Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is an Affiliate Program? How does it work?
2. How do I get started?
3. Who can participate?
4. Does it cost anything to participate?
5. How are sales tracked from my site?
6. How much will I earn? How and when do I get paid?
7. Who is Commission Junction and why is Orion using their service?
8. I'm signed up, now what?
9. How do I create links to your website?
10. How do I link to a specific product?
11. Does Orion have a Product Data Feed available?
12. I need more help!
13. I need to contact Orion regarding the Affiliate Program.

What is an Affiliate Program? How does it work?
An affiliate program is a revenue sharing program where the affiliate (that's you!) drives traffic to a merchant's web site (that's us!) in exchange for referral commissions. When a visitor to your site clicks on the affiliate link to our site and completes a purchase, you get a commission on every item they buy!

We have partnered with Commission Junction to provide our affiliates with tracking, reporting, prompt monthly payments, and the flexibility of being an affiliate for any of Commission Junction's other merchants.

Once you sign up for and are accepted to our program, you'll be taken to the Commission Junction site where you'll create your own personal and secure account. Here you can log in at any time to get our banners and links, find out about commissions earned and even learn about how many impressions each of your links has received. For a more detailed explanation of the program and our terms and conditions please click here.

How do I get started?
Step 1: Sign up! If you're already a Commission Junction publisher, click here to become an Orion affiliate!

Step 2: We manually review all applications within 2 business days. Once your application is approved, we will send you setup instructions as well as banners and text links that you can put on your web site.

Step: 3 Collect your commissions, and be one happy affiliate.

Who can participate?
Just about anybody! We want sites that educate, entertain and share with others their passion for space, astronomy and/or science and will enthusiastically promote our products. Whether you run a large commercial web site, an astronomy club web site, a small personal blog, a non-profit site, or anything in between you're welcome to apply to join the program. We also welcome owners of opt-in e-mail newsletters.

All applications are manually reviewed, and we reserve the right to refuse any application, especially if the site or e-mail list contains objectionable material, participates in unsolicited e-mailing, or if it violates the Commission Junction Publisher Service Agreement.

Does it cost anything to participate?
No! As long as you are an active affiliate, all you need to do is keep linking and collect your commissions.

How are sales tracked from my site?
Once your application is accepted, you will be given a unique affiliate ID as well as custom-formatted links that will ensure that traffic coming from your site is properly tracked. We maintain a 30-day cookie, meaning that if a visitor clicks on a link from your site, you are credited with the sale as long as the visitor purchases within 30 days. Visitors can opt-out of the cookie.

Commission Junction records all transactions from your site in real time, meaning that all impressions, links, and sales are tracked instantly. The Commission Junction Members Area has all of the reports and tracking resources you'll need to see how you're doing. You can use these reports to find out which of your links are performing the best and to optimize your site for maximum sales.

How much will I earn? How and when do I get paid?
Affiliates can earn commissions of up to 7% depending on the product, with a cookie length of 30 days.

Commission Junction pays affiliates monthly and when the commission balance is €25 or more. Please refer to the Commission Junction Publisher Service Agreement for more information.

Who is Commission Junction and why is Orion using their service?
Orion has teamed with Commission Junction, a leader in third-party affiliate marketing programs to handle our affiliate program. They will be able to provide affiliates with trusted third-party tracking, real-time reporting, and monthly commission checks.

I'm signed up, now what?
Visit Orion's Advertiser Detail page at Commission Junction to confirm that you have applied to the program. If you haven't, click on the "Apply to Program" button at the bottom of the page.

Once your application is approved, you will receive an e-mail welcoming you into our affiliate program. It will include all the instructions you need to get started. If you're ready to start adding links to your site, check out the next section on creating links to our website.

How do I create links to one of your websites?
Current affiliates can get links, including banners and text ads here. We will be regularly updating our links, to include lots of resources to help you sell.

We currently have banners and links that will take you to the Orion (OrionTelescopes.eu) homepage or to specific product pages. You can select what best suits your audience. After deciding what you need, you log in and copy your specialized HTML link to track your traffic and revenue. You must use the links provided in order to generate commissions.

How do I link to a specific product?
To link directly to our products, use the Commission Junction "Get Links" tool which allows you to grab the links you need that are correctly formatted with your tracking code. If you log into your CJ account, and go to "Get Links" then choose "By Relationship" you'll see Orion Telescopes and Binoculars listed there, and you can click on "View Links". Here you'll see several banners and text links.

Does Orion have a Product Data Feed available?
Yes, Orion does have a product data feed available. If you are interested in receiving the product data feed please contact Commission Junction.

I need more help!
Here are a few resources you may find useful:

Commission Junction Privacy Policy
Orion Privacy Policy

I need to contact Orion regarding the Affiliate Program.
The best way to contact us if you have any questions or problems is to e-mail our Affiliate Department at michelle@telescope.com. Your questions or concerns will be promptly addressed.