Trip Softly Affiliate disclosure
Last updated: October 2026
The short version
Some links on Trip Softly are affiliate links. I call them "paid links." If you click one and then buy something, I may earn a commission from the company. You pay the same price either way. The commission never adds to your cost.
How paid links are labeled
- Every affiliate link has the label "(paid link)" right next to it, or inside the button.
- Every article that contains affiliate links starts with a short disclosure box, placed before any of the links.
- The footer of every page also notes that some links on this site are paid links.
- I don't hide affiliate links behind link shorteners or redirects of my own. A paid link may pass briefly through the company's affiliate tracking service before it reaches the company's website.
How I choose what to recommend
- I start with you, the reader. Does this fit a traveler planning a trip to Japan, who wants things to be simple?
- I only recommend products and services I have tried or researched. If I've researched something but haven't used it myself, I say so in the article.
- A commission is never the only reason I recommend something. If something that pays me nothing is the better fit for you, I'll tell you.
- I will tell you when something is not a good fit, and who should skip it.
Free trials and paying my own way
To try a product or service, I may use a free trial or pay for it myself. If a company ever gives me something for free, or extras beyond what any customer can get, I'll mention it in the article.
No paid reviews
No company pays me to review its product, and no one can pay for a positive review. Companies don't see or approve my articles before they're published. If that ever changes, for example if I publish a sponsored article, it will be clearly labeled as sponsored at the top of the page.
Cookies from affiliate programs
When you click a paid link, you go to the company's website or to an affiliate network. They may set cookies in your browser to record that you came from this site, so a purchase can be credited to me. Their own privacy policies apply on their sites. You can read more in my privacy policy.
Prices and booking terms change
Companies change their prices, plans, and booking terms often. I check facts when I write or update an article, but details can change after that. Please confirm the current price and terms on the company's website before you buy.
Why I'm telling you this
The US Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255) ask publishers to clearly disclose paid relationships. More importantly, I'd want to know this as a reader, so I want you to know it too.
Questions
If anything here is unclear, email me at hello@tripsoftly.com.