapref pages

6.4 Spam & Unsolicited Promotion

• Sending unsolicited emails, messages, or communications containing affiliate links
• Posting affiliate links in comment sections, forums, or social media in a spammy manner

6.5 Technical Violations

• Attempting to manipulate or circumvent the Platform's fraud detection systems
• Using VPNs, proxies, or IP rotation to evade rate limits or geo-restrictions
• Reverse-engineering the Platform's attribution or tracking systems

7. Violations & Consequences

If we determine (in our reasonable discretion) that you have violated this Agreement:

• Commission forfeiture — all pending, approved, and payable commissions may be forfeited
• Account suspension or termination — your affiliate account may be immediately suspended or permanently terminated
• Clawback — commissions already paid that were earned through fraudulent activity may be recovered from future payouts or invoiced
• Legal action — we reserve the right to pursue legal remedies for fraud or material breach

8. Termination

• Either party may terminate this Agreement at any time with written notice (email is sufficient).
• Upon termination by you: approved commissions above the minimum payout threshold will be paid in the next payout cycle. Pending commissions will be evaluated and paid if they pass the hold period.
• Upon termination for cause (violation of this Agreement): all unpaid commissions are forfeited.
• Commissions below the minimum payout threshold that are unclaimed for 90 days after termination are forfeited.

9. Stripe Connect

To receive payouts, you must complete Stripe Connect onboarding and agree to Stripe's Connected Account Agreement. Tapref uses Stripe as its payment processor — we do not hold funds directly.

• You are responsible for providing accurate banking details to Stripe
• Tapref is not liable for failed payouts due to incorrect Stripe account details or Stripe account restrictions
• Stripe may impose additional identity verification (KYC) requirements
• Currency conversion fees charged by Stripe are your responsibility

10. Confidentiality

The following information is confidential and must not be shared publicly or with third parties:

• Commission rates and program-specific terms
• Conversion rates, click data, and performance metrics
• Internal communications with Tapref or developers
• Platform features or tools not publicly available

You may disclose your general participation as an affiliate (and must do so per Section 5), but specific financial terms are confidential.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Tapref, its developers, and their respective officers, directors, and employees from any claims, damages, losses, and expenses arising from:

• Your promotional activities
• Your violation of this Agreement
• Your violation of any applicable law or regulation
• Your failure to make required disclosures
• Any content you create in connection with your affiliate activities

12. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Tapref's total liability under this Agreement shall not exceed the total commissions paid to you in the 12 months preceding the claim. We shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages.

13. Changes to This Agreement

We may update this Agreement from time to time. We will notify you of material changes at least 14 days before they take effect via email or platform notification. Continued participation as an affiliate after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.

14. Governing Law & Disputes

This Agreement is governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which Tapref's operating entity is incorporated, as notified to you from time to time.

Disputes shall first be addressed through good-faith negotiation for at least 30 days. If unresolved, disputes shall be settled by binding arbitration under the rules of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), with the seat of arbitration in London, United Kingdom, conducted in English. The arbitrator's award shall be final and enforceable in any court of competent jurisdiction.

15. Contact

Questions about this Agreement? Contact us at affiliates@tapref.com.