In the world of travel and fintech affiliate marketing, there’s a simple truth:
As soon as a major brand achieves its business goals — often fueled by your efforts — it can terminate your partnership without warning, simply because it is strategically or financially beneficial for them.
Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, Agoda, and many other global companies have repeatedly changed commission terms, deactivated entire segments of affiliates, or shut down their affiliate programs altogether — regardless of individual partner success.
- Booking.com has repeatedly cut commission rates, changed program rules, and mass-deactivated affiliates based on traffic or conversion metrics.
- Airbnb fully closed its affiliate program to most partners in 2021, despite years of successful collaborations.
- Expedia and Agoda routinely “clean house,” changing conditions or shutting down regional affiliate programs at their sole discretion.
All these companies reserve the right, in their Terms & Conditions, to terminate your participation at any time, for any reason, without explanation.
Standard legal phrasing usually looks like:
“The Company reserves the right to terminate the Affiliate Program or any Affiliate’s participation at any time, for any reason, at its sole discretion.”
Key takeaway:
Build your affiliate business with this risk in mind. Your stability depends not only on your performance, but also on the strategic decisions of the companies you work with.
How to Safeguard Your Affiliate Income: Essential Strategies for Long-Term Survival
1. Always Read the Latest Terms & Conditions
- Sign up for affiliate program newsletters and regularly check the official Terms & Conditions.
- Pay special attention to Termination clauses, types of allowed traffic, approved promotional materials, and commission structure.
- Companies can (and do) update terms without advance notice — it’s written into their agreements.
2. Generate High-Quality, Consistent Traffic
- Deliver real, high-value bookings and conversions. Avoid artificial, incentivized, or bot-generated activity.
- Diversify traffic sources: organic, social, paid, content, email (with consent).
- Analyze which channels deliver the best conversions and focus your efforts there.
3. Never Break Program Rules
- Prohibited tactics: bidding on brand keywords, pop-ups/pop-unders, fraudulent or incentivized traffic, unsolicited mass email campaigns.
- Only use official banners, links, and promotional tools provided via the affiliate dashboard.
- Don’t try to “game the system”: major brands use both automated and manual monitoring.
4. Minimize the Risk of Suspicion
- Keep detailed records: screenshots of stats, traffic source breakdowns, backup data.
- Avoid sudden traffic spikes or suspicious activity that could trigger a review.
- Do not allow multiple bookings from the same IP or device.
5. Prioritize Audience Quality
- Focus on targeting audiences likely to complete bookings — not just click.
- Monitor your conversion rate (CR) and returning customer metrics.
6. Maintain Open Communication
- If you have an affiliate manager or support contact, use them — ask questions, request clarifications, discuss program changes.
- Fast communication can help resolve disputes or preempt compliance issues.
7. Diversify Your Affiliate Portfolio
- Don’t rely on just one partner. Use two or three travel affiliate programs at a minimum.
- Avoid branding your site exclusively around a single company — this reduces risk if that partnership ends suddenly.
8. Build a Financial Safety Net
- Withdraw earnings regularly. Don’t let large balances accumulate in your affiliate account.
- Prepare for payment delays or clawbacks if a sudden termination occurs.
9. Know Your Legal & Tax Obligations
- Stay informed about affiliate marketing regulations, taxation, and data protection laws (GDPR, CCPA, etc.) relevant to your jurisdiction.
- Keep records and documentation for all payouts.
10. Learn from Real-World Examples
- Being dropped for “low performance” or after a commission change is standard for programs like Booking, Agoda, Expedia.
- Mass contract terminations and program shutdowns are common industry tactics for cost optimization and rebranding.
Conclusion
Affiliate partnerships with travel industry giants are real income opportunities — but never a long-term guarantee.
Bottom line:
Success in affiliate marketing is not just about growing your earnings, but about managing risk, understanding your contracts, and always having a backup plan. The affiliate landscape changes faster than most Terms & Conditions.
