Shopzilla Publisher Program FAQs

General Questions

Earnings

Traffic and Reporting

Payments

Creating and Integrating Sponsored Shopping Content

Utilizing the Catalog API and FTP Data Feeds

Support and Help

Glossary

General Questions

What is the Shopzilla Publisher Program?

The Shopzilla Publisher Program is a CPC affiliate program connecting Shopzilla, Inc.’s world-class “where to buy” shopping solution to website publishers interested in monetizing by integrating sponsored shopping content.

Publishers monetize by driving quality traffic through one of Shopzilla, Inc.'s properties, including Bizrate.com and Beso.com. With access to Shopzilla, Inc.’s rich inventory of cataloged products and offers from over 8,000 merchants, participants in the Shopzilla Publisher Program, or "Publishers", are able to create a unique shopping experience contextually relevant to their website.

Additionally, the Shopzilla Publisher Program manages the Beso Rewards Program, allowing content creators to monetize by sharing products they truly love through blogging and social media networks.
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Is there a Bizrate Affiliate Program?

Yes, the Shopzilla Publisher Program is the Bizrate Affiliate Program. Both the Shopzilla Publisher Program and Bizrate are properties of Shopzilla, Inc. The Shopzilla Publisher Program provides affiliate access to sponsored shopping content through Shopzilla, Inc. properties, including Bizrate.
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What is the Beso Affiliate Program?

Beso.com is Shopzilla, Inc.'s style-based website, offering a personalized shopping experience based on a curated set of fashionable stores and brands. The Beso Affiliate Program, managed by the Shopzilla Publisher Program, allows website publishers to access Beso content. By becoming a member of the Shopzilla Publisher Program, you are automatically enrolled in the Beso Affiliate Program.
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How do I join the Shopzilla Publisher Program?

You must apply to join the Shopzilla Publisher Program. All registrations are subject to review by the Shopzilla Publisher Team, and accepted on a discretionary basis. For more information on becoming a Publisher, please visit our blog post "What makes a good Shopzilla Publisher Program candidate?".
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I do not live in the United States. Can I join the Shopzilla Publisher Program?

Yes, you are welcome to join the Shopzilla Publisher Program if you do not live in the United States, providing you are able to accept payment from us. If you do not have a payment address within the United States, you will be paid via PayPal. Before applying for the Shopzilla Publisher Program, please confirm that your country is approved to receive PayPal payments.
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Do you accept traffic from non-US visitors?

We ask that all Publishers using the US-based Shopzilla Publisher Program target US visitors. Our US-based Shopzilla Publisher Program provides access to sponsored shopping content from US-based merchants; failure to target US visitors will result in poor traffic quality and possible account termination.

If your website targets visitors within the United Kingdom, France or Germany, please consider registering for the respective international Shopzilla, Inc. affiliate program.

For each country-specific Shopzilla, Inc. affiliate program in which you participate, you will be assigned a country-specific Publisher ID that can only be used within that country-specific Shopzilla, Inc. affiliate program.
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Can I integrate Shopzilla Publisher Program sponsored shopping content on multiple websites?

Per our Shopzilla Inc. Publisher Program Terms & Conditions, you are able to integrate Shopzilla Publisher Program sponsored shopping content on websites in addition to the website originally registered with the Shopzilla Publisher Program, providing all additional websites are submitted to the Shopzilla Publisher Team and approved in advance of integration.
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Can I integrate other affiliate programs in conjunction with the Shopzilla Publisher Program?

Participation in the Shopzilla Publisher Program does not require exclusivity. We encourage Publishers to integrate affiliate content that best complements their website's content and business model. Our Shopzilla Publisher Program sponsored shopping content can be displayed alongside Google AdSense content.
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As a Publisher, am I bound to any contract?

By participating in our Shopzilla Publisher Program, you agree to be bound by the then-current Shopzilla Inc. Publisher Program Terms & Conditions, and to observe the policies and guidelines of the Shopzilla Publisher Program. You are free to terminate your participation in the Shopzilla Publisher Program at any time by submitting written notice to the Shopzilla Publisher Team and removing all Shopzilla Publisher Program sponsored shopping content from your website(s).
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Earnings

How do I generate earnings?

