Partner Program FAQ
Eligibility
Getting Started
Links
Commission and Payment
Miscellaneous
Partner Program FAQ
Eligibility
Who's eligible to participate?
Anyone is welcome to apply. New applications are conditionally approved, pending
review. Powell's reserves the right to reject an application if we determine
that the site is not suitable. Sites may be rejected if they are deemed by Powell's
to be illegal, defamatory, sexually explicit, harassing, violent, discriminatory,
use "Powell's Books" or variations or misspellings thereof in their domain names,
or are deemed otherwise objectionable.
back to top Is there a fee to become a partner?
Partnership is, and always will be, free.
back to top Do I need to have a website?
You do need your own website and email address to be a partner. However, your
site does not need to be operational at the time of submitting your application.
Once your site and links go live, you'll simply update your partner account with
this information.
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My website isn't complete. When can I apply?
You can sign up to the program at any stage of your site's development.
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Are international websites eligible?
International websites are eligible to join the program. Note: all funds are
paid in US dollars; you can alternately choose the option of payment in Powell's
online credit.
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Do I need to have a book-related website to join the program?
No, your website doesn't need to be book related. Our partners vary from personal
web pages to large, comparison search engines, regarding any number of subjects.
As long as you meet our eligibility requirements, love books, and want to link
to us, we are happy to have you join.
Getting Started
I have more than one website. Do I need a separate account
for each?
You can use the same partner ID for more than one website. If the same ID is
used, you won't see which sites are generating the sales as the activity report
will not differentiate between the sources. If you're interested in comparing
the relative amount of traffic and sales between your sites, you should set up
a separate account for each site. The only difference in the links will be the unique
partner ID used.
back to top What should I do if I need to change my partner information?
When you sign up to the program you'll receive a partnership confirmation email
containing your unique partner ID number. With this ID and your account password,
you can access your account via the Partner
Service Center. There you can make the necessary changes to your account
information. We ask that you please be conscious of the timeliness of your updates
-- if you need to change the address or other payment information, do so before
the end of the quarter so that your commission will reach you smoothly.
back to top Can I link to other sites?
As the Powell's Partnership Program is not exclusive, you are free to link to
other websites, including book-related sites. After all, it's your website — you
know what best suits your users.
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Can I use content or images from Powells.com?
You may use book content and cover images on your site for the purpose of promoting
Powell's stock. Under the terms of partnering with us, you are welcome to link
to other book sites, however the content and images from our site should be used
exclusively for links to Powells.com.
back to top Will Powell's add a reciprocal link to my site?
Powell's will not add a reciprocal link to your website. back to top
How are visitors tracked from links on my site?
When a visitor comes to Powells.com from a partner-coded link on your site, we
assign them an electronic cookie. The cookie contains your partner ID and lasts
until either an order is placed, the visitor logs off of Powells.com, or 90 days,
whichever comes first. The visitor may leave Powell's site, travel to other websites,
then return to Powell's to complete their purchase. As long as they do not delete
or block cookies, the Powells.com cookie will still be active and credit will
be applied to your account for the purchase. Any subsequent orders will need
to originate from a partner-coded link on your site, in order for the credit
to be associated with your partner account.
back to top Can I make personal purchases through links on my site?
Partners are not to make personal purchases through their links. Our partnership
program is intended to be a third party referral system, not a discount program.
For more information, please view the Official
Agreement. back to top
I don't know how to write in HTML. Will Powell's help me design my site?
Powell's Partnership staff will not be able to help you build your website or
learn HTML. However, linking to Powell's is easy and once you have your site
designed to your specifications, we're happy to help you set up your links.
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Why do you need my Social Security Number (or Tax ID Number)?
Your Social Security Number or Tax ID is necessary for accounting purposes. We
ask for this information when you join to eliminate the need at the time your
commission is issued.
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Links
How do I make links?
Once you've joined the program, you'll receive a unique partner ID number. With
your ID and password you'll have access to the Partner
Service Center, including the Make Links! page. There you'll find a plethora
of easy-to-use linking options.
back to top How do I know what kind of links to use?
The type and amount of links you use is your choice. It's always a good idea
to keep in mind your audience, and to keep it visually interesting by mixing
it up with a variety of links.
back to top What if I don't want visitors to leave my site?
There are ways to frame a website within your own, or to cause a link to spawn
a new window. If you have advanced HTML knowledge you should be able to do this
simply. Otherwise, some research into a good HTML guide may prove necessary.
back to top Do I have to link to specific books?
You may choose to link to specific books, specific sections, regularly updated
feature pages, or any other page on our site. With your unique partner ID and
password, you can access the Partner
Service Center containing a wide variety of linking options. If there's a
page on Powells.com that you'd like to link to and that you don't find in the Make
Links! section, just drop us a line at partners@powells.com for assistance.
back to top Can I use Powell's logos on my site?
