Forge On Deck Affiliate Program Agreement

Plain English Summary

This agreement is between On Deck Society, PBC, a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation (the “Company”), and you, the individual or entity applying to promote Forge On Deck (the “Affiliate”).

By joining the Forge On Deck Affiliate Program, you agree to the terms in this agreement.

The Company will provide you with a unique affiliate link and/or referral code. When a new customer clicks your link and completes a purchase of the Forge On Deck base product, the sale is attributed to you. You earn a commission on each attributed base product sale.

Attribution is tracked through cookies or referral codes. The attribution window is 30 days from the first click. If a customer clicks your link and purchases within 30 days, you receive credit for the sale. If they purchase after 30 days, or if they click another affiliate's link before purchasing, attribution goes to the most recent referral source.

3.1 What Earns a Commission

You earn a commission on each sale of the Forge On Deck base product (currently priced at $9) that is attributed to your affiliate link.

3.2 What Does Not Earn a Commission

You do not earn commissions on coaching credit pack purchases, add-on purchases, or any other transaction beyond the initial base product sale. This exclusion exists because the margins on small-dollar credit packs do not support a commission after payment processing fees and API costs.

3.3 Commission Rate

The standard commission rate is 50% of the base product purchase price. The Company may offer promotional commission rates from time to time. Any promotional rate will be communicated in writing and will specify its duration.

3.4 When Commissions Are Not Earned

No commission is earned on sales that are refunded, charged back, or identified as fraudulent. No commission is earned on sales to yourself or to accounts you control. No commission is earned on sales attributed to paid advertising that violates the restrictions in Section 6.

4.1 Payment Schedule

Commissions are paid monthly, within 15 days of the end of each calendar month. Payments are made through PayPal or direct deposit, at the Company's discretion.

4.2 Minimum Payout

The minimum payout threshold is $25. If your earned commissions for a given month are below $25, the balance carries forward to the next month. There is no expiration on unpaid balances.

4.3 Tax Reporting

You are responsible for reporting all commission income on your tax returns. If your total commissions in a calendar year exceed $600, the Company will issue a 1099-NEC form to you and to the IRS. You must provide the Company with a completed W-9 form (or W-8BEN for non-US affiliates) before your first payment.

The Company does not withhold taxes from commission payments. You are solely responsible for your tax obligations.

This is not optional. Federal Trade Commission guidelines require you to disclose your financial relationship with the Company whenever you promote Forge On Deck.

5.1 What You Must Disclose

Every piece of content you create that promotes Forge On Deck or includes your affiliate link must include a clear, conspicuous disclosure that you earn a commission if someone purchases through your link.

5.2 Where the Disclosure Must Appear

The disclosure must be near your affiliate link or recommendation, not buried in a bio, footer, or separate disclosures page. On social media posts, the disclosure must be visible without clicking “more” or expanding the caption. On video content, the disclosure must be stated verbally and visible on screen. On blog posts or articles, the disclosure must appear before or immediately after the first affiliate link.

5.3 Acceptable Disclosure Language

The following are acceptable disclosures. You do not need to use these exact words, but your disclosure must be equally clear:

• “I earn a commission if you buy through my link.”
• “This is an affiliate link. I may earn a commission.”
• “Paid partnership with Forge On Deck.”
• “#ad” or “#affiliate” when used on social media, placed at the beginning of the caption, not buried among other hashtags.

5.4 Consequences of Non-Disclosure

If the Company becomes aware that you are promoting Forge On Deck without proper disclosures, we will notify you and give you 48 hours to correct the issue. If the issue is not corrected, or if non-disclosure is a pattern, the Company may suspend or terminate your affiliate account and forfeit unpaid commissions.

You must not make false, misleading, or exaggerated claims about Forge On Deck. Forge On Deck is a personal development tool with AI coaching. It is not a replacement for therapy, medical care, financial advising, or any licensed professional service. Do not claim or imply otherwise.

