Who can become an Affiliate and how much does it cost?
Most people are eligible to promote V2 Cigs as an Affiliate. Affiliates are typically websites that refer traffic to our website www.v2cigs.com and V2 Cigs Affiliates earn commissions on all sales generated through this traffic referral. Websites will be rejected that promote illegal activities or that promote discrimination based on age, sex, race, religion, nationality, disability or sexual orientation. There is NO CHARGE to become a V2 Cigs Affiliate - in fact, WE PAY YOU $25.00 just for signing up! |
Where can I advertise V2 Cigs products?
You can utilize any of the supplied marketing and advertising tools provided within the V2 Profit Affiliate Network console. You are free to advertise and promote V2 Cigs products on any website, as long as it does not contain or promote illegal or discriminatory content. However, keep in mind that we do not permit the use of V2 Cigs trademark terms used in website URLs or keyword advertisements. |
Can I bid on keywords, trademark terms, and/or advertise with search engines?
No. Only Affiliates with prior written permission from V2 Cigs can bid on keywords used in search engines. Additionally, V2 Cigs prohibits the use of our trademark terms in URLs. Any unauthorized use of these trademark terms may result in the suspension or termination of your V2 Cigs Affiliate account. V2 Cigs trademark terms include (but are not limited to): v2 cigs, v2cigs, v2 electronic cigarettes, v2 ecigs, v2 e-cigs, or any combination thereof. |
I do not live within the United States, can I still be an Affiliate?
Yes. V2 Cigs products are sold online through our website www.v2cigs.com, and we ship internationally around the world. You DO NOT need to be located in the U.S. to be a V2 Cigs Affiliate! In fact, we encourage traffic from all sources, but please keep in mind that certain countries and local governments have restricted the sale and/or shipment of electronic cigarettes. We also provide U.S. IRS 1099 tax forms to report amounts paid to independent contractors (i.e., Affiliates). U.S.-based Affiliates will need to submit an IRS W-9 form for tax purposes. |
How much do I get paid?
V2 Cigs Affiliates earn 15% commissions on every sale they refer to V2 Cigs from the outset (Level 1). After referring 100 sales, the Affiliate is upgraded to 20% commissions status (Level 2), and after referring 200 sales, the Affiliate is upgraded to 25% commissions status (Level 3).
NOTE: These commission level upgrades remain for the lifetime of the Affiliate. |
What is the average commission (amount)?
Our average sale is roughly $100.00 USD, so the average commission is somewhere between $15.00 - 25.00 USD. |
When and how often do I get paid?
Monthly. Commissions are closed out at the end of business day on the final day of each month, and paid by the 15th for commissions earned the previous month. We have a $100.00 USD minimum threshold to meet before payments are issued. We typically process wire transfers and PayPal payments first, and then mail out any remaining paper checks. Depending on your payment preference, you will receive payment accordingly during that time, as well as a detailed email outlining the commissions paid. |
How do I get paid? (Methods of Payment)
1. paper check
2. PayPal
3. wire transfer (commissions exceeding $1000 USD monthly)
4. Payoneer pre-paid MasterCard
Monthly Affiliate commissions payments are paid either by paper check mailed to your postal address (Affiliates located within the U.S. only), processed via PayPal (U.S. and International Affiliates), and for large commissions payouts (exceeding $1,000.00 USD monthly) we also process bank wire transfers.
*NOTE: We recently added prepaid Payoneer debit card payments as a solution - these cards can be reloaded monthly with commissions payments. Please visit www.payoneer.com for more info, or email us at money@v2cigs.com to request your V2 Cigs MasterCard debit card! |
Do charge-backs or order cancellations get removed from my V2 Cigs Affiliate commissions payout?
Yes. If an order is charged back, cancelled by the customer, or otherwise cannot be successfully processed, you will not receive a commission for that sale. |
Where do I get links and advertising banners to promote V2 Cigs?
Once you register and successfully become a V2 Cigs Affiliate, you will receive an email with login details to the V2 Cigs affiliate console (V2Profit). Within that system, we offer a wide range of advertising banners, including static banner ads, eye-catching animated Flash banners and page peels, lightboxes, and other marketing tools. You can then use these graphics and embed your custom Affiliate tracking link to generate traffic and earn sales commissions. |
How can I get a custom banner graphic created?
If you require any custom ad tools or banners tailored to your website, please contact our V2 Cigs Affiliate department (money@v2cigs.com) and provide us with the specifications (i.e., dimensions, colors, style, etc.). Let us know what you need and we can draft something up for you! |
How are affiliates referrals/commissions tracked?
