Affiliate Program Rules and Guidelines
Last Updated: March 18, 2026
Eligibility: Our affiliate program is open to individuals who own or operate a website or blog and are interested in promoting our services through articles, banners, or other appropriate means. Participants must be at least 18 years of age, comply with all applicable laws and regulations, and must qualify as a "US person" (as defined by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service). By electing to participate in the program, you represent and warrant that you are a US person; we reserve the right to verify this status and may require you to provide a valid Form W-9 or other identity verification documentation to maintain eligibility. Failure to provide a valid Form W-9 or any other requested documentation may result in the immediate disqualification or termination of your participation in the program.
Self-Referrals: You may not refer yourself as an affiliate. You cannot be an admin on an account or pay for any account you receive referral fees for as an affiliate. Any attempt to refer yourself will result in disqualification and forfeiture of any earned commissions.
Invalid Promotions: Use of Google CPS or any other Cost-Per-Sale platform to generate leads is not permitted within our affiliate program. Affiliates found using such methods will be disqualified and any earnings from these sources will be deemed invalid.
Promotion Restrictions: You may not promote your affiliate link on Podbean's social media pages or groups, "coupon sites," or through paid advertisements (Google Ads, social media, etc.). All promotional efforts must comply with our branding guidelines and approved promotional methods.
Accurate Promotions: All promotions about Podbean and your affiliate link must reflect true information. You cannot claim to provide special discounts or services that Podbean does not offer. Any misleading or false claims will result in disqualification and forfeiture of any earned commissions.
This obligation applies equally to promotional content generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools. Affiliates are responsible for reviewing and verifying the accuracy of all AI-generated promotional content before publication. AI-generated claims about Podbean’s features, pricing, capabilities (including AI Features such as AI Audio Optimization, AI-Generated Metadata, AI Script Generation, and AI Text-to-Audio Conversion), or performance must be verified against Podbean’s current official documentation. Podbean is not responsible for inaccurate claims made by affiliates based on AI-generated content, including AI hallucinations or fabricated information.
Approved Promotional Methods: Affiliates may promote our services using articles, blog posts, banners, or other relevant content on their website or blog. All promotional materials must be accurate, up-to-date, and in compliance with our branding guidelines.
Affiliates may use AI tools to assist in creating promotional content, provided that: (a) all AI-generated content is reviewed by the affiliate for accuracy, quality, and compliance with these guidelines before publication; (b) AI-generated content that could reasonably be mistaken for a personal testimonial, user review, or first-person endorsement must be clearly identified as AI-generated; (c) affiliates comply with all applicable disclosure requirements, including Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines on AI-generated endorsements and testimonials; and (d) AI-generated promotional content does not include fabricated quotes, fake user testimonials, synthetic voice endorsements impersonating real individuals, or deepfake video or audio content.
Prohibited Content: Affiliates may not promote our services on websites that contain offensive, defamatory, discriminatory, or illegal content, or on websites that promote violence, hate speech, or any other harmful behavior. Such affiliations will result in immediate termination from the program and forfeiture of any earned commissions.
Commission Structure: You will be paid for your Podbean affiliate referrals when the podcaster starts paying for their plan or when an advertiser pays for a campaign. When someone signs up using your affiliate code, you will have a message under “Transactions” to indicate they’ve signed up and started a free trial. Once the one month free trial ends and they start paying, you will be credited with the referral fee. You’ll see an updated message that the person paid for their Podbean hosting plan.
Payment Schedule: Commissions will be paid 3 months after the transaction date. Payouts are made on the 21st of the month or the following business day. Minimum balance to receive a payout is $10.
Termination: We reserve the right to terminate an affiliate’s participation in the program at any time, for any reason, and without prior notice. In the event of termination, any unpaid commissions will be forfeited.
Modification: We reserve the right to modify these rules and guidelines at any time, without prior notice. It is the responsibility of the affiliate to stay informed about any changes to the program and adjust their promotional strategies accordingly.
Prohibited Activities — Cookie Stuffing
The Affiliate expressly agrees not to engage in ‘cookie stuffing’, ‘cookie dropping’, or any similar practice (hereinafter referred to collectively as ‘Cookie Stuffing’). Cookie Stuffing is defined as the forced placement of an Affiliate tracking cookie onto a user’s device without the user’s express knowledge or consent, particularly with the intention of earning commissions from transactions for which the Affiliate did not directly contribute.
