Last updated: 16 August 2026
CiaoCompass makes money through affiliate links and advertising. This page explains exactly how that works, because you deserve to know what the commercial relationship is before you take a recommendation from us.
The short version
Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you click one and buy something, we may receive a commission from the merchant. You never pay more because of it. The commission comes out of the merchant margin, not your pocket.
What this covers
We participate in affiliate programmes run by companies in a few categories:
- Language learning — course platforms, apps, and tutoring marketplaces
- Travel — tour and activity operators, accommodation booking sites, car hire, rail bookings, and travel insurance providers
- Books and genealogy — booksellers and ancestry research services
Where we take part in the Amazon Associates Program, the required disclosure applies: as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
How this affects what we recommend
It does not. This is the part that matters, so here is the commitment in specific terms:
- We recommend products we would recommend to a friend who asked, regardless of commission.
- We say when a product is not worth the money, including products that pay us well. Some of the highest-commission products in the language learning industry are poor value, and we will tell you which.
- We do not accept payment for a positive review, and we do not let merchants approve content before it is published.
- Where a genuinely better option pays us nothing, we recommend it anyway and say that it pays us nothing.
The reason for this is not purely principle. A site that recommends bad products loses the readers it depends on. Honest recommendations are the only version of this business that works long term.
Advertising
This site also displays advertising, which may include Google AdSense and other advertising networks. Advertising is served automatically and its presence is not an endorsement. We do not control which specific ads appear, and an advertiser appearing on this site has no influence over our editorial content.
How we mark affiliate links
Pages containing affiliate links carry a disclosure near the top, before the first such link, as required by the United States Federal Trade Commission. Affiliate links also carry the appropriate link attributes for search engines.
Questions
If you want to know whether a specific link is an affiliate link, or how much a particular recommendation earns us, ask. We will tell you. Email hello@ciaocompass.com.