Affiliate Terms & Conditions

HICKMAN DESIGN · AFFILIATE PROGRAMME

Clear terms. Honest recommendations.

Everything you need to know about qualifying sales, commission, payments and promoting our products responsibly.

Commission & exclusions

We offer clear, straightforward commission rates:

• 10% commission on Hickman Design own-brand products, such as our printmaking registration pins
• 5% commission on all other eligible products stocked on the website, excluding the brands listed below

This allows affiliates who actively recommend our own products to earn higher rewards, while still earning commission across our wider range of professional art supplies.

Browse all Hickman Design own-brand products to explore the range eligible for 10% commission.

Excluded product lines

No affiliate commission is earned or paid on Pfeil, Flexcut, Vistaplan or Golden products. If an order includes both eligible and excluded products, commission is calculated only on the eligible products.

Getting paid

To ensure commission payments are processed correctly, you must add your bank details within the affiliate dashboard.

Once your account has been approved, log in to your dashboard and navigate to the Settings section. From there, enter the following information:

  • Bank name
  • Bank sort code
  • Bank account number

Please make sure all details are accurate and kept up to date. Payments cannot be issued until valid bank information has been provided, and Hickman Design is not responsible for delays caused by incomplete or incorrect details.

If your bank details change at any point, it is your responsibility to update them promptly within the dashboard.

Payment timing and the returns window

To allow for our 30-day returns window, commissions are held for at least 30 days from the date they are recorded. We also check that the applicable returns window has ended and that there are no outstanding returns, refunds or payment disputes before approving payment.

Affiliate payouts are processed at the start of each new month. Eligible, approved commission is included once we have received your payment request, invoice and valid bank details. Commission that has not cleared the waiting period, or is still being checked, rolls forward to a later monthly payment run. Bank processing times may vary.

Commission is based on the eligible product amount after discounts, excluding VAT, other taxes and delivery charges.

In plain English: wait at least 30 days, then the next monthly payout. Payment is not made automatically on day 30.

Example: if a customer buys through your affiliate link and commission is recorded on 10 October, the 30-day hold clears around 9 November. That commission can therefore be paid in the start-of-December payout run, provided we have your invoice and payment request and there are no outstanding returns or disputes.

Requesting a payment

You can email us a payment request, including the email address linked to your affiliate account and the commission amount you are requesting. An invoice for the amount being claimed is required for our accounting records. Please attach it to your request. Contact us if you need our billing details before preparing your invoice.

If you do not have invoicing software, you can use a free tool such as Invoice Generator. Include your name or business details, an invoice number and date, a description of the affiliate commission and the amount requested. We will check the request against your approved commission before arranging payment.

Programme terms

By taking part in the Hickman Design Affiliate Programme, you agree to the following:

Affiliate Responsibilities

  • Represent our products honestly and responsibly, and comply with all relevant laws and regulations, including those relating to advertising standards, email marketing, and anti-spam legislation.
  • Share affiliate links only through platforms you own or control, such as your own website, mailing list, or social media channels.
  • Use any images, videos, logos, or written material we provide solely for promotional purposes and without alteration, unless explicit permission has been given.

Honest reviews and advertising disclosure

We always value honest reviews of tools and materials, including constructive criticism. Reviews should reflect your genuine experience. You are not required to give a positive review to participate in the programme or earn commission on qualifying sales. Never claim to have used a product you have not tried, or make claims you cannot support.

Make the commercial relationship clear before people engage with affiliate advertising. Use a prominent, upfront label such as “Ad” and explain that you may earn commission from qualifying purchases. Disclose any free products or other incentives too. A disclosure only in your profile, at the end of a post or behind “read more” may not be sufficient. Follow the advertising rules that apply to your audience and platform.

Qualifying sales and commission adjustments

  • Commission is payable only on genuine, eligible sales attributed to your affiliate account and approved after checks. Dashboard amounts awaiting approval are provisional.
  • Cancelled, unpaid, fraudulent, returned or refunded orders do not qualify for commission. Partial refunds reduce commission on the affected amount. Chargebacks and duplicate or incorrectly credited transactions may also require an adjustment.
  • If an ineligible commission has already been paid, we may correct it against future commission or request repayment of that specific amount. We will explain the adjustment and give you an opportunity to query it.
  • Purchases through your own affiliate links for your own use, or orders placed on your behalf to generate commission, are not eligible unless agreed by us in writing.
  • Tracking can be affected by consent choices, browser settings and technical issues. If you believe a genuine referral is missing, contact us with relevant details so we can investigate. No particular level of earnings is guaranteed.

Fair promotion and brand use

  • Do not send unsolicited promotional messages, create fake reviews, manipulate tracking, force clicks or use misleading offers to generate referrals.
  • Do not impersonate Hickman Design, suggest you are an employee, or register domains or social accounts that could be mistaken for our official channels.
  • Obtain our written permission before bidding on Hickman Design brand terms in paid search advertising, running adverts that appear to be from us, or publishing unapproved discount codes.
  • Keep product information, prices and offers accurate. Use only materials you own or have permission to use, and respect copyright and other intellectual property rights.
  • We may ask you to correct or remove misleading, unlawful or unauthorised promotional material. Do not send us customers’ personal information when reporting a referral unless requested and you have a lawful basis to do so.

Programme changes and account checks

We may investigate suspected misuse and temporarily hold affected commission while we check the facts. We will explain the issue where reasonably possible and allow you to respond. Any withholding or reversal must relate to ineligible transactions or a relevant breach; honest criticism alone is not grounds for withholding commission.

We may update programme terms or commission rates for future referrals, with changes and their effective date communicated through the dashboard or by email. Changes will not retrospectively reduce commission already validly earned. When participation ends, valid outstanding commission remains subject to the normal checks and payment requirements.

Affiliate Relationship

Affiliates participate in the programme as independent parties. Nothing within the programme creates an employment, partnership, or agency relationship between you and Hickman Design.

You do not have the authority to act on our behalf or to make commitments in our name. While we aim to keep our website and services running smoothly, you acknowledge that temporary outages or technical issues may occur, and Hickman Design is not liable for any resulting loss.

Commission and Payments

Where the standard 20% UK VAT rate applies, commission is calculated on the sale price before VAT. For example, an eligible product sale of £120 including VAT is £100 excluding VAT, so 10% affiliate commission would be £10. If a different tax rate applies, the actual tax charged is excluded instead.

Affiliate commission is paid via direct bank transfer.

Affiliates are responsible for managing their own tax, National Insurance, or any other financial or legal obligations connected with affiliate earnings. Hickman Design does not provide tax advice or assume responsibility for these matters.

Commission is calculated on the product sale price only. Delivery charges and VAT are excluded.

Termination and Inactive Accounts

Either you or Hickman Design may end the affiliate relationship at any time, for any reason, and without prior notice.

We also reserve the right to close or suspend accounts that remain inactive for extended periods or fail to comply with the programme guidelines.

Confidentiality

You are responsible for keeping your login details and account information secure and must not share them with any third party.

Any materials, information, or resources provided to you as part of the Affiliate Programme must be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of promoting Hickman Design. They must not be reused, redistributed, or applied to any other activity without written permission.

Ready to join?

Read the terms above before applying. Applications are reviewed manually.

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