V2 Cigs utilizes an affiliate tracking software, iDevAffiliate, which is the industry standard for tracking referrals and awarding commissions. iDevAffiliate creates a unique affiliate tracking link / URL for each affiliate account. Affiliate traffic and commissions are tracked solely through this affiliate link, and when a customer clicks on this link (either directly, or through a banner ad, etc.) a tracking cookie is embedded in the user's web browser. This tracking cookie is linked to your affiliate account, and tracks incoming traffic and award commissions accordingly. |
How long do V2 Cigs tracking cookies remain active?
V2 Cigs tracking cookies remain active for 60 days, generating multiple commissions per referral!
Some of our competitors' tracking cookies expire in as little as 48 hours! This means that even if a customer does not make a purchase on their initial clickthrough, or if they make additional purchases within 60 days, your affiliate account will still be credited for these commissions.
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Are tracking cookies overwritten by other affiliate links / tracking cookies?
No. V2 Cigs currently awards commissions to the FIRST referring affiliate, and cookies are NOT overwritten. Only after the tracking cookie has reached its expiration after 60 days would a subsequent clickthrough on an affiliate link/URL replace the existing tracking cookie. In order to ensure that referrals are properly linked to your account, we recommend deleting all cookies stored in your web browser prior to clicking on your affiliate link. Again, our system is currently set up to award commissions to the affiliate whose link was clicked through first, NOT last.
WHY?
If a customer places an Order, the first referring affiliate will be awarded a commission for the sale. Otherwise, Affiliates would likely miss out on commissions for subsequent orders (e.g., refill cartridges) after the initial sale. For instance, if the customer then goes on to read additional reviews on another affiliate site AFTER their initial purchase, and happens to click on the subsequent affiliate link, all subsequent orders (i.e., refill cartridges, etc.) would be awarded to the LAST affiliate whose link was clicked on, even though Affiliate #1 referred the initial sale! Current/existing customers also tend to read up on our products, follow forums and blogs about ecigs, and check out different affiliate product reviews even AFTER their initial purchase. Therefore, we award the first referring affiliate, until the tracking cookie expires.
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How can I get a custom discount coupon code?
Please contact our V2 Cigs Affiliate department (sales@v2cigs.com) and let us know the preferred code name you would like. Typically, we can customize a discount coupon code to match an Affiliate's website URL or username |
How much of a discount can I get as an affiliate coupon code?
We typically offer all V2 Cigs affiliates a unique 10% discount coupon code to entice potential customers to purchase V2 Cigs products. This coupon code is valid for all V2 Cigs merchandise, including kits, cartridges and accessories.
On rare occasions and for limited-time use, we can create a 15% discount coupon code for affiliates to offer potential customers. We typically reserve these 15% codes for press releases or special offers, and placing an expiration on these codes also creates a "sense of urgency" for the customer to make a purchase before the coupon code expires.
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Does my coupon code expire?
No. Coupon codes DO NOT expire unless we give someone an exclusive 15% coupon code for a limited-time use (typically, 1-2 weeks max). Nevertheless, the 10% discount coupon code issued to affiliates does not expire. |
Are affiliate referrals / commissions tracked by coupon code use independently?
No. At the present time, coupon codes do NOT track affiliate referrals/commissions directly. Affiliate commissions are tracked solely through your affiliate link, which embeds a tracking cookie in the user's web browser. That tracking cookie is linked to your affiliate account, and that is how our affiliate software (iDevAffiliate) is designed to track referrals. Unfortunately, the current version of this software (iDevAffiliate 6) does not feature the ability to track and reward commissions based solely on coupon code use.
***NOTE: the upcoming release of iDevAffiliate 7 WILL offer this feature, and therefore we WILL be able to tracking affiliate commissions based solely on coupon code use! (ETA: Oct. 1st 2011).
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Why do I see other websites with 15% OFF coupon codes? What is the "Smoke 4 Free" program?
V2 Cigs features a unique customer referral program known as "Smoke 4 Free," whereby existing V2 Cigs customers receive a $15 store credit and their referrals receive a 15% discount (on Starter Kits ONLY!; S4F coupon codes are NOT valid for all V2 Cigs merchandise!). New customers receive Smoke 4 Free cards with a unique coupon code printed on them to hand out to friends and family. The S4Fprogram awards store credit for these referrals based on coupon code use, but it in no way links to our affiliate software. However, some customers have become rather inventive in marketing their S4F codes, and have been known to post these coupon codes around the internet, including coupon code sites (e.g., RetailMeNot.com).
