Mile by Owner.

What owners actually say about the cars you're considering.

Money

How we make money

Mile by Owner — Monetization & Affiliate Policy (id 24, run 2026-09-22)

Mile by Owner makes money only in ways that can't change a verdict. If a revenue stream could move a ranking, it's banned — not managed, banned.

What we will and won't do

Allowed (with disclosure, see below):

  • Affiliate links on parts, accessories, tires, and insurance-adjacent products where a real program exists and the product is one the site's own evidence doesn't rate "avoid".
  • Display ads in clearly marked slots — never inside a verdict, never inside a comparison table, never as pop-ups, interstitials, or auto-play with sound.

Banned outright:

  • Pay-to-rank. Rankings and verdicts are never for sale — a single instance is a policy violation, not a judgment call.
  • Undisclosed sponsorship. No sponsored content presented as editorial, ever.
  • Affiliate links on any vehicle the site's own verdict rates "avoid".
  • Sponsored content is banned outright for this site. There is no sponsored-content program to label; there isn't one.

Affiliate fit analysis (verified 2026-09-22)

  • Tire Rack affiliate program — VERIFIED EXISTS (6% commission via CJ Affiliate, 60-day cookie, US). Genuine fit: tire/wheel/brake content on vehicle pages (e.g., "the HUD windshield is a cost bomb" → tire/wheel replacement guides). Terms must be confirmed at enrollment; rates change.
  • eBay Partner Network — VERIFIED EXISTS (category commissions; Motors is a listed category). Genuine fit: used-market content, parts, "marketplace pulse" style pieces. 1-day cookie; category rates change.
  • Amazon Associates — VERIFIED EXISTS. Fit: accessories and tools only (OBD scanners, chargers, dash cams). Never for vehicles themselves; never where the site's evidence rates the product "avoid".
  • Car insurance / finance affiliates — UNVERIFIED for this site. Not pursued until a specific program is confirmed in writing.

No commission rates are stated here as promises — programs change terms, and any rate above is informational, not a contract. No earnings projections. Ever.

Disclosure policy

Placement: on the page, directly beside or immediately above any affiliate link — never in the footer alone, never three clicks deep.

Exact wording:

"Some links on this page earn us a commission if you buy — it costs you nothing extra and it never changes what we recommend. Our verdicts come from owner evidence, not advertisers."

Footer: this policy page is linked from the site footer on every page.

Ad-placement rules

  • Allowed: clearly labeled display units in the sidebar and below article bodies.
  • Banned: pop-ups, interstitials, auto-play with sound, sticky overlays that break the 360px mobile layout, anything that visually mimics editorial content.
  • Ads never appear inside verdicts, review bodies, or comparison tables. Ad slots are part of the design system (id 19), not injected later.

Launch state (v1)

No affiliate links ship in v1. No ad slots are filled in v1. This policy exists so the rules are public before any revenue starts — the QA audit (id 21) verifies the policy page is present and that no undisclosed affiliate links exist.