- Is my website eligible to become an affiliate?
- Why do we review and approve your website?
- If I don't have a website, can I still apply?
- What are my responsibilities as an affiliate?
- Can a website outside the US be an affiliate?
- Will becoming an affiliate increase traffic to my site?
- Does it cost me anything?
- How do I get started?
- Where should I place links on my site?
- How often should I update my links?
- How do I earn commissions?
- What is the commission structure for USFS properties?
- Is the affiliate commission a percentage of the total sale?
- How much can I earn?
- How do I know how much commssion I've earned?
- Do I earn commission on my own hotel bookings?
- How often do I get paid?
- What about cancellations?
- How can I monitor my sales?
- How will you know the orders came from my site?
- I operate more than one website. Can you track my production separately but pay me with one commission check?
- Who processes reservations and handles customer service?
- What kind of banners or offers will you supply me with?
- How do I create links?
- Is it ok to use pay-per-click ads to generate traffic directly forwarded to your site?
- Who is Commission Junction?
Is my website eligible to become an affiliate?
Most web sites are eligible! We individually review each affiliate application, and will accept most with the exception of those web sites (and/or online activity) that promote, link to, and/or engage in any of the following: pornography, obscene, or offensive content; violence or hate-oriented speech; extensive religious commentary or attempts to preach or solicit members for a particular church or faith; gambling; libel or defamation; illegal substances; unsolicited commercial email (Spam) or trademark infringement; or any other type of misleading, fraudulent, or illegal activity. Please note that Hawthorn Suites has the right to deny any application that falls under one or more of the criteria listed above.
Why do we review and approve your website?
We review each prospective affiliate web site and reserve the right to refuse any web site that contains objectionable material including, but not limited to: violence, pornography, inappropriate language or inappropriate content.
If I don't have a website, can I still apply?
No. Unfortunately, in order for us to accept you as an affiliate partner, we must be able to view your web site.
What are my responsibilities as an affiliate?
You are responsible for following the program terms & conditions once accepted as an affiliate partner. We will provide you with the tools and support you need to maximize sales through your web site. You are responsible for using the tag generator in CJ Marketplace, to create and place links on your site and maintain branded links to Hawthorn.com. You are also responsible for updating and maintaining those links on a regular basis. We handle everything else.
Can a website outside the US be an affiliate?
Yes. We welcome affiliates from anywhere in the world. However, Hawthorn Suites reserves the right to refuse membership or revoke a sites membership at any time if we deem the site to not follow the Terms & Conditions of the affiliate program. Please note that all commission payment checks to all Affiliates are in U.S. Dollars (USD).
Will becoming an affiliate increase traffic to my site?
Our affiliate program is a revenue-sharing program. It is not designed to help you increase traffic to your site; however, it enhances your site with content, so your user return rate may be higher.
Does it cost me anything?
No. Enrollment into the program is free. There are no initiation or membership fees to become an affiliate partner.
How do I get started?
All you need to do to get started is review and agree to the terms & conditions for this program and then complete the application. We will then review your application. If and when you're accepted into the program you will receive an email with specific directions on how to implement Hawthorn ads and links on your web site.
Where should I place links on my site?
You should place links where they are easy for your site visitors to find, such as your homepage. Some other areas you may want to place your links include your navigation bar and any other high traffic areas. If you place the links in an easily accessible location on your site, your visitors will be more likely to reserve a hotel room.
How often should I update my links?
You should update your links to Hawthorn Suites frequently. We are constantly adding new promotions and hotels, so you should create new links that fit the interests of your visitors.
How do I earn commissions?
Each time a visitor to your web site is referred directly to Hawthorn.com, books a qualifying reservation and completes their stay, you earn money. We also offer a 30-day referral (commission) window for users that come through your site to research hotels, and then return directly to Hawthorn.com to book a reservation.
What is the commission structure for USFS properties?
You will earn 5% commission on each qualified consumed reservation on Hawthorn.com that is generated from a link on your web site. A reservation is considered consumed upon guest check-out.
Is the affiliate commission a percentage of the total sale?
Yes. For example, if the total revenue is $100, our affiliate receives 5% or $5.
How much can I earn?
We can't predict how much you will earn from our affiliate program because we don't know anything about your web site or your visitors. However, there is no limit on how much you can earn if you are able to generate consumed hotel bookings from your web site.
How do I know how much commssion I've earned?
Once you sign up for our affiliate program, you will be given a password to CJ Marketplace, where you can access reports showing the quantity and types of transactions being made by users referred by your web site through Hawthorn.com. Through CJ Marketplace you can access reports that provide information on impressions, orders, transactions, and commissions earned. Reports are updated daily.
Do I earn commission on my own hotel bookings?
Yes. When you reserve and stay at our hotels through a link on your web site, you earn the same commission on your stay that you would from a visitor's stay.
How often do I get paid?
Commission payments are processed monthly and are sent within 45 days after the end of the month for the complete amount owed. We will send you a check for a percentage of the sales you referred to our site every month provided you earned more than $25 USD. Total commissions under $25 will be carried over to the next month and will remain in your account until you achieve this level.
What about cancellations?
If a user cancels their reservation, or if credit card charges are reversed due to a dispute or credit card fraud, your account will be debited for any commission earned on that transaction.
How can I monitor my sales?
You can monitor your sales by accessing reports as often as you like by accessing CJ Marketplace.
How will you know the orders came from my site?
All links from your web site to Hawthorn.com contain a unique source identifier so that every time a user comes to us via your web site, we know to credit you when a qualified booking is made. Please do not change the tracking code of the creative. If you attempt to alter it, your tracking will be lost, resulting in lost commissions to you. Your source ID must be used each time your users link to Hawthorn.com.
I operate more than one website. Can you track my production separately but pay me with one commission check?
Yes. You can have multiple sites under one affiliate partner account. You can create links and generate reports specifically for each site, but you will receive one commission check for all of your sites.
Who processes reservations and handles customer service?
We process all transactions and handle all guest service issues for all of the customers that you refer to Hawthorn.com. All you have to do is place links on your site. We do the rest!
What kind of banners or offers will you supply me with?
We'll provide you with approved banners, information about promotions, and special offers. You can set these banners, including text ads anywhere on your web site - the more prominent the location, the better revenue opportunity for you. We provide a wide range of different banner messages and sizes, giving you the most amount of flexibility.
How do I create links?
We have an automatic tag generator on CJ Marketplace, which should be used to create HTML that you cut and paste into your web site. It is so easy to use that even beginners can create links in seconds. The tag generator allows you to create multiple types of links to our services.
Is it ok to use pay-per-click ads to generate traffic directly forwarded to your site?
You may not use any variation of Hawthorn Suites brand names or trademarks or misspellings of either to generate traffic to your site. Failure to comply with these terms is subject to removal from the Hawthorn Suites Affiliate Program.
Who is Commission Junction?
Commission Junction is the company that tracks the performance of our affiliate links, calculates affiliate earnings, sends notices relating to the program, and sends commission checks to affiliates on behalf of Hawthorn Suites.
