Affiliate Program Terms of Service

1. Definitions

• "Legiscope UAB" (also "Ranking Labs", "we", "us", "our") means Legiscope UAB, a company registered in the Republic of Lithuania, company code 306 822 281, registered office at Laisvės pr. 60-1107, LT-05120 Vilnius, Lithuania, VAT number LT100011142510.
• "Affiliate" (also "you", "your") means the individual or entity accepted into the Ranking Labs Affiliate Program under these Terms.
• "Commission" means the percentage-based payment owed to the Affiliate for qualifying referred purchases.
• "Pending Commission" means a commission that has been tracked but has not yet cleared the 30-day hold period.
• "Approved Commission" means a commission that has cleared the hold period and is eligible for payout.
• "Referred Customer" means a new customer who signed up for Ranking Labs through the Affiliate's tracking link within the attribution window.

2. Enrollment & Acceptance

By submitting an affiliate application and clicking "I agree", you enter into a binding agreement with Legiscope UAB under these Terms. Applications are reviewed and typically processed within 1–2 business days. We reserve the right to accept or reject any application at our sole discretion.

Stripe Connect onboarding: To receive commission payments, you must complete the onboarding process with our payment processor, Stripe, Inc. ("Stripe Connect"). This includes providing identity verification, bank account details, and any information required by Stripe under applicable financial regulations. By accepting these Terms, you agree to Stripe's Connected Account Agreement and any applicable Stripe terms of service. Legiscope UAB is not responsible for delays or failures in payment caused by incomplete Stripe onboarding or Stripe's own policies.

You represent and warrant that: (a) you have the legal capacity to enter into this Agreement; (b) all information provided in your application is accurate and complete; (c) you will comply with all applicable laws and regulations in your promotional activities.

3. Commission Structure

Affiliates earn a 30% recurring commission on all purchases made by Referred Customers. Commissions are paid for a duration of 24 months per Referred Customer from the date of their first purchase. After 24 months, no further commissions accrue for that customer.

Commissions are calculated on the net amount of each transaction (pre-tax and pre-VAT).

4. Cookie Duration & Attribution

Referrals are tracked using a 120-day attribution window. When a visitor clicks your affiliate link, a cookie is set that attributes any purchase within 120 days to your account. If multiple affiliate links are clicked, the most recent click is attributed.

5. Payment Terms

• Minimum payout: Commissions are paid out once your Approved Commission balance reaches a minimum of €1,000.
• Payment schedule: Payouts may be requested on a monthly basis (one request per calendar month) and are processed via Stripe Connect.
• Hold period: All commissions are subject to a 30-day hold period before they are approved for payout. This allows time for refunds and chargebacks to be processed.
• Stripe onboarding required: No payout will be processed until you have completed Stripe Connect onboarding and your account is in good standing (see Section 2).
• Currency: Commissions are denominated in the currency of the original transaction (EUR or USD). All commissions within a single payout request must be in the same currency.

6. Self-Billing & Invoicing

To enable a fully automated commission payment process, Legiscope UAB operates a self-billing arrangement in accordance with Article 224 of EU Directive 2006/112/EC. By accepting these Terms, you expressly mandate and authorize Legiscope UAB to issue invoices on your behalf for all commission payments due under this Agreement.

Under this self-billing arrangement:

• Legiscope UAB will generate and issue a self-billing invoice for each commission payout, bearing the notation "SELF-BILLING".
• You agree not to issue your own invoices for any commission payments covered by this Agreement. Issuing duplicate invoices may create accounting and tax discrepancies for both parties.
• Each invoice will be made available in your affiliate dashboard and sent to your registered email address. The self-billing invoice constitutes the legal and accounting reference document for the transaction.
• You have 14 days from the date of invoice issuance to raise a written objection to contact@rankinglabs.io. Absence of objection within this period constitutes acceptance of the invoice.
• You must provide accurate business, VAT, and tax identification information and notify us within 14 days of any changes to your business details, VAT registration status, or tax identification numbers.
• This self-billing mandate remains in force for the duration of this Agreement and for 30 days following termination.
• All invoices are retained for a minimum of 10 years in compliance with EU record-retention requirements.

How it works in practice: When a payout is processed, our system automatically generates a self-billing invoice via Stripe, records the payment, and makes the invoice PDF available for download in your dashboard. You do not need to take any action — the invoice is your receipt and tax document for the commission received.

7. Clawback Policy

• Full refund: If a Referred Customer receives a full refund, the corresponding commission will be fully reversed.
• Partial refund: If a Referred Customer receives a partial refund, the commission will be proportionally reversed.
• Chargebacks: Any chargeback triggers an immediate commission hold pending review. If the chargeback is upheld, the commission is reversed in full.
• Already-paid commissions: If a commission has already been paid out and is subsequently reversed, the reversed amount will be deducted from future commission payouts.

8. Affiliate Obligations & Prohibited Activities

As an affiliate, you must promote Ranking Labs honestly, transparently, and in compliance with all applicable laws, including but not limited to GDPR, applicable anti-spam legislation, and consumer protection regulations in your jurisdiction.

The following activities are strictly prohibited and may result in immediate suspension or termination of your affiliate account and forfeiture of unpaid commissions (see Section 9):

• Brand bidding: Bidding on "Ranking Labs" or related brand terms in paid advertising campaigns.
• Self-referral: Using your own affiliate link to make purchases for yourself or your organization.
• Cookie stuffing: Placing affiliate cookies on users' browsers without their knowledge or genuine intent.
• Misleading advertising: Making false or exaggerated claims about Ranking Labs products, pricing, or capabilities.
• Spam: Promoting Ranking Labs via unsolicited bulk emails, messages, or any other form of spam.
• Black-hat SEO: Using private blog networks (PBNs), link schemes, or other manipulative SEO tactics that could associate Ranking Labs with penalized or low-quality domains.
• Unauthorized sub-affiliates: Running sub-affiliate networks or redistributing your tracking link to third parties for promotion without our prior written approval.
• Impersonation: Creating websites, social media accounts, or content that could reasonably be confused with official Ranking Labs properties.
• Trademark misuse: Registering domain names containing "Ranking Labs" or confusingly similar variations, or using our trademarks in social media handles or community names.
• Promotion on harmful platforms: Promoting Ranking Labs on websites or platforms that host illegal content, malware, hate speech, or other harmful material.

