Affiliate Disclosure

ZT1 Prep is reader-supported. We believe in full transparency about how we make money and how it affects our recommendations.

How We Make Money

ZT1 Prep earns money through affiliate marketing. When you click certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. This happens at no extra cost to you—you pay the same price whether you use our link or go directly to the retailer.

Our primary affiliate relationship is with Amazon Associates. We may also have relationships with other retailers and brands.

What This Means for Our Recommendations

Here's our commitment to you:

  • We only recommend products we believe provide value. If we wouldn't use it or recommend it to family, we don't recommend it to you.
  • Affiliate relationships never determine our ratings. A product with a higher commission doesn't get a higher rating.
  • We include non-affiliate options when they're best. If the best choice doesn't have an affiliate program, we still recommend it.
  • Our opinions are our own. Brands don't pay for positive coverage or control our content.
  • We update content when products change. If a recommended product's quality drops, we update our recommendation.

How We Choose Products

Our recommendation process:

  1. Research — We study specifications, user reviews, expert opinions, and community feedback
  2. Compare — We analyze products across categories based on performance, value, and reliability
  3. Recommend — We suggest the best options for different needs and budgets
  4. Update — We regularly revisit recommendations as products and markets change

Note: We haven't personally tested every product we recommend. When we have hands-on experience, we note it. When recommendations are based on research, we're transparent about that too.

Identifying Affiliate Links

Pages with affiliate links include a disclosure notice near the top. Individual product links may have affiliate tracking parameters in the URL.

Common indicators of affiliate links:

  • Amazon links with "tag=" parameters
  • Links through affiliate networks
  • "Check Price" or "Buy on Amazon" buttons

If you prefer not to use affiliate links, you can search for products directly on retailer websites. We won't earn a commission, but you'll get the same prices and products.

Why We Use Affiliate Marketing

Creating quality content takes time and resources. Affiliate commissions allow us to:

  • Keep our content free and accessible
  • Continue creating helpful guides and reviews
  • Maintain and update the site
  • Research new products and topics

We chose affiliate marketing because it aligns our incentives with yours: we do well when we help you find products that meet your needs. Unlike advertising models, we don't get paid just for eyeballs—we only earn when you actually buy something useful.

Amazon Associates Disclosure

ZT1 Prep is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

FTC Compliance

This disclosure is provided in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Questions?

If you have questions about our affiliate relationships or how we make recommendations, please contact us. We're happy to explain our process.

Last updated: January 2025