As a Publisher, you generate earnings by placing Shopzilla Publisher Program sponsored shopping content onto your website. This sponsored shopping content links your website visitors, or users, to a Shopzilla, Inc. website, or Shopzilla, Inc. merchant's website. You generate earnings based on the actual merchant leads, or redirects, that your website users generate to Shopzilla, Inc. merchants. You are paid a percentage, or a commission, based on the net revenue collected by Shopzilla, Inc. from merchants for these redirects. Earnings depend upon many factors, including:

  • Level, or type, of integration within your website
  • Contextual relevance of the Shopzilla Publisher Program sponsored shopping content you have chosen to integrate within your website
  • Nature of your website user activity
  • Overall traffic quality of merchant leads, or redirects, that your website users generate to Shopzilla, Inc. merchants

For more information related to generating earnings, please visit our blog post "How the Shopzilla Publisher Program Works".
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When will I start generating earnings?

You begin to accrue earnings as soon as we are able to detect actual merchant leads, or redirects, generated through the Shopzilla Publisher Program sponsored shopping content that you have placed onto your website. Earnings are only paid after you accrue $25.00 USD in earnings by the end of any given reporting month.
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What is the affiliate commission rate I will earn through the Shopzilla Publisher Program?

The Shopzilla Publisher Program does not specify a commission rate. Instead, we encourage Publishers to monitor their earnings on a CPM (per 1,000 impression) and RPR (per redirect) basis, evaluating advertising yields relative to alternative affiliate or syndicated advertising solutions. Publishers have access to their Shopzilla Publisher Program CPM and RPR data through their 'Earnings Report', available within the 'View Reports' section of the Publisher Portal.
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Will I generate earnings from all Shopzilla, Inc. websites?

The Shopzilla, Inc. affiliate programs are country-specific. You are only eligible to generate earnings from the Shopzilla, Inc. websites associated with the Shopzilla, Inc. affiliate program for which you are registered. As a Publisher of the US-based Shopzilla Publisher Program, you are only eligible to generate earnings through US-based Shopzilla, Inc. websites.

If your website targets visitors within the United Kingdom, France or Germany, please consider registering for the respective international Shopzilla, Inc. affiliate program.

For each country-specific Shopzilla, Inc. affiliate program in which you participate, you will be assigned a country-specific Publisher ID that can only be used within that country-specific Shopzilla, Inc. affiliate program.
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Traffic and Reporting

How does the Shopzilla Publisher Program track traffic generated through my website?

The Shopzilla Publisher Program assigns each Publisher a unique identification number, referred to as your Publisher ID, or Affiliate ID (AID). Shopzilla, Inc. Website Activity is attributed to a Publisher when Shopzilla, Inc. detects the given Publisher’s AID in the Referring URL, or resultant cookie, from which a merchant lead, or redirect, originated.

When you retrieve Content Code from the Publisher Portal, your AID is embedded into the Referring URL of that code. If you are utilizing our Catalog API or FTP Data Feeds, you must insert your Publisher ID within the Referring URL's AID parameter. It is important that you do not manipulate the structure of your Referring URLs, or you risk forfeiting any traffic generated through those Referring URLs.
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What is a Placement ID?

Placement IDs can be used to track the effectiveness of your chosen Shopzilla Publisher Program sponsored shopping content, or the effectiveness of its specific placement on your website. Publishers are able to view earnings by Placement ID within the 'View Reports' section of the Publisher Portal. Note that for Referring URL tracking purposes, you must use a Placement ID; the default Placement ID is '1'. For more information related to Placement IDs, please visit our blog post on Placement ID usage.
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How do I get reports on my earnings?

Estimated earnings are reported on your 'Earnings Report', available within the 'View Reports' section of the Publisher Portal. Estimated earnings are updated daily with the previous day's activity.
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Why are my reported earnings "estimated"?