NOTE: We provide V2 Cigs Affiliates with a customized, unique 10% discount coupon code to help entice customers to purchase V2 Cigs products, and that 10% discount is valid on ALL V2 Cigs merchandise (not just limited to KITS!). However, we limit this affiliate discount to 10% to minimize costs from the affiliate program, as affiliates also receive commissions between 15-25%, based on their level of performance.
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Can customers use a "Smoke 4 Free" coupon code in conjunction with my affiliate link/commission?
Yes. Currently, we do not prohibit customers from using a Smoke4Free code while still awarding the % commission to the referring affiliate. Obviously, we want to encourage word-of-mouth recommendations and reward our existing customers for their efforts. Nevertheless, the S4F Program does not affect the affiliate program, other than the mass of 15% S4F codes posted throughout the internet by resourceful customers hoping to earn store credit. We try to routinely remove these code posts from our facebook and forum pages, but obviously we cannot monitor all coupon sites. Therefore, we do not prevent customers from using these codes while still awarding affiliate commissions.
However, we DO NOT permit V2 Cigs Affiliates to post Smoke 4 Free coupon codes on their affiliate sites, and we will not award commissions on an Order placed using an Affiliate's S4F code. In that case, we would essentially be awarding "double commissions." |
Can I use my affiliate coupon code for personal orders?
Yes. We encourage V2 Cigs Affiliates to use their custom 10% discount coupon code on personal orders (placed directly by/to an Affiliate). Therefore, if you place an order for V2 Cigs using your own name and shipping address, you can use your coupon code and we will honor that discount. |
Do I earn commissions on personal orders?
No. It is our company policy that we are not authorizing commissions on orders placed directly by/to an Affiliate. Therefore, if you place an order for V2 Cigs using your own name and shipping address, the commission will be denied.
NOTE: You can, however, use your custom 10% discount coupon code on personal orders, and we will honor that discount, but will not award a commission for the sale.
We will honor the coupon code discount on affiliate orders.
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How do I keep track of my sales and referrals?
The V2 Cigs Affiliate console (V2Profit) is your resource for tracking and monitoring traffic and sales generated through the V2 Cigs Affiliate Program. You can access this console anytime at http://money.v2cigs.com and login with your username and password. Each Affiliate is assigned a unique custom tracking link, and this URL records each time a customer clicks through to our website, and it also tracks commissions for sales on any items purchased. This transaction information is readily available within your V2 Cigs Affiliate account, where you have access to real-time statistics and reporting. |
Who do I contact if I need help with my V2 Cigs Affiliate account?
For questions regarding your V2 Cigs Affiliate account, you can contact the affiliate department Monday through Friday from 12:00pm to 11:00pm Eastern Standard Time, toll-free at 877-37-VAPOR (82767) ext. 1808. Additionally, you can reach us via email at money@v2cigs.com and we will respond during normal office hours. |
What is the monthly commission payout threshold?
$100.00 USD. Once you have referred enough sales to earn $100.00 in commissions, you will receive payment. Again, payments are issued once per month, and commissions are closed out at the end of each month for the previous month's commissions, and paid by the 15th of following month.
***NOTE: Your initial $25.00 sign-up bonus is NOT calculated in meeting the initial $100 payout threshold! However, the $25 bonus will be included in your first payout. |
How Do I refer new (sub-)Affiliates? Where is my "Tier Linking Code"?
You can refer other affiliates to join the V2 Cigs Affiliate Program, and these referrals will be linked to your top tier Affiliate account as "sub-Affiliates." You will earn 20% of each commission generated by any sub-Affiliates you refer to our program.
To provide potential sub-Affiliates with a link that will redirect them to our affiliate sign-up page and link back to your affiliate account, you can use your "Tier Linking Code." The "Tier Linking Code" is found on the left side of your screen on the V2PROFIT Affiliate console (http://money.v2cigs.com). |
Is my initial $25 sign-up bonus figured into meeting the initial $100 payment threshold?
No. A common misunderstanding is that while there is a $100.00 minimum threshold to meet before commissions payments are issued, the initial $25.00 sign-up bonus IS NOT calculated into meeting this initial $100.00 commissions requirement. Which means you still need to REFER $100 in commissions to receive payment; however, upon your initial payment, you will also receive the $25.00 sign-up bonus added on to the total due. |
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