Affiliate Disclosure
You deserve to know exactly how this site works and how we make money, before you read a single recommendation.
The short version
IdentityTheftComparisons.com is supported by affiliate commissions and advertising. When you click a link on this site and sign up for an identity theft protection service, we may receive a payment from that company, at no extra cost to you.
Commissions never influence which services we recommend, how we score them, or where they appear in our comparisons. We point out every service's limitations, including services we may earn from.
We make this disclosure in line with the Federal Trade Commission's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (16 C.F.R. Part 255).
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a common business model for websites that review and compare products. In plain English:
- A company (like Aura or LifeLock) offers to pay a fee to websites that send them new customers.
- We apply to its affiliate program and, if approved, receive a unique tracking link.
- When a visitor clicks that link and signs up, the company pays us a commission.
- You pay the same price whether you arrive through our link or go directly to the company's website. Our commission comes from the company's marketing budget, not your pocket.
Which services do we have affiliate relationships with?
We've applied to the affiliate programs of the services below. Until an application is approved, links to that service simply go to our own review pages and earn nothing. We'll update this table as partnerships are approved.
| Service | Affiliate relationship | Commission type | Affects our ranking? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aura | Pending approval | Per enrollment | Never |
| LifeLock | Pending approval | Per enrollment | Never |
| NordProtect | Pending approval | Per enrollment | Never |
| Identity Guard | Pending approval | Per enrollment | Never |
| IDShield | Pending approval | Per enrollment | Never |
| IdentityIQ | Pending approval | Per enrollment | Never |
| Experian IdentityWorks | Pending approval | Per enrollment | Never |
We also plan to display Google AdSense advertisements. These are chosen automatically by Google based on page content and visitor interests. We don't pick the specific ads that appear, and an ad's presence doesn't mean we endorse the advertised product.
How affiliate income affects, and doesn't affect, our content
What it funds
Commissions pay for the time spent researching services, verifying prices, and keeping this site current. That revenue is what lets an independent comparison site like this exist.
What it doesn't buy
No company can pay to rank higher, get a better score, or have negative information removed from its review. Our editorial positions are not for sale.
Honest about limitations
Every review has a clear cons section. We highlight first-term prices that rise at renewal, NordProtect's lack of a family plan, and Identity Guard's lack of a free trial, even when that may cost us sign-ups.
Regularly updated
We re-check prices, plan features, and insurance terms at least quarterly. If a change affects our recommendation, we update the content regardless of any affiliate relationship.
How we choose what to recommend
Our scoring methodology rates each service across seven weighted categories: monitoring coverage, insurance value, recovery support, value for money, family protection, cybersecurity tools, and pricing transparency. Services are scored the same way whether or not an affiliate relationship exists. The full weights are on our About page.
Aura is our top overall pick because it includes the most complete feature set on every plan, not because of its commission rate. If that changes, our recommendation will change too.
Identity theft protection services change their prices, plans, and insurance terms often. We verify pricing at least quarterly, but always confirm the current price, including the renewal price, on the provider's website before you buy.
FTC compliance
The FTC's endorsement guides require that material connections between publishers and the companies whose products they review be clearly disclosed. We do that by:
- Showing a disclosure notice at the top of every page
- Including an affiliate disclosure statement in the footer of every page
- Placing a short affiliate note next to sign-up buttons in our reviews
- Maintaining this standalone disclosure page, linked from every page
Questions about our affiliate relationships or editorial practices? Email info@identitytheftcomparisons.com.
Our commitment to you
This site exists because identity theft protection is genuinely confusing: too many services, too many tiers, too much marketing language and not enough plain-English explanation.
Commissions only help us when readers find a service that actually works for them. A reader who signs up for the wrong service and cancels helps no one, so our incentive is to give genuinely useful recommendations.
If you ever feel our content doesn't reflect honest, independent judgment, tell us at info@identitytheftcomparisons.com and we'll review it.