Advertising & Affiliate Policy

Last updated: October 5, 2026

How we make money

Roaming Cactus is paid by ads (Google AdSense), by affiliate commissions, and by an Amex referral link. Our affiliate links today are hotel booking and map widgets (Stay22/Expedia), the Seats.aero award-search tool (via CJ), and Amazon. Two posts also include an American Express referral link (a URL with a ref= code). If you apply through that link, we may earn a referral bonus. Card issuers set their own terms and we don't control them, so check the issuer's site before applying.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

We also sell a few downloads (a credits tracker, a lounge access guide, and an award booking checklist). The sales page says that we sell the file. Paying for a download is separate from any affiliate commission. The button says “Pay with Stripe.” A 14-day refund is stated before purchase. The guides on this site stay free.

What a post will tell you

Each post names the partner types on that page. A Stay22 widget, embed, or the Stay22 script counts as hotel booking, because it can add hotel and map links that are not written in the post. A page with none of those, and without the Amex referral link, says that page has ads and no affiliate or referral links. The site still earns from ads, from affiliate links on other pages (Amazon, Stay22, and the others named above), and from an Amex referral link. The disclosure says we may earn a commission or, for that Amex link, a referral bonus. It does not claim that the price stays the same. Paid links are labeled “Paid link.”

If you have questions about this policy, contact us.