Cookie Stuffing is a direct violation of this Agreement and may result in immediate termination of the Affiliate’s participation in the Program, at the sole discretion of the Company. In addition to termination, the Company reserves the right to seek restitution and/or legal remedies for any revenue received by the Affiliate as a result of Cookie Stuffing.
In the event that the Company suspects or identifies Cookie Stuffing, it may conduct an audit of the Affiliate’s practices at any time, without prior notice. The Affiliate agrees to fully cooperate with any such audit and to provide any and all information that may be requested by the Company.
The Affiliate acknowledges and understands that Cookie Stuffing may also violate local, national, and international privacy laws, and agrees to indemnify the Company for any losses, including but not limited to fines, penalties, and legal fees, that may be incurred as a result of such violations.
Prohibited Activities — AI-Powered Fraud and Automated Manipulation
The Affiliate expressly agrees not to use artificial intelligence, machine learning, bots, or any form of automated technology to: (a) generate fake signups, referrals, clicks, or impressions to inflate affiliate metrics or earn undeserved commissions; (b) create automated systems that mimic human behavior to circumvent Podbean’s fraud detection or referral validation systems; (c) deploy AI chatbots or automated messaging tools that promote affiliate links through unsolicited messages, spam, or deceptive interactions; (d) use AI to create multiple fake identities, accounts, or personas to generate self-referrals or manipulate referral tracking; or (e) employ AI-powered tools to manipulate search engine rankings, social media algorithms, or advertising platforms in violation of their respective terms of service.
Any use of AI or automated tools that results in fraudulent, deceptive, or manipulative referral activity constitutes a direct violation of this Agreement and will result in immediate termination from the Program, forfeiture of all earned and unpaid commissions, and potential legal action to recover any improperly earned revenue. Podbean reserves the right to use its own AI and automated tools to detect and investigate potential violations of this section.
AI Disclosure Requirements
Affiliates must comply with all applicable laws and regulatory guidance regarding the disclosure of AI-generated content, including but not limited to FTC guidelines on endorsements and testimonials. Where applicable law or regulatory guidance requires disclosure that promotional content was created, in whole or in part, with the assistance of AI tools, affiliates must provide clear, conspicuous, and unambiguous disclosure to that effect. Disclosures must be placed in close proximity to the AI-generated content and must be easily understandable by a reasonable consumer.
Affiliates must not use AI to generate content that creates a false impression of personal experience with Podbean’s services. Promotional content that describes personal experiences, specific use cases, or individual results must be based on actual, genuine use of Podbean’s services by the affiliate or by a real, identifiable individual who has provided verifiable consent for such use.
Promoting Podbean AI Features
When promoting Podbean’s AI Features (including AI Audio Optimization, AI-Generated Metadata, AI Script Generation, and AI Text-to-Audio Conversion), affiliates must: (a) accurately describe the capabilities and limitations of AI Features based on Podbean’s official documentation and marketing materials; (b) not make exaggerated, unsubstantiated, or misleading claims about AI Feature performance, accuracy, or results; (c) not represent AI-generated outputs as guaranteed or error-free; (d) clearly disclose that AI Features are tools that assist users and do not replace human judgment; and (e) not compare Podbean’s AI Features to competitors’ offerings in a manner that is false, misleading, or unsubstantiated.
Podbean may provide official promotional materials and talking points for AI Features. Affiliates are encouraged to use these approved materials and must not modify them in a way that changes their meaning or creates misleading impressions. Podbean reserves the right to require affiliates to remove or correct any promotional content about AI Features that Podbean determines to be inaccurate or misleading.
Indemnification
Affiliate agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Podbean Inc., its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to: (a) Affiliate’s breach of these Rules and Guidelines; (b) Affiliate’s promotional activities, including any AI-generated promotional content; (c) any claim that Affiliate’s promotional content (whether AI-generated or otherwise) infringes any third-party intellectual property rights, right of publicity, or right of privacy; (d) any claim arising from false, misleading, or deceptive promotional content created by or on behalf of Affiliate, including content generated by AI tools; (e) any violation of applicable laws, regulations, or industry guidelines, including FTC endorsement guidelines; and (f) any claim arising from Affiliate’s use of AI tools in connection with the Program that causes harm to third parties.
Acceptance
By participating in our affiliate program, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to abide by these rules and guidelines. Failure to comply with these rules may result in termination from the program and forfeiture of any earned commissions.