Advertising and affiliate disclosure

WhereToStart is free because some of the companies we link to pay us a commission. This page explains exactly how that works, in the form required by the US Federal Trade Commission, the UK Advertising Standards Authority, and Canada's Competition Bureau.

Effective date: 10 September 2026. Last reviewed: 10 September 2026.

The short version

Links marked Sponsored are affiliate links. If you click one and buy a product or sign up for a service, [LEGAL ENTITY NAME] receives a commission from that company. You pay the same price you would have paid anyway. Sponsored links never change which options a navigator shows you or the order they appear in, and free routes are always shown first.

How sponsored links are marked

Every affiliate link on this site sits inside a box labelled Sponsored, uses the HTML attribute rel="sponsored", and opens in a new tab so you can see you are leaving WhereToStart. We do not use affiliate links in body text, headings, or anywhere the label isn't visible on the same screen as the link. If you ever see one that isn't labelled, that's a mistake — please tell us.

Affiliate programmes and networks we participate in

We are a participant in one or more of the following programmes. Networks handle tracking and payment on behalf of the brands; when you click a sponsored link, the network and brand may set a cookie on their domain to attribute a purchase to us (see our cookie policy).

  • Impact.com partner programmes (including, where approved, LetsGetChecked, BetterHelp, Talkspace, AG1)
  • CJ Affiliate (including, where approved, Everlywell)
  • Awin and ShareASale (including, where approved, Welzo and UK health brands)
  • Rakuten Advertising
  • Direct brand programmes (including, where approved, iHerb, Thorne, Online-Therapy.com, telehealth weight-management providers)
  • [If you join Amazon Associates, add: "As an Amazon Associate, [LEGAL ENTITY NAME] earns from qualifying purchases." — this exact sentence is contractually required.]

This list is updated whenever we join or leave a programme. Listing a brand here means we may link to it; it doesn't mean the brand endorses WhereToStart or has reviewed our content.

What commissions don't buy

  • Placement: no company can pay to appear, to appear first, or to appear in a navigator result it wouldn't otherwise qualify for.
  • Claims: we don't repeat partner marketing claims, and we say when a product has limits.
  • Silence: we'll link to the free NHS, provincial or insurance-covered route even when a paid partner sells the same thing.

Who is responsible for what you buy

WhereToStart is not the seller, provider, prescriber or laboratory. Prices, availability, delivery, medical care, test accuracy, refunds and customer service are the responsibility of the company you buy from, under their terms. Prices shown on partner sites may differ from any figure mentioned here.

No medical endorsement

A sponsored listing means the company met our inclusion criteria at the time of listing. It is not a medical recommendation that a particular test, treatment or supplement is right for you. See the medical disclaimer.

Regulatory basis

This disclosure is provided in accordance with the FTC's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (16 CFR Part 255), the UK CAP Code and ASA guidance on affiliate marketing, and the Competition Bureau of Canada's guidance on influencer and affiliate advertising. Contact for disclosure queries: [CONTACT EMAIL].