Affiliate income and legal readiness
Helpful recommendations must be honest recommendations.
If a user separately permits recommendations, GAS may identify software, dropshipping, fulfilment or other products that fit the user’s expressed or authorised goals. This is a jurisdiction-aware operating baseline, not legal or tax advice. Exact obligations depend on the user’s location, GAS’s entity and contracts, the product category, the marketing channel and the partner’s rules. Qualified local legal and tax review is required before live affiliate matching.
Australia · advertisingDisclose the commercial relationship
Affiliate, sponsored and paid recommendations must be recognisable as advertising. GAS must not hide a commission relationship, present a paid recommendation as independent editorial content or use a label that an ordinary user is unlikely to understand.
Read ACCC social-media promotions ↗Australia · claimsProve every material claim
‘Best’, ‘cheapest’, ‘fastest’, ‘most secure’ and similar claims need reasonable grounds and current evidence. GAS will use ‘best fit we identified for your stated goal’ unless a broader claim can actually be substantiated.
Read ACCC advertising and promotions ↗Australia · taxRecord affiliate income correctly
GAS must keep records of commissions and other referral income, include assessable business income as required, handle foreign-currency and platform statements, and obtain tax advice about timing, deductions, withholding and cross-border treatment.
Read ATO assessable income ↗Australia · GSTCheck GST rather than guessing
GAS must monitor GST turnover and register when required. The GST treatment of a particular referral or cross-border commission is not automatic; the entity, supply, customer, contract and payment flow must be reviewed.
Read business.gov.au GST registration ↗Australia · privacyUse a profile only for a stated purpose
Where the Privacy Act applies, GAS must follow the Australian Privacy Principles, explain collection and use, minimise information, protect it, support access and correction, and provide practical direct-marketing opt-out controls. Sensitive information must not be used for marketing without the required consent.
Read OAIC Australian Privacy Principles ↗Australia · email and SMSAsk before sending commercial messages
Commercial email and SMS generally require consent, sender identification and a working unsubscribe method. GAS must keep evidence of consent and honour unsubscribe requests within the applicable timeframe; a partner or agent sending for GAS does not remove GAS’s responsibility.
Read ACMA avoid sending spam ↗United States · endorsementsMake disclosures clear and conspicuous
For US-facing recommendations, a material connection such as commission must be disclosed in a way users can notice and understand before the recommendation influences their decision. The disclosure must not be buried behind a link or contradicted by the surrounding copy.
Read US FTC Endorsement Guides ↗UK and Europe · advertisingIdentify affiliate advertising upfront
UK affiliate content may fall under the CAP Code and should be obviously identifiable as an ad. UK and European privacy rules can also govern profiling, cookies, personalised marketing, objections and consent, especially where tracking or behavioural data is used.
Read ASA affiliate-marketing guidance ↗Everywhere · partner rightsDo not turn an affiliate link into a resale promise
Ordinary affiliate approval does not automatically permit GAS to resell, white-label, bundle, set the provider’s price, provide first-line support or charge users for the underlying service. Those rights need a separate commercial agreement and clear customer terms.
Read PartnerStack affiliate programme ↗