You will be given a wide range of Powell's graphics to use on your site. These
can be found in the Make Links! section of the Partner
Service Center.
back to top I'm not sure how I want to incorporate Powells.com links
into my website. Can you show me some examples of other sites that use your links?
No problem. Just email us at partners@powells.com and
tell us a bit about your site. We'll send you a few examples of other websites
that might be useful.
back to top I'm new to website design and I've just put your links
up. How can I tell if they're working?
First, compare your HTML code against that supplied by our link generator. Then,
take one of your links and check to see if it deposits a cookie on your computer
(just make sure to log off of Powells.com when you're done!). Still not sure?
No problem! Send us an email (partners@powells.com)
with your partner ID and directions on where to find your Powell's links. We'll
be happy to test your links for you.
back to top My partner ID disappears in the URL once the link is
taken to Powell's from my site. Is the visit still tracked?
Yes, provided that your partner-coded link is set up properly. We send every
visitor who arrives at our site via a partner link through an internal partner
script that records your partner ID. Once they have passed through that script
we know they came from your site and so we strip out the partner ID and allow
them to traverse the site just as any normal customer would. When they complete
a sale, you get credit.
back to top I've checked my links and they're functioning properly,
so why am I not seeing more sales through my account?
Slower than expected sales may result for several reasons. If your links are
new, your website visitors may simply need more time to explore the look of your
site. Also bear in mind that a standard online conversion rate is around 1-2%.
For every 100 people who take your links to Powells.com, one or two people may
end up making a purchase.
Link placement is another essential ingredient to ecommerce success. If you
place your links to Powell.com several pages deep within your site, or at the
bottom of a page, it's less likely that visitors will find them. If, on the other
hand, your links are highly visible and placed in a variety of contexts, you're
more likely to encourage people to take them. If you would you like some examples
of websites that do this well, please send us an email with a description of
your site. We'll reply with a list of websites that you may find helpful.
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Commission and Payment
How do I earn commission? How much do I earn?
You earn commission by placing Powells.com partner-coded links on your website.
When visitors to your website click through to Powell's and make a purchase,
you earn a commission for that sale. How much? The flat-rate commission is 7.5%
on every book or merchandise sale you bring us.
back to top Does everything on your site qualify for Partner commission?
Everything except gift cards and virtual credit. Every other item, however, is
eligible for partner commission.
back to top Can I place orders through my partner links and earn
commission for myself?
No. Partners are not to make personal purchases through their links. Our partnership
program is intended to be a third party referral system, not a discount program,
and is not for personal use. For more information, please view the Official
Agreement.
back to top Is commission dependent on what is purchased?
The partnership commission is 7.5% on all eligible sales, all the time. Every
item on Powells.com is eligible for partner commission, with the exception of
gift cards and virtual credit. The commission rate does not change no matter what
the customer purchases or where they travel on our site.
back to top When will I receive my commission payment? Is there
a minimum requirement?
If you selected Powells.com credit as your payment method, you may redeem your
accrued commission in credit at any time. Visit the "Payments" section of your
partner account and click on the "Pay Me!" button.
If you selected check as your payment method, you must earn a minimum of $25
in commission for a check payment to be issued. If you don't reach $25 by the
end of a quarter, your commission will carry over to the next quarter until the
minimum is met and a check issued. Powell's mails commission checks on a quarterly
basis, approximately 30 days after the end of each quarter. Before we cut your
check, you will always have the option of redeeming your commission as Powells.com
credit — just log into your account, visit the "Payments" section and click
on the "Pay Me!" button.
back to top Can I view my sales activity?
Yes, you can view your sales through the "Sales Activity" links in the Partner
Service Center. All sales information is listed in real-time and can be viewed
24 hours a day. The information includes specific titles purchased through your
links and a running total of sales broken down by quarter.
back to top How soon will a sale show up in my account activity?
As soon as an order is fulfilled and sold, it will appear in your account's sales
activity.
back to top What if a customer wants to buy books that I don't list
on my site?
It doesn't matter what the customer purchases, or where they travel on our site.
As long as they begin their visit by clicking through one of your partner-coded
links, you will be credited with the sale.
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Miscellaneous
I forgot my Partner ID number and/or password. What
should I do?
Send us an email at partners@powells.com,
and we'll reply with the requested information.
back to top I'd like to close my Partner account. How do I do that?
Just send us an email (partners@powells.com).
We'll send you any unpaid commission and then close your Powell's Partner account.
back to top I'm developing a shopping comparison site. Do you have
a search API or similar method of retrieving your inventory data?
Yes. Just email us and we'll send you all the details.
back to top Do you offer RSS feeds?
Yes, indeedy. Send us an email describing the type of feed you're looking for,
and we'll send you the appropriate code – complete with your partner ID.
back to top You haven't answered all of my questions. What now?
Send us an email, partners@powells.com,
or give us a call at 800-291-9676. We're happy to help.
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