Welcome, fellow tea fan! Let’s sit back, maybe with a hot cup of something citrusy or spicy, and talk about something that’s not too sippable but still super necessary: how we handle transparency, recommendations, and partnerships on our site.
Why This Page Exists
Honesty feels better than chamomile after a long day. That’s why we’re laying out everything you might want to know about how we keep our content honest, useful, and clearly marked when someone’s paying us to talk about something.
Some websites toss tiny text into footers and hope folks never read it. We’re not doing that. This isn’t just a box-checking page, it’s your behind-the-scenes look at how our kettle keeps humming.
Who We Are (Yes, We Mean Us)
We're just a small team with a passion for weirdly wonderful tea recipes. Some days we’re stirring mint with mango, other days we’re experimenting with roasted rice and pineapple (surprisingly cozy). We’re not a big company or a factory line of writers. We're humans, just like you, who sip, taste, test, and sometimes spill. What you read here comes from curiosity, time in the kitchen, and more than a few tea-stained aprons.
Every article, recipe, product shoutout, or tip you see comes with care, brewed right in our own tiny space.
About Recommendations
If you’ve ever seen us mention a kettle, a cute tea timer, or a weird root you’ve never heard of before, chances are we’ve brewed something with it ourselves. We don’t just Google products or rely on whatever’s trending. Before we tell anyone to try something, we’ve usually already messed it up, fixed it, and used it again.
We’ll only suggest something if:
- We've tried it personally, or
- We trust someone close who swears by it and has the tea-stained counters to prove it.
We write based on personal experiences, with a pinch of research for accuracy. Nobody can pay us to love a product we don’t actually enjoy using.
Affiliate Links: What They Are, How They Work
Some links on this site are called “affiliate links.” Clicking on those might take you to a shop where, if you decide to buy something, we may earn a small commission.
Here’s how that shakes out:
- You don’t pay more.
- We earn a small thank-you if you buy.
- It helps fund our next tea experiment (like the miso-ginger oolong one that definitely didn’t work out, but hey, it was worth trying).
Affiliate links help keep our site brewing without ads jumping out at you like an over-caffeinated jack-in-the-box.
You'll know when you're clicking on one, we’ll mark it. Or at least we’ll say something like, “This link might earn us a leaf or two (aka, a small commission).” We aim to be upfront, every time.
Who We Partner With
We don’t say yes to every brand that emails us. Many reach out, few make the cut. Why? Because we care more about being real than being rich.
Companies we partner with:
- Must offer something we’d tell our own siblings to try.
- Can’t mess with our editorial choices.
- Don’t get to review, rewrite, or influence our reviews or content.
Some companies we work with now, or in the past, include ones that sell tea tools, specialty blends, sustainable packaging, and books about tea-making.
We never let money steer what we write. We don’t give out fake praise just to earn a commission.
Sponsored Posts and Freebies
From time to time, we receive something to test, a product, sample, or sometimes even a book. If we’re writing about it, we’ll always tell you up front.
Words you might see:
- “Gifted”
- “Sent to try”
- “We received this from...”
- “Sponsored by…”
Just because something is gifted doesn’t mean we’ll say only nice things. We test with our full opinion activated. If it leaks, we’ll say so. If it’s awesome, you’ll hear about that too.
Sometimes companies sponsor a full post. When that happens, we say it loud and clear, at the top, middle, or bottom (usually all three). We’ll never sneak it in.
Product Reviews: Real or Paid?
Here’s our golden rule: we don’t accept payment in exchange for glowing reviews. That’s not how we steep trust. If we say something’s good, it’s because it earned that spot.
Even with affiliate links, our reviews stay honest. Some things are great, some things need work. You’ll get both.
Feedback is welcome. Found a product we liked that didn’t work for you? Reach out. We love hearing different experiences. Tea preferences vary, after all!
Content You Can Trust
Everything we publish is original, no copy-pasting, no content churn, no robot-mashups. Each article comes from our own hands and heads. If we ever bring on guest contributors, we’ll check their work the same way we check our own: with careful reading and a big ol’ mug of honesty.
If we ever update an old post to add new info or correct something, we’ll mention that too. Transparency’s kind of our thing.
Email Lists and Recommendations
We sometimes send out emails with cool recipes, updates, or tools we’re loving. Some emails might include affiliate links too. If we do that, you’ll know. No cloak-and-dagger here.
You can unsubscribe anytime. We won’t cry. Probably.
Why We Use Affiliates at All
Running a site takes time, resources, and more than a few mugs of tea. Hosting costs, editing software, ingredients, camera gear, lighting, writing time, it all adds up.
Affiliate links help cover those costs without us asking readers to pay directly. It’s kind of like a virtual tip jar where the shop pays, not you.
We Don’t Sell Your Info
We never trade your email, name, or anything else personal for money, discounts, or free gadgets. Even if someone offered us the world’s fanciest teapot, your info stays with us. Always.
We’re here to share tea, not play fast and loose with your privacy.
Keeping the Trust Steeped Just Right
Building trust takes time, like a proper pot of pu-erh. We’re proud of the small community gathering around this site, and we want every reader to feel respected.
If we ever mess up,maybe a mislabel, a broken link, or something that sounds too salesy, please let us know. Your voice matters.
Is This Legal Stuff? Yes. But Friendly Legal Stuff.
This page exists because the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States wants readers to know when bloggers, writers, or websites make money from their content.
Our goal: stay friendly while staying compliant. Law stuff, but make it tea-vibe.
Updates and Edits
We might update this page sometimes to keep it accurate. If laws change, platforms shift, or we tweak our process, we’ll reflect that here. Most changes will be minor, but you’re welcome to check back anytime.
You’ll always find the latest version here, just like that one friend who never runs out of new blends to try.
Have Questions?
Curious about how we choose products? Confused about a certain link? Think we forgot to label something? Say something!
You can reach us at: contact@your-cup-of-tea.com
We read every message (between sips), and we’re always happy to clarify.
Running YOUR-CUP-OF-TEA.COM brings us joy, caffeine, and a lovely community of curious sippers like you. Thanks for being here, for trusting what you read, and for supporting our steep adventures.
This policy was brewed with care. No fillers, no fluff, no sneaky stuff. Just truth, kindness, and tea-splashed fingers.
Let’s keep steeping good things together.