9. Suspension & Termination

9.1 Termination by the Affiliate (voluntary exit)

You may terminate this Agreement at any time by providing 30 days' written notice to contact@rankinglabs.io. Upon termination with proper notice:

• Approved Commissions that have cleared the 30-day hold period will be paid in the next payment cycle, provided the minimum payout threshold (€1,000) is met and Stripe onboarding is complete.
• Pending Commissions within the hold period will be evaluated normally and paid if they clear.
• No new commissions will accrue after the termination date.
• Your tracking links will be deactivated at the end of the notice period.

9.2 Termination by Legiscope UAB (without cause)

Legiscope UAB may terminate this Agreement without cause by providing 30 days' written notice. In this case, all Approved Commissions and Pending Commissions that subsequently clear the hold period will be paid out.

9.3 Termination for cause

Legiscope UAB reserves the right to immediately suspend or terminate your affiliate account, without prior notice, if you engage in any Prohibited Activity (Section 8) or if we reasonably determine that your promotional methods pose a material risk to Ranking Labs' brand, reputation, search engine standing, or business operations.

Why this right exists: Ranking Labs operates in the search engine optimization industry, where domain reputation and search engine standing are critical business assets built over years. Certain affiliate activities — particularly spam, manipulative link-building, or misleading advertising — can trigger search engine penalties, blacklisting, or regulatory enforcement actions against Ranking Labs. The remediation of such damage (including but not limited to spam link disavowal, DMCA takedown enforcement, regulatory response, and reputation recovery) typically requires months to years of sustained effort and can cost the company many multiples of any commission revenue generated by the offending activity. This disproportionate harm-to-benefit ratio justifies immediate termination and commission forfeiture as a proportionate protective measure.

Upon termination for cause:

• All Pending Commissions are immediately and irrevocably forfeited.
• Approved but unpaid Commissions may be withheld pending investigation for up to 90 days. If investigation confirms a violation, these commissions are also forfeited.
• All future commissions from previously Referred Customers are permanently forfeited.
• Your tracking links are immediately deactivated.
• You must immediately cease all promotional activities related to Ranking Labs.
• We may pursue damages for costs incurred in remediating the effects of the violation.

9.4 Cure period for non-severe violations

For first-time violations that Legiscope UAB classifies as non-severe, we will issue a written notice describing the violation and providing a 14-day period to remedy the issue. If the violation is not remedied within this period, or if it recurs, we may proceed with termination for cause under Section 9.3.

The following are classified as severe violations for which no cure period is required:

• Fraud, including click fraud, fake referrals, or identity misrepresentation.
• Spam at scale, including mass unsolicited emails or messaging campaigns.
• Activities causing immediate measurable harm (e.g., malware distribution, DMCA violations).
• Violations of applicable law, including data protection breaches.

We will notify you in writing of the reason for any suspension or termination. You may respond in writing within 14 days of receiving notice.

10. Account Deletion

If you voluntarily delete your affiliate account or request account deletion, this constitutes immediate termination of this Agreement without notice. Upon account deletion:

• All Pending Commissions (within the 30-day hold period) are immediately and irrevocably forfeited.
• All future commissions from previously Referred Customers are permanently forfeited.
• Approved but unpaid Commissions that have cleared the hold period will be paid in the next payment cycle, provided the minimum payout threshold (€1,000) is met and Stripe onboarding is complete.
• Your tracking links will be permanently deactivated and referral attribution will cease.

Account deletion is irreversible. If you wish to pause your affiliate activities rather than permanently delete your account, please contact us at contact@rankinglabs.io before taking action.

11. Limitation of Liability & Indemnification

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Legiscope UAB's total cumulative liability to you under this Agreement shall not exceed the lesser of (a) the total commissions paid to you in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) €5,000 (five thousand euros). This cap applies regardless of the nature of the claim, whether arising in contract, tort, or otherwise.

Legiscope UAB shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits or revenue, arising out of or in connection with this Agreement.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Legiscope UAB, its officers, directors, and employees from any claims, damages, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from: (a) your breach of these Terms; (b) your promotional activities; (c) your violation of any applicable law or regulation; or (d) any third-party claim related to your affiliate activities.

12. Data Protection

The Ranking Labs affiliate program is fully GDPR compliant. Personal data collected during the application and participation in the affiliate program is processed as outlined in our Privacy Policy. Affiliates are responsible for ensuring their own promotional activities comply with applicable data protection regulations, including GDPR where applicable.

13. General Provisions

13.1 Governing law: This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Lithuania, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.

13.2 Jurisdiction: Any disputes arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the city of Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania.

13.3 Modifications: We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be notified at least 30 days in advance via email to your registered address. Continued participation in the affiliate program after the effective date of the updated Terms constitutes acceptance. If you do not agree with the changes, you may terminate this Agreement under Section 9.1.

13.4 Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

13.5 Assignment: You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under this Agreement without our prior written consent. Legiscope UAB may assign this Agreement in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of substantially all of its assets.

13.6 Entire agreement: These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any policies referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and Legiscope UAB regarding the affiliate program and supersede all prior agreements or understandings.

13.7 Contact: For any questions regarding these Terms, please contact us at contact@rankinglabs.io.