You must not claim that Forge On Deck will guarantee any specific outcome, including but not limited to weight loss, income increases, career advancement, or relationship improvements.

You must not run paid advertising using the Forge On Deck brand name, the On Deck Society brand name, or the names of any coaching personas (Rose, Blaze, Archer, Penny, Nova) as keywords in search ads without prior written approval from the Company.

You must not create websites, landing pages, or social media accounts that could be confused with official Forge On Deck or On Deck Society properties.

You must not send unsolicited bulk email (spam) promoting Forge On Deck.

You must not use Forge On Deck affiliate links in any content that is illegal, sexually explicit, violent, discriminatory, or otherwise in violation of the On Deck Society Community Guidelines.

You must not generate fake reviews, testimonials, or user-generated content about Forge On Deck.

The Company grants you a limited, non-exclusive, revocable license to use the Forge On Deck name, logo, and approved marketing materials solely for the purpose of promoting Forge On Deck under this agreement. This license terminates immediately if this agreement is terminated.

You must not modify the Forge On Deck logo or create derivative marks. You must not use the Forge On Deck or On Deck Society brand in any way that implies the Company endorses you, your business, or your other products unless you have received written approval.

You are an independent contractor, not an employee, agent, partner, or joint venturer of the Company. This agreement does not create an employment relationship. You are not authorized to make commitments on behalf of the Company.

You are responsible for your own expenses, equipment, and taxes. The Company does not provide benefits, insurance, or any form of employment compensation beyond the commissions described in this agreement.

During the term of this agreement, the Company may share non-public information with you, including upcoming features, pricing changes, unreleased marketing materials, commission structures, and internal performance data. You agree to keep all such information confidential and not disclose it to any third party without the Company's prior written consent.

This confidentiality obligation does not apply to information that is publicly available through no fault of yours, was already known to you before the Company disclosed it, or is required to be disclosed by law.

This confidentiality obligation survives termination of this agreement for a period of two years.

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your promotion of Forge On Deck, including but not limited to claims resulting from false, misleading, or exaggerated statements you make about Forge On Deck, your failure to comply with FTC disclosure requirements, your violation of any applicable law in connection with your promotional activities, and any content you create that infringes on the rights of a third party.

11.1 Term

This agreement begins when the Company approves your affiliate application and continues until terminated by either party.

11.2 Termination by Either Party

Either party may terminate this agreement at any time, for any reason, by providing written notice (email is sufficient). Upon termination, your affiliate links will be deactivated and you will no longer earn commissions on new sales.

11.3 Payment After Termination

If your unpaid commission balance exceeds the minimum payout threshold at the time of termination, the Company will pay the balance within 30 days. If the balance is below the minimum threshold, it will be forfeited.

11.4 Survival

The FTC disclosure obligations in Section 5, the confidentiality obligations in Section 9, and the indemnification obligations in Section 10 survive termination of this agreement. If you have published content containing affiliate links, you must either remove the links or maintain appropriate disclosures for as long as the content remains publicly accessible.

The Company's total liability to you under this agreement will not exceed the total commissions paid to you in the twelve months preceding any claim.

The Company is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from this agreement or your participation in the affiliate program.

The Company may modify this agreement at any time by providing 30 days written notice. Your continued participation in the affiliate program after the effective date of a modification constitutes acceptance of the updated terms. If you do not agree with a modification, you may terminate this agreement under Section 11.

This agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Arizona, without regard to conflict of law principles. Disputes will be resolved through binding arbitration in Phoenix, Arizona, consistent with the dispute resolution terms in the On Deck Society Terms of Service.

Questions about this Agreement or the Forge On Deck Affiliate Program? Reach out:

On Deck Society, PBC | OnDeckSociety.com | OnDeckSociety.com/forge

By participating in the Forge On Deck Affiliate Program, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Forge On Deck Affiliate Program Agreement.