Advertising Disclosure
Last updated: December 14, 2025
Our Commitment to Transparency
At Kindred Cup, trust and transparency are foundational to everything we do. We believe you deserve to know when we receive compensation for recommendations, partnerships, or advertising relationships. This page explains our advertising practices and financial relationships so you can make informed decisions.
We're committed to honest, authentic communication about coffee and community building. When we recommend products, services, or resources, it's because we genuinely believe they align with our values and will serve you well - regardless of any financial arrangements.
Affiliate Relationships and Partnerships
What Are Affiliate Links?
Some links on our website may be affiliate links. This means that if you click on one of these links and make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. The price you pay remains exactly the same whether you use our affiliate link or go directly to the seller.
We participate in affiliate programs with companies whose products we genuinely use and recommend. These might include coffee equipment manufacturers, coffee bean suppliers, or other resources that support accessible coffee brewing and community building.
Our Affiliate Policy
We only recommend products and services we've personally tested, researched, or believe will genuinely benefit our community. A financial relationship never influences whether we recommend something - we base our recommendations on quality, accessibility, value, and alignment with our mission.
We clearly disclose affiliate relationships when they exist. You'll see transparent language like "affiliate link" or "we may earn a commission" near relevant links. We never hide our affiliations or mislead you about the nature of our partnerships.
How We Choose Partners
We're selective about the companies we partner with. We look for organizations that share our values of accessibility, quality, and community focus. We prioritize partners who offer fair pricing, good customer service, and products that we'd recommend even without compensation.
Your Trust Matters Most
Your trust is more valuable to us than any affiliate commission. If we ever recommend something that doesn't meet your expectations, please let us know. We regularly review our partnerships and will discontinue relationships with companies that don't uphold the standards our community deserves.
Sponsored Content and Paid Promotions
Identifying Sponsored Content
Occasionally, we may work with brands or companies to create sponsored content. This might include blog posts, educational materials, or product features where we receive compensation for discussing specific products or services. All sponsored content is clearly labeled as "Sponsored," "Paid Partnership," or with similar transparent language at the beginning of the content.
Editorial Independence
We maintain complete editorial control over all content on our site, including sponsored materials. Sponsors don't write our content or dictate what we say about their products. We reserve the right to decline sponsorships that don't align with our values or serve our community's interests.
Our honest opinions and authentic experiences remain central to all content. If we partner with a brand, it's because we genuinely believe their products or services contribute to accessible, enjoyable coffee experiences and community connection.
Brand Partnerships
We may form longer-term brand partnerships with companies whose missions align with ours. These relationships might involve ongoing collaboration, product testing, or co-created content. All such partnerships are disclosed clearly, and we remain committed to providing honest, valuable information to our community.
Gift and Product Disclosure
Sometimes companies provide us with free products or samples for review or testing. When we discuss these products, we disclose that we received them at no cost. Receiving a product for free doesn't guarantee a positive review - we share our honest assessment regardless of how we obtained the product.
Third-Party Advertising Networks
Display Advertising
We may display advertisements from third-party advertising networks on our website. These networks serve ads based on your browsing behavior across multiple websites. The ads you see may be personalized based on your interests and online activity, subject to your cookie preferences.
Ad Network Policies
Third-party advertisers may use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your visits to our site and other websites. This information is used to provide relevant advertisements about goods and services that may interest you.
We don't control the content of these advertisements or the practices of third-party advertising networks. While we strive to work with reputable partners, we're not responsible for the content, accuracy, or privacy practices of third-party ads.
Behavioral Targeting
Some advertising partners use behavioral targeting to show you ads based on your browsing history. You can opt out of behavioral advertising through your browser settings, ad preference tools, or our cookie management center. For more details, see our Cookie Policy.
Ad Quality Standards
We maintain standards for the types of advertisements displayed on our site. We don't knowingly allow ads for inappropriate, offensive, or misleading products and services. If you encounter an ad that concerns you, please let us know so we can address it with our advertising partners.
Your Rights and Controls
Control Your Ad Experience
You have control over the types of ads you see and how your data is used for advertising. Manage your preferences through our cookie settings, your browser settings, or industry opt-out tools.
Cookie Management
Visit our Cookie Policy page to customize which types of cookies you allow, including advertising and analytics cookies. You can change these preferences at any time.
Browser Settings
Most browsers allow you to block third-party cookies, limit tracking, or clear existing cookies. Check your browser's privacy settings for these options.
Industry Opt-Out Tools
Organizations like the Digital Advertising Alliance and Network Advertising Initiative offer tools to opt out of interest-based advertising from participating companies.
FTC Compliance
Kindred Cup complies with the Federal Trade Commission's guidelines regarding endorsements, testimonials, and advertising disclosures. We clearly and conspicuously disclose all material connections between us and any products, services, or companies we mention or recommend.
When we have a financial relationship with a company we're discussing, we make that relationship clear before you click any links or make purchasing decisions. We believe this transparency helps you make informed choices and maintains the trust that's essential to our community.
Our goal is to provide valuable coffee education and community resources while being completely transparent about how we support our work. If you ever feel a disclosure wasn't clear or have questions about our advertising relationships, please reach out to us.
Questions About Our Advertising Practices?
If you have questions about our advertising relationships, want to know more about a specific partnership, or have concerns about any content on our site, we're here to answer. Transparency isn't just a policy for us - it's a core value.
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