We provide estimated earnings as a courtesy to you; these reported earnings should not be relied upon as final earnings. Final earnings, or actual amounts paid, may vary from initial reported earnings. Reasons for variation between reported and final earnings may include, but are not limited to: invalidation of traffic, merchant traffic quality adjustments, merchant chargeback or bad debt, reporting errors or other factors. All determinations will be made by Shopzilla, Inc. in its sole discretion. Please refer to our Shopzilla Inc. Publisher Program Terms & Conditions for more information regarding the generation of earnings.
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How does the Shopzilla Publisher Program determine my traffic quality?

The Shopzilla Publisher Program is committed to providing Shopzilla, Inc. merchants high quality advertising traffic resulting in conversion, or sales. We continuously analyze Publisher traffic quality on an individual basis. In the event a given Publisher's traffic quality does not meet our expectations, we will discount the cost charged to Shopzilla, Inc. merchants for that given Publisher's traffic in an attempt to normalize merchant cost-of-sale. Note that this discount reduces the net revenue realized by Shopzilla, Inc. for traffic generated by that given Publisher, thus reducing that Publisher's earnings.

If your traffic quality does not meet our merchants' expectations, we will adjust the rates at which you are paid, to ensure that merchant costs are acceptable. You may receive traffic quality reports at your request. All determinations will be made by Shopzilla, Inc. in its sole discretion. Please refer to our Shopzilla Inc. Publisher Program Terms & Conditions for more information regarding the generation of earnings.
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Payments

How am I paid?

Shopzilla Publisher Program payments made to Publishers with a United States payment address are paid via check by standard. Checks are issued by Shopzilla and sent via US Postal Service. However, US-based Publishers do have the option of being paid via PayPal. To receive payments through PayPal, Publishers must keep their email address on their account up-to-date as this email address will be used for PayPal payments. Payments made to Publishers residing outside of the United States are paid via Paypal. Before applying for the Shopzilla Publisher Program, please confirm that your country is approved to receive PayPal payments.
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How frequently am I paid?    

Payments are issued monthly, within approximately 45 days from the close of the reporting month. In other words, you would receive payment for January earnings approximately 45 days from January 31st, which would be March 15. Payments reflect earnings accrued during the reporting month, plus any accrued balance carried forward from prior months for which payment has not yet been issued.
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Why have I not received my payment?

If your accrued balance has met our minimum payment amount, and you have not received payment, you may need to update your payment information. Please review and update your payment information within the 'My Account' section of the Publisher Portal. If your payment information is current, please contact the Shopzilla Publisher Team for more information.
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What is the minimum payment amount on earnings accrued?

$25.00 USD. Payments are issued to Publishers with accrued balances of least $25.00 USD at the end of a given reporting month. If your balance is less than $25.00 USD at the end of a reporting month, a payment will not be issued, and your balance will roll over to the next reporting month until you accrue at least $25.00 USD.
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In what currency are payments made?

All Publishers participating in the US-based Shopzilla Publisher Program are paid in US Dollars.
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Do I have to pay taxes on my earnings?

You may need to pay taxes on Shopzilla Publisher Program earnings depending upon your circumstances. Shopzilla, Inc. is not responsible for any tax obligation that you may incur from your participation in the Shopzilla Publisher Program. Shopzilla, Inc. will issue 1099s (and/or comparable filing for parties submitting Form W-8) to all Publishers that are US Taxpayers or Taxpaying Entities if the Publisher’s annual earnings meet the then-current guidelines that govern the issuance of such filings.

Note that if you are not a US citizen, you currently reside outside of the United States, you operate a website targeting US-visitors, and the servers hosting this website are located WITHIN the United States, you may be potentially obligated to pay US taxes on your Shopzilla Publisher Program earnings.
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How do I change my payment information?

As a Publisher, it is your responsibility to maintain your payment information. To do this, please go to the 'My Account' section of the Publisher Portal. Here you will be able to update your payment information in the section labeled "Payment Information". For more information related to updating your payment information, please visit our blog post on entering payment information.
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Creating and Integrating Sponsored Shopping Content

What type of sponsored shopping content is available for publishing on my website?

