Frequently
Asked Questions
Referral Fees and Payment
1.
How do I get started?
- Read
the eBladeStore.com Associates Program Operating
Agreement.
- Sign
Up: Fill out a brief online registration form.
You'll receive an immediate e-mail welcoming you to the program
and giving you instructions on how to get started building
your store. You'll also receive detailed instructions on how
to enter our 'members only' area called Associates Central.
- Use
Associates Central to build your store.
Once you sign up, you'll get access to Associates Central,
which provides you with a fast and easy way to link to virtually
any page in our site through the Link Code tool. You'll also
have access to Commission
Accelerator which allows your to "private label"
our products on your site, banners and graphics, helpful merchandising
tips, and 24-hour online reporting so that you can build your
store and keep track of your earnings online any time.
- Start
Earning Referral Fees.
You'll automatically be eligible to earn referral fees for
sales generated by your links. You'll always have access to
your earnings and traffic reports through Associates Central.
The reports will show you what your visitors are buying, how
much they are buying, and what your earnings are on those
purchases. With that information, you can optimize your store
and make the most of your relationship with us. Referral fees
are paid at the beginning of the following month.
2.
Does it cost anything to become an Associate?
No, there are no fees of any kind for signing up and participating
in the eBladeStore.com Associates Program. There is no charge
to apply
and there is no minimum sales requirement or sales quota you must
reach before earning referral fees with our program. You start
earning right away.
3.
How long has the program been operating?
Our Associates Program, started in August 1998. Since then we've
become one of the leading online knife retailers in the US and
we're growing each day.
4.
Does my Web site qualify for the Associates Program?
Most Web sites will qualify to participate in the program; however,
we may reject Web sites that we determine are unsuitable. Examples
of sites that would NOT qualify for participation include:
Sites that promote sexually explicit material
Sites that promote violence
Sites that promote discrimination based on race, sex, religion,
national origin, physical disability, sexual orientation, or
age
Sites that promote illegal activities
Sites that violate intellectual property rights
5.
Can I participate if I live outside the United States?
Yes, you may participate in the Associates Program if you live
outside the United States. We have Associates from all over the
world and are working hard to add even more. All you need to join
is a Web site (or an idea for a Web site) that does not:
Promote sexually explicit materials
Promote violence
Promote discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality,
disability, sexual orientation, or age
Promote illegal activities
Violate intellectual property rights
We suggest that you read the complete text of the Operating
Agreement before you join.
Please note that referral fees are paid in U.S. dollars.
You may choose to receive store credit in the form of an eBladeStore.com
gift certificate in lieu of a referral fee check.
6.
Can I apply to the Associates Program more than once?
You may submit more than one application, but if you need multiple
ID's for tracking reasons we recommend that you apply once
and then simply write to associates@ebladestore.com
and request the number of tracking ID's you need assigned
to your account.
7.
How should I design my Web site?
Every Associate site is unique, and we don't provide any kind
of standard template for you to start with. That's because in
almost every case, successful associates will have a pre-existing
Web site or idea for a Web site in mind when they join the program.
You should try to make your recommendations or links to eBladeStore.com
look and feel like the rest of your site. If you don't yet have
a Web site, your options are endless and we encourage you to give
the site its own unique personality. We'll give you many suggestions
and tips on effective ways to earn referral fees from your Web
site in Associates Central.
8.
I don't know how to write HTML or use my site development tool,
will eBladeStore.com help me?
Even though we won't be able to help you build your Web site or
help you learn HTML, we've made linking to us easy through our
'member's only' area called Associates Central. Within Associates
Central, building your links is a breeze using Create-Your-Links,
our automatic link generating tool. You can automatically build
many different types of links. From individual product links to
specialized subject page links and customized search boxes, we'll
have links that will enhance your site and earn you referral fees.
If you want to learn HTML, there are a number of good books on
the subject, and you can find reviews and recommendations here.
9.
What sorts of communications will eBladeStore.com send me?
We will occasionally send you email messages that include merchandising
tips, site news, special offers for Associates, and important
updates on Associates policies. These messages will include up-to-date
information on opportunities that can benefit Associates.
10.
How do I know which items to feature?
You should recommend or refer visitors to items that relate to
your Web site's content. If your site is focused on a particular
area of interest, such as hunting --you might start with a featured
item in our hunting category. Or, items that you've already used,
heard of, or seen and enjoyed.
