Affiliate Program Terms

This Affiliate Program Agreement ("Agreement") governs your participation in the Thingster Creator Affiliate Program ("Affiliate Program") operated by Thingster ("Company", "we", "us", or "our"). By checking the acceptance box in the Affiliate Dashboard, generating a referral link, or participating in the Affiliate Program, you ("Affiliate" or "you") agree to be bound by this Agreement.

Incorporation by Reference: This Affiliate Program Agreement supplements and incorporates by reference the Company’s general Terms of Service. In the event of a direct conflict between this Agreement and the general Terms of Service regarding referral commissions or promotional activities, this Affiliate Program Agreement shall control.

1. Program Overview & Commission Structure

Subject to the terms of this Agreement, when a new creator ("Referred Creator") visits Thingster through your unique referral link (/ref/:code or ?ref=:code) and creates an account, you are eligible to earn a commission equal to ten percent (10%) of Thingster’s platform fee (equivalent to 1% of gross qualifying creator revenue) on Net Qualifying Revenue generated by that Referred Creator. The Referred Creator retains their full 90% revenue share; your Commission is paid out of Thingster’s 10% platform fee.

2. Definition of "Lifetime" (Creator & Program Lifespan)

For purposes of this Agreement, "Lifetime Commission" means commissions earned on Net Qualifying Revenue generated by a Referred Creator for as long as: (a) the Referred Creator maintains an active, continuous, uninterrupted account on the Service; (b) this Agreement remains in full force and effect; and (c) the Affiliate Program remains active. If a Referred Creator closes or deactivates their account and subsequently re-registers or resumes monetizing more than thirty (30) days later, such subsequent activity shall not be eligible for Commissions.

3. Definition of "Net Qualifying Revenue"

Commissions are calculated strictly from the platform fee collected on "Net Qualifying Revenue," which is defined as qualifying creator monetization revenue (post paywalls, paid space memberships, direct reader tips, pay-to-reply fees, and x402 AI scraper micro-fees) actually received and settled by Company on behalf of a Referred Creator, less:

• Taxes, VAT, sales tax, and government duties;
• Payment processing fees, Stripe fees, blockchain network/gas fees, and currency conversion costs;
• Refunds, chargebacks, reversals, and disputed charges; and
• Platform promotional purchases (such as homepage featuring, comment boosts, or re-ups), usage-based overages, AI compute/credit top-ups, domain registration fees, professional services, or one-time setup fees.

4. "Active Partner" Minimum Threshold

To remain eligible for ongoing recurring Commissions on previously Referred Creators, Affiliate must remain an "Active Partner" by referring at least two (2) new active Referred Creators within each rolling twelve (12) month period. If Affiliate fails to meet this minimum activity threshold, Company reserves the right, upon thirty (30) days' written notice, to pause future Commission accruals or transition Affiliate’s account to a dormant status until a new qualifying referral is completed.

5. Anti-Cannibalization, Attribution & Promotional Rules

Affiliate is strictly prohibited from:

• Brand Bidding: Bidding on Company’s brand names ("Thingster"), trademarks, domain names, or misspellings thereof in any paid search (PPC), social media advertising, or sponsored link campaign;
• Self-Referrals: Using referral links to refer Affiliate’s own accounts, organizations, employees, or affiliated business entities;
• Attribution Manipulation: Deploying browser extensions, adware, pop-unders, or cookie-stuffing scripts that overwrite organic attribution; or
• Spam & Misrepresentation: Sending unsolicited commercial messages (spam) or making false, misleading, or unsubstantiated claims about Thingster or potential creator earnings.

FTC & Regulatory Disclosures: Whenever you share or post a referral link, you must clearly and conspicuously disclose your material connection to Thingster (for example, using #ad, #partner, or a clear written statement that you may earn a commission) in accordance with Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Endorsement Guides and applicable local laws.

Violation of this section shall result in immediate termination for cause and permanent forfeiture of all unpaid and future Lifetime Commissions.

6. Payouts, Holding Periods, Clawbacks & Taxes

• Payout Rails & Holding Period: Commissions may be withdrawn via Stripe Connect or a connected Base USDC wallet. To protect against payment fraud and chargebacks, Company reserves the right to apply a holding period of up to forty-five (45) days after the close of the calendar month in which the underlying Net Qualifying Revenue is collected, and to enforce a minimum payout threshold (up to $50.00).
• Clawbacks & Refunds: If a transaction on a Referred Creator’s content is refunded, charged back, or reversed after a Commission has been credited or paid, Company shall deduct the corresponding Commission amount from Affiliate’s pending or future balance and payouts.
• Independent Contractor & Taxes: You participate in the Affiliate Program strictly as an independent contractor. You are solely responsible for all taxes, reporting obligations, and required tax forms (such as IRS Form W-9 or W-8BEN) associated with Commissions you receive.

7. Unilateral Modification & Rate Step-Down Rights

Company reserves the right to modify, amend, or discontinue the Affiliate Program or the Commission Schedule at any time by providing at least thirty (30) days' written notice (including via email or dashboard notification). Unless otherwise specified in the notice, rate adjustments shall apply to new referrals after the effective date; however, Company reserves the right to adjust ongoing commission rates on existing cohorts if necessary to reflect material changes in product pricing, infrastructure costs, or third-party platform fees.

8. Change of Control / M&A Sunset Buyout

In the event of a merger, acquisition, sale of all or substantially all of Company’s assets, or other Change of Control, Company (or its successor) may, at its sole discretion, terminate all ongoing Lifetime Commission obligations under this Agreement by either: (a) providing sixty (60) days' prior written notice of program termination; or (b) paying Affiliate a one-time lump-sum buyout equal to six (6) times the average monthly Commissions earned by Affiliate over the immediately preceding three (3) calendar months.

9. Term & Survival of Termination

Either party may terminate this Agreement for convenience upon thirty (30) days' written notice. Upon termination for convenience, Affiliate shall continue to receive Commissions on existing Referred Creators for a wind-down period of ninety (90) days following the effective termination date, after which all Commission obligations shall cease. If Company terminates this Agreement for cause due to Affiliate’s breach of this Agreement, fraud, or reputational harm, all pending and future Commissions shall be immediately forfeited.

10. Contact & Dashboard

You can manage your referral stub, review commissions, and request payouts anytime from your Affiliate Dashboard. If you have questions about these Affiliate Program Terms, please reach out via our Contact Page.