How Affiliate Marketing Actually Works, in Plain Terms
Understanding this mechanism helps you evaluate any comparison site, not just this one.
Reviewed by the EdClinic Editorial Team · our research standards · not a substitute for professional medical adviceUnderstanding how affiliate marketing actually works, as a general mechanism, makes it easier to evaluate any comparison site you come across — not just this one.
The basic mechanism
A business (in this case, a telehealth provider) agrees to pay a commission to a referring website when a visitor from that site takes a specific action — usually completing an evaluation or a purchase. The referring site earns money from that arrangement; the price you pay generally doesn't change because of it.
Why this differs from a paid placement or sponsored post
A straightforward affiliate link is performance-based — the site only earns something if you actually act. A paid placement or sponsored post, by contrast, is typically a flat fee paid regardless of whether it leads to any action at all, which can create a different (and often less disclosed) incentive to write favorably regardless of merit.
MadeMed
Compounded tadalafil through a licensed pharmacy network, positioned as a lower-cost alternative to brand-name treatment for people who qualify after evaluation.
Compounded medication notice: compounded formulations are not FDA-approved. Compounding pharmacies prepare medications under a licensed clinician’s prescription; effectiveness and safety have not been independently evaluated by the FDA.
View Offer Paid LinkWhat this means for how you read comparison content generally
Affiliate relationships alone don't make a comparison dishonest — they're how most independent comparison sites, including this one, stay funded without charging visitors directly. What matters is whether a site discloses the relationship clearly and whether its actual recommendations hold up to scrutiny, not whether a financial relationship exists at all.