Sponsored Content Policy
Learn why Currency Information does not currently publish sponsored editorial content and which disclosure and independence safeguards would apply if that position changed.
Currency Information does not currently publish sponsored articles, paid guest posts, paid interviews, promotional features, or partner content. The policy protects the distinction between material produced for a commercial purpose and work selected and developed through independent editorial judgment.
Current Practice
Display and programmatic advertising may appear around editorial content, but advertisers do not control article selection, sourcing, conclusions, corrections, scores, reviews, or rankings. The presence of an advertisement near an article does not change the editorial status of that article or give the advertiser control over it.
Currency Information does not currently use affiliate links. Paid visibility does not determine editorial ranking position.
If Sponsored Content Is Introduced
Before sponsored content is accepted, Currency Information would update this policy and require clear labels such as Sponsored, Partner Content, Advertisement, Paid Promotion, Press Release, or Promotional Feature, depending on the format. Clear labeling would need to remain understandable before, during, and after a reader engages with the material.
- The commercial sponsor would be identified.
- The label would appear prominently before or near the content.
- Sponsored material would not be presented as independent reporting.
- Unsupported claims, fabricated testimonials, and guaranteed outcomes would be rejected.
- A sponsor could not buy a favorable independent review, correction, award, or ranking position.
Topics That Would Remain Unacceptable
- Guaranteed returns, savings, approval, eligibility, or exchange-rate outcomes
- Fraudulent, illegal, harmful, or deceptive financial activity
- Counterfeiting instructions or identity-document abuse
- Unsupported medical, legal, financial, tax, or safety claims
- Fake reviews, testimonials, awards, rankings, or expert endorsements
- Hate, harassment, extremist advocacy, scams, malware, or deliberate misinformation
Reader Concerns
Questions about commercial labeling or possible sponsored material may be sent to advertising@currencyinformation.org.
Why This Policy Exists
Commercial material can reduce reader trust when it resembles independent journalism. This policy makes the current position explicit and defines the minimum safeguards that would apply before any future change.
No Informal Exceptions
A payment, gift, event invitation, data access arrangement, or partnership discussion does not create an informal exception to this policy. Promotional copy cannot be published as an editorial article merely because it is useful to a commercial partner. This prevents a commercial relationship from being introduced through wording or workflow that avoids the transparency expected of formally sponsored material.
Editorial Review of Future Commercial Material
If sponsored content is introduced, publication would remain subject to accuracy, legality, reader safety, disclosure, and technical review. A sponsor could provide factual materials and request correction of errors, but could not require misleading language or suppress material limitations. Review would address whether the material can be published without disguising its purpose or weakening the publication’s stated standards.
Archiving and Updating
Any future sponsored page should retain its commercial label when archived, updated, syndicated, or shared. Expired offers and outdated claims should be corrected, removed, or clearly marked.
Complaints
Readers may report a page that appears promotional but lacks clear labeling. Include the URL, screenshot where possible, and an explanation of why the material may be misleading.
Distinction From Display Advertising
Display advertising appears in designated advertising placements and is not the same as sponsored editorial content. A programmatic advertisement delivered beside an article does not make the article sponsored and does not give the advertiser editorial rights. The distinction is based on who controls and funds the content itself, not simply on whether advertising appears on the same page.
Press Releases and Submitted Materials
Currency Information may receive press releases, research, statements, and product information. Reviewing such material as a source does not make the resulting article sponsored. Submitted claims remain subject to verification, context, and independent editorial judgment. Independent use of submitted information requires editorial selection, verification, context, and the freedom to omit unsupported promotional language.
Future Affiliate Disclosure
Affiliate links are not currently used. If introduced, the site would need a clear disclosure explaining that Currency Information may receive compensation from qualifying actions while preserving the rule that compensation does not determine editorial ranking position.