Is ZenAffiliate a scam?

Navigating the world of affiliate marketing can be challenging, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience working as an affiliate or your niche is very specific. Oftentimes, both affiliates and marketers simply use the services of ASP aka affiliate service providers, who help match business with an affiliate.

It’s not hard to find an ASP, but to tell which one is legitimate, or a scam can be a bit trickier. 

Let’s take ZenAffiliate, for example, a site which has been steadily growing in popularity — is it a reliable and legitimate ASP or a scam? Let’s find out!

The Promise of ZenAffiliate

Firstly, what is ZenAffilate? This is an affiliate service provider, which has the same goal and promises as other ASPs — to help establish contact between affiliates and brands that need them.

However, there are several key aspects that set ZenAffiliate apart from other service providers. 

1. ZenAffiliate is a gaming ASP, so all of its partners are connected to the iGaming industry and the affiliates would promote something related to this industry: online casinos, sports betting and so on.
2. ZenAffiliate works with brands that offer services in Japanese, so it positions itself as a go-to place if you are an affiliate whose audience consists mainly of Japanese-speaking people.

And ZenAffilate does deliver on that front: all of its partners indeed feature Japanese language support, all of them are licensed and legitimate.

Description of ZenAffiliate's advertised benefits

ZenAffiliate makes some good promises to its affiliates: timely payment, crypto-support, no cost for becoming a member, freedom to work however you want since the affiliate is not restricted to promoting just one brand etc. Moreover, ZenAffiliate also advertises certain bonuses to the affiliates:

From what we’ve researched, ZenAffilate also doesn’t lie there. Its affiliates indeed get these perks, have the option to cooperate with different companies simultaneously, and they also get that promised support once they sign up for the program.

Claims of high earnings with minimal effort

One of the telltale signs of a scam is when you are promised big riches and success with minimal effort — as if you will be showered with money no matter what.

ZenAffilate makes no such promises, and it also doesn’t even mention that everything will be super easy for affiliates. Yes, this affiliate service provider does say that you can join even if you don’t have prior experience working as an affiliate, but they also give you all the help and assistance you need, so that’s nice. 

Testimonials and endorsements promoting ZenAffiliate

There are not a lot of reviews or feedback from those who tried ZenAffiliate, but some of the testimonials we managed to find are from Japanese speakers, and their experience working with ZenAffiliate was mostly positive. 

Unraveling the Scam

As far as we were able to research and analyse, ZenAffiliate is not involved in any fraudulent activities and works completely legally. However, we also encourage others to always be vigilant with the brands they work with, and pay attention to the following elements:

Initial suspicions and red flags

The first thing you need to pick up on is the red flags of the company you are about to do business with. If the ASP asks you to make any donations upfront — that might be a scam. When they don't give any information on who they are working with what conditions etc. or if the information is too vague then this could also be a fraudulent brand.

When we were researching ZenAffiliate we didn't notice anything like that.

Investigation into ZenAffiliate's operations and practices

Knowing the history of the company you are about to work with is essential in avoiding falling into the hands of scammers. It's crucial to have a look at the activities ZenAffiliate were involved in before and from what we found, nothing seems out of the ordinary.

Analysis of user experiences and complaints

Checking out the reviews and feedback of other people who were using this platform is also very important and helps you determine whether ZenAffiliate is a scam or not.

Unfortunately, we could not find a lot of reviews on this ASP, but those we did find were for the most part positive. Of course, you are also welcome to check out any feedback on ZenAffiliate, too.

Identification of deceptive tactics employed by ZenAffiliate

ZenAffiliate has no history of using any fraudulent tactics or scamming people.

Deceptive Practices of ZenAffiliate

Likewise, as our research has shown, ZenAffiliate also doesn't lie about the bonuses they offer or the brands they work with — everything this affiliate service provider mentions on its website is true.

False promises of easy and substantial income

As we mentioned before — it is always very shady when the site or a company promises you to get rich and be successful quickly, and this is another red flag you should be concerned about. ZenAffiliate, meanwhile, does not make any of such promises.

Misleading marketing tactics and exaggerated claims

ZenAffiliate was not involved in any misleading marketing tactics and from what we can tell everything it advertises is genuine.

Hidden costs and undisclosed fees

We have also checked whether ZenAffiliate has any fees or charges it asks upfront, and we didn’t see this ASP practising this — registering is free of charge, plus you don’t need to pay to become an affiliate.

Lack of transparency in affiliate program details

ZenAffiliate also did not tip anything off for us on this front. The platform describes in detail what you will be doing, what brands it works with, what you can expect to get by joining the program and more — all this is a plus. 

Conclusion

With all this said, we can possibly say that our research did not reveal ZenAffiliate to be a scam. From what we gathered, it's a completely legitimate and legal ASP, albeit one with not enough reviews, for now.

Recap of key findings regarding Zen Affiliate's deceptive practices

Our deep research has not found any evidence and people’s feedback that could hit that ZenAffiliate is or was involved in any deceptive practices.

Importance of vigilance and skepticism in the affiliate marketing landscape

Being open-minded is good, but you also need to foster a healthy scepticism, which can help protect you from scammers. Don’t just take the company’s word for it — do your own research: ask questions, search data on this brand and read people’s feedback.

Recommendations for individuals seeking legitimate opportunities in affiliate marketing

To always stay safe and avoid any scammers, we urge you to keep in mind these simple rules:

• Conduct comprehensive research on the brand you wish to deal with. Look for reviews, testimonials, and feedback from other affiliates who have dealt with this company.
• Have a look at the commission structures offered by affiliate programs, ensuring they are fair and transparent.
• Beware of programs that promise excessively high commissions or employ complex payout mechanisms that may be difficult to track and so on.