As a Publisher, you have access to a growing suite of tools allowing access to Shopzilla Publisher Program sponsored shopping content. Currently, Publishers are able to choose from:

  • Text Links Build custom text links to products, categories, shopping guides, or any Bizrate.com page.
  • Search Box Assets Allow website users to drive their shopping search experience by integrating a search box asset.
  • Dynamic Assets Build dynamic assets based on top keyword or category search results, or build comparison shopping assets for specific products. Customize your dynamic assets to complement your website's design.
  • Bizrate Product Search Widget Similar to dynamic assets, you can build a widget based on specific search term to showcase on your website.
  • Catalog API The Catalog API provides advanced Publishers with intuitive access to sponsored shopping content via a query-based web service producing an XML response.
  • FTP Data Feeds The FTP Data Feed product allows advanced Publishers to download comprehensive XML feeds of merchant offers from a single FTP location, choosing the categories relevant to their website, or our entire inventory of sponsored shopping content.

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How do I get or create sponsored shopping content for my website?

To get or create sponsored shopping content, go to the 'Get Content' section of the Publisher Portal. Here you will be able to choose from a variety of Content Types including text links, stock assets, search box assets, and dynamic assets. If you choose to integrate a dynamic asset within your website, you will be able to use our Color Picker tool to customize your dynamic asset.
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How do I integrate the sponsored shopping content onto my website?

In the 'Get Content' section of the Publisher Portal, you are able to retrieve Content Code that will render sponsored shopping content on your website. Once you find the content type that you would like to integrate within your website, copy the Content Code, or HTML, and paste it onto the page of your website where you would like your chosen content to appear.

Do not alter the Content Code provided in any manner; it may adversely affect the Referring URLs and our ability to attribute earnings to you. If you manipulate the structure of your Referring URLs, you risk forfeiting any traffic generated through those Referring URLs. Please refer to our Shopzilla Inc. Publisher Program Terms & Conditions for more information related to altering Referring URLs.
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How do I know my sponsored shopping content is working properly?

Your sponsored shopping content should work properly if you copy it directly from the Publisher Portal and paste it onto your website without making any alterations. The Shopzilla Publisher Program is not responsible for the proper implementation of the sponsored shopping content on Publisher websites. You will be able to verify that you have implemented your chosen sponsored shopping content properly by utilizing Placement IDs and checking for corresponding activity within the 'View Reports' section of the Publisher Portal.
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Who serves my sponsored shopping content?

All Shopzilla Publisher Program sponsored shopping content is served by Shopzilla, Inc. and subject to Shopzilla, Inc. network availability. To ensure maximum download speeds, all graphics are served by Akamai, a leading worldwide distributed-caching network.
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How frequently must I update my sponsored shopping content?

Depending upon the type of sponsored shopping content you have integrated, the answer to this question varies. It is important to remember that updating your sponsored shopping content results in a more current and relevant shopping experience for your website users, generally resulting in higher traffic quality.

  • Text Links Update your text links periodically to ensure you are still linking to a valid product, category, or page.
  • Search Box Assets Update your search box assets periodically to ensure you have the most current URL structure supporting your website user's shopping search experience.
  • Dynamic Assets Update your dynamic assets often, particularly if they are built around a category or a specific product. Updating these assets not only ensures you are integrating the most current Content Code, but allows you to ensure your website users are presented with the most relevant sponsored shopping content. If you have integrated a 'Top Search Results' dynamic asset, you will want to update any set category parameter as we periodically introduce new categories which might provide a better set of results. If you have integrated a 'Product Pod' dynamic asset, you will potentially want to update any specific product to avoid a situation where our inventory no longer includes offers for that specific product.
  • Bizrate Product Search Widget The Bizrate widgets will update itself as products become unavailable. You may wish to change the search terms periodically for diversity.
  • Catalog API Sponsored shopping content integrated through the Catalog API Product Service should not be cached more than six hours. Resource calls to our Brand, Merchant and Taxonomy Services should be updated on a daily basis.
  • FTP Data Feeds Sponsored shopping content integrated through the FTP Data Feed product should be updated within six hours of the availability of a new FTP Data Feed.
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Utilizing the Catalog API and FTP Data Feeds

Do I need to apply for access to use the Catalog API or FTP Data Feeds?

