If a SaaS affiliate program's terms don't mention PPC, does that mean paid traffic is allowed by default?

[I am Mr feng]

I've been building a list of recurring SaaS affiliate programs by using the footprints of affiliate management software platforms including Rewardful, Tolt, FirstPromoter, and Tapfiliate. Most programs on these platforms are beginner friendly and pretty easy to get approved for.

My plan is to promote them through Google Ads.
But unlike programs on PartnerStack, which usually have clear terms around paid advertising, these programs have almost no mention of PPC in their terms at all.
If an affiliate program doesn't explicitly prohibit paid ads, does that mean it's allowed by default?


Has anyone run into this situation before? How did you handle it?

 

[I am Mr feng]

Assuming PPC is allowed just because rules are missing is a major risk, as indie brands often ban affiliates who inadvertently drive up their brand-name keyword costs. To protect your budget, it is safer to target generic keywords using an indirect pre-sell landing page, an approach that fits perfectly with networks like us at Reacheffect for scaling clean, contextual traffic without triggering compliance issues.

You may have misunderstood what I mean. When it comes to paid advertising, I see two different levels of restrictions:

1. The brand does not allow any PPC traffic at all. In other words, affiliates are not allowed to send traffic from paid search advertising under any circumstances. This is the point I'm primarily trying to clarify.
2. The brand allows PPC traffic, but does not allow affiliates to bid on the brand's trademarked or branded keywords. Generic, non-branded keywords are allowed.

My assumption is that most brands would be okay with the second approach.

When I look at many smaller affiliate programs, I often find that they do not publish any specific PPC policy or affiliate terms regarding paid advertising. In those cases, my default assumption is that they fall into the second category rather than the first.

 

[Steptoe]

When I look at many smaller affiliate programs, I often find that they do not publish any specific PPC policy or affiliate terms regarding paid advertising. In those cases, my default assumption is that they fall into the second category rather than the first.

I would also make that assumption. Unfortunately, from my experience these are the type of affiliate programs that fold pretty quickly without paying out.

 

[I am Mr feng]

I would also make that assumption. Unfortunately, from my experience these are the type of affiliate programs that fold pretty quickly without paying out.

Your advice is very important to me.
I've already collected a lot of these smaller affiliate programs, and I'm preparing to spend my own hard-earned money testing them.
Some of these programs could be gone tomorrow.

 

[Jose Ignacio]

Your advice is very important to me.
I've already collected a lot of these smaller affiliate programs, and I'm preparing to spend my own hard-earned money testing them.
Some of these programs could be gone tomorrow.

Did you make the tests?
What about brand bidding if they not forbid that explicitly? Can also be asked if it is agree with them?