Keeping
your store up to date means adding more items and possibly removing
some as time passes. You should also keep track of trade journals,
news groups, and press coverage that pertain to your topic of
interest. We will also give you our "new and notable picks" for
the most popular items each month through our Associates Newsletter.
If
you don't want to suggest any particular items, you can link your
site directly to our home page. You will earn referral fees on
all qualifying items sold to visitors originating from your site.
Please remember that the referral fees are 10%.
11.
How can I get eBladeStore.com to add items to the catalog?
Please contact us
and provide details of the item(s) you would like us to add.
12.
I have more than one URL. Can I register all of them as eBladeStore.com
Associates?
You have two options:
- You
can sign up once for all of your URLs. If you choose this
option, you will see all of your earnings and traffic reports
for all of your sites in one report that you can access online
at Associates Central. You will have one Associates ID, and
there will be no way for you to know which of your sites is
generating the most sales.
-
-
You can submit an application to our program for each site
or write to associates@ebladestore.com
to request the number of tracking ID’s you need assigned to
your account.
13.
Can I get multiple tracking ID's?
Yes, to get multiple tracking ID's, submit our online application,
and then write to associates@ebladestore.com
and request the number of Tracking ID's that you need. These
Tracking ID's will be assigned to your account, and you'll
be able switch between IDs online when using our self-service
Web site, Associates Central.
14.
Can I take the order on my Web site and just send the customer
and order information to eBladeStore.com?
No. Our frequent catalog, pricing, and availability updates are
all part of our integrated catalog and ordering software. By using
our system to quote availability and take orders, you ensure that
your visitors get the most up-to-date information and ordering
options available from eBladeStore.com. In addition, a customer's
contact and billing information is crucial to our ability to offer
the best customer service of any company on the Web. Let eBladeStore.com,
the experts in e-commerce, take care of everything, and then sit
back and enjoy the immediate value you add to your Web site by
participating in the Associates Program, the largest and best
program of its type anywhere.
15.
Can a nonprofit join the Associates Program?
Yes, we encourage nonprofits to join our program. In addition,
we are always seeking business partnerships with non-profit organizations.
If interested, please contact
us for details on how we can work together.
1. How much does eBladeSore.com pay me in referral fees?
You'll be paid a flat percentage of 10% for all sales generated
from your Web site.
2. When and how do I get paid?
We will pay you referral fees on a monthly basis. Approximately
30 days following the end of each month, we will send you a report
and your choice of a check or PayPal payment for the referral
fees on earned products that were shipped during the following
month, less any taxes that we are required by law to withhold.
Accounts with cumulative earnings in excess of $25 will receive
payment.
If a product that generated a referral fee is returned by the
customer, we will deduct the corresponding fee from your next
monthly payment. If there is no subsequent payment, we reserve
the right to send you a bill for the fee at the end of the following
month.
3. How does eBladeStore.com track orders coming from my Web site?
An
Associate ID is assigned when you sign
up through our online form. Links from Associates Web sites
to eBladeStore.com use a special format that includes this code.
Every time a customer follows one of those links to our site,
this unique URL tells us which Associate sent the customer to
us.
4. Does eBladeStore.com have an online reporting feature so that
I can keep track of my earnings and traffic?
Yes, once you signup, you will have access to our "members only"
area, Associates Central. There, you'll be able to view your earnings
and traffic reports at any time. These reports not only show you
what you earn, they also show you how much and what exactly your
customers are buying, which will help you determine what sells
well from your site.
5. Will I earn referral fees for personal orders that I make through
my Web site?
We do not pay referral fees for personal orders. The nature of
the marketing agreement between eBladeStore.com and its Associates
involves the payment of referral fees for referring new customers.
It is important that we are paying for new customers and not simply
providing Associates additional discounts above and beyond the
already discounted items offered by eBladeStore.com.
6. Can I get store credit instead of a check?
You
may request payments to be made as an eBladeStore.com Gift Certificate
instead of by check or PayPal. To do so, just email the Associate
Manager or call us.
7. Do I have to meet sales quotas or performance tiers before
I can earn fees?
No. Unlike many other Associates-style programs, we do not require
our Associates to meet sales quotas or performance tiers to earn
their fees. We pay 10% for sales of qualifying orders, regardless
of how much you sell.
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