Once you have been accepted into the Shopzilla Publisher Program, you must apply for specific access to the Catalog API or FTP Data Feed products. You are able to apply for this access within the 'API & Data Feeds' section of the Publisher Portal. All applications are subject to review by the Shopzilla Publisher Team, and access is granted on a discretionary basis.
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I want to use a third party integration kit. What are the Shopzilla Publisher Program's obligations?

Though we are supportive of any open-source or vendor efforts to provide products that allow for easy integration of Shopzilla Publisher Program sponsored shopping content, Shopzilla, Inc. does not in any way oversee or involve itself in the actual development of these products. It is the open-source community or vendor who are responsible for maintaining these products. The Shopzilla Publisher Program is not obligated to grant access to the Shopzilla Publisher Program, Catalog API, or FTP Data Feed for use with any vendor product. We encourage you to apply and verify that you will be granted the necessary access PRIOR to purchasing any vendor product that requires discretionary Shopzilla Publisher Program access.
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Is there a limit to the number of calls I can make through the Catalog API?

Yes, Catalog API users are allocated 200,000 calls per day. Should you intend to increase your daily call volume 20% or more, you must notify the Shopzilla Publisher Team in advance of your planned increase.
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Why am I unable to connect to the FTP location to retrieve FTP Data Feeds?

Downloads may fail in the event that they are attempted while the FTP Data Feed is updating. Your best course of action is to retry your download a half hour later, after receiving your FTP Data Feed notification email if you have registered for this service, or to trigger your downloads based on the build version available within the publisher_build.txt file in your current directory. We do not employ any timeout within our FTP locations, so should your issue persist, the most likely cause is use of an incorrect password or a network issue within your environment.
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Why are files missing from the FTP Data Feeds?

Partial FTP Data Feeds may occur in the event that a download is attempted while the FTP Data Feed is updating. Specific files may be missing in the event that the category that file represented has been split into more granular subcategories. Stay on top of category changes by following the 'New Categories' section of our blog.
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Support and Help

How do I get help?

If you have a question or need help, click the 'Contact Us' link available at both the top and footer of all pages within the Publisher Portal.
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How long will it take for someone to get back to me?

A member of the Shopzilla Publisher Team will respond to your inquiry within one to three business days (9:00am - 6:00pm PST). If you do not hear back from us within a reasonable time, please let us know!
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How do I find out about performance issues or new releases that may impact me?

We typically announce temporary unplanned performance issues on the login page of the Publisher Portal and via our Twitter feed. Larger-scale performance issues, planned maintenance, and releases are typically announced through these methods as well as within our Shopzilla Publisher Program blog. All new blog posts are posted to our Facebook page, should you prefer to follow us on Facebook.

We occasionally email Publishers to notify them of specific changes that might drastically impact their use of the Shopzilla Publisher Program, so please be sure to keep your contact information current. To update your contact information, please go to the 'My Account' section of the Publisher Portal.
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Glossary

Content Code 

Content Code refers to the HTML code extracted from the 'Get Content' section of the Publisher Portal. This is the code that renders Shopzilla Publisher Program sponsored shopping content on your website.
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Get Content

Get Content refers to the section of the Publisher Portal where Publishers retrieve Content Code.
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Publisher

Publisher refers to approved participants in the Shopzilla Publisher Program. Publishers are typically website content publishers.
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Publisher Portal

Publisher Portal refers to the website where publishers can retrieve Content Code as well as access their account details, reports, and related information. The Publisher Portal is located here.
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Referring URL

Referring URLs are embedded within the sponsored shopping content and are the means by which Shopzilla, Inc. is able to track the traffic you generate. It is important that you do not manipulate the structure of your Referring URLs, or you risk forfeiting any traffic generated through those Referring URLs.
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Shopzilla Website Activity

Shopzilla Website Activity refers to the website activity that is generated through a Shopzilla, Inc. website from the Shopzilla Publisher Program sponsored shopping content displayed on a Publisher's website. Presently, Publishers generate earnings from Shopzilla Website Activity when website users they refer to Shopzilla, Inc. redirect through to merchants participating in the Shopzilla, Inc. Pay-Per-Click Merchant Program.
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Sponsored Shopping Content

Sponsored shopping content refers to any content or shopping-related advertisements that is rendered through the Shopzilla Publisher Program.
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