Explanation about the transaction system & missed purchases

International, universal tracking system

To begin with, we must first prevent a misunderstanding about the tracking system: this system is not owned by ShopDonation, but by the webshops. They all make use of the same system that is used internationally by all major parties, such as Amazon, eBay, AliExpress etc.

ShopDonation receives the information about the purchases from these webshops, not from our own tracking system. This information that ShopDonation receives is anonymous; we only receive the order amount, order number and commission from the relevant webshop.

Automatic delivery of transactions

ShopDonation then passes the commission on to the chosen cause and links the purchase to the user on ShopDonation, if they were logged in while making the click. We do this by providing a code in our links that only has meaning for the ShopDonation system, i.e. a code like '12345xyz' means a specific user or cause in the database of ShopDonation, but for the webshop it will be meaningless.

Daily, the ShopDonation database automatically receives transactions made at these webshops and ShopDonation cannot manually adjust or delete these. We can only adjust the cause that the donation is assigned to, should a buyer mistakenly choose the wrong cause.
 

What can cause a missed purchase - and how to avoid it?

Clicks from other websites

- If the webshop was previously clicked via another affiliate website, such as a discount code website or comparison website, then the click will not be assigned to ShopDonation. Some webshops also count a click from a Google Ad as another affiliate channel. In this case, the commission will go to this other affiliate party instead of ShopDonation, and the donation will not be received by us.

* Some webshops initially allocate the purchase (with status "pending") to all channels involved, while in the end only one channel is awarded the commission. The purchase will then later be given the status "rejected" to the losing parties. You can read more about the different statuses of purchases further below. 

Attention: Cookies are commonly stored on a computer for a duration of up to two weeks. This could allow previously forgotten clicks to still affect the tracking of a purchase. This situation can especially arise when a shared computer is used, and someone else clicks to the same webshop, possibly through a channel like a discount code website. Inadvertently, this person may redirect the commission to a different channel than ShopDonation.

The opposite can also occur, where an unexpected additional donation is received by a cause because a click was made from ShopDonation to a particular webshop, even if the purchase was made later by someone else.

When a click was previously made from another website, an effective way to avoid a missed sale is to simply use another device or browser that has no previous clicks to the webshop.

Cookie blocking software / browsers

- If cookies are blocked this disrupts the tracking process. There are a lot of other plug-ins nowadays that (rightly) stop all kinds of advertising and spam by blocking cookies. You can of course keep this, but turn it off when accessing ShopDonation to avoid a missed purchase.

Examples that can disturb the tracking process:
 

• Adblocker, or a similar ad blocking program, is switched on while using ShopDonation.
• Cookies (third-party cookies as well) are blocked through your browser-settings while using ShopDonation. Check here how to enable them for each supported browser. *Supported browsers are Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari and/or Internet Explorer (Microsoft Edge)
• Firewall software like ZoneAlarm or Norton internet security, has adblocking option switched on while using ShopDonation.
• A VPN, or a proxy server is used on ShopDonation.
• Browser extensions linking to shopping rewards or coupon sites are enabled while using ShopDonation.
• On mobile, content blockers are enabled while using ShopDonation.
• If the cookie settings on a device are set to 'very strict', the tracking process will not work. Computers that are used in the office or a business environment are often set to this mode.
• Network level traffic blocking, like Bitdefender, Pi-hole or Tor is enable while using ShopDonation. Switch this off or add our website as an exception.

If a device and browser have generated a donation correctly before on ShopDonation, we recommend always using these when shopping through ShopDonation.

Other actions that can disrupt the tracking process
 

• The cookies at the webshop were not accepted. Always click 'yes' or 'ok' when asked for cookie consent at the webshop.
• Multiple tabs are open or multiple devices are used during the ordering process and/or the ordering process has been interrupted for a long time. Simply do not wander off after the click from ShopDonation has been made and make the purchase within an hour.
• The‘thank you’page after the purchase hasn't been reached, so that the system of the webshop cannot notify us that the purchase has been completed.
• Purchase didn't come out of a unique click (happens when our affiliate-link is saved and used, instead of clicking from our platform), causing most webshops to cancel the commission later on.
• Use the mobile browser of the webshop, do not use the mobile app of the webshop (exceptions are Bol.com, Thuisbezorgd and Aliexpress, you can use their mobile app).
• At the webshop make sure your shopping basket is empty when you arrive.
• Only use discount/voucher codes from ShopDonation.
• Don't make a purchase through a phone call or live chat.
• Your computer could contain a virus or malware, which may interfere with tracking. For this we recommend downloading Malware Bytes, that removes possible malware from the computer. Download the free version here: https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download/, do a full scan and see what this program finds.
   

Comforting reminder when allowing cookies on ShopDonation

ShopDonation never asks for personal information. We only ask for an e-mail address if you create an account on ShopDonation. This is necessary so that you can receive the confirmation of the donation via email. If you prefer not to provide an email address, that’s no problem, you can still donate for free anonymously via ShopDonation by shopping without logging in. However, we will not be able to send a confirmation email to you after you make a purchase.

ShopDonation never reveals your email address to other parties, so you will not receive spam or advertising after you have registered with ShopDonation.

Handling missed purchases

It can sometimes take a while before we receive an answer from the webshop regarding a submitted missed purchase. This is unfortunately beyond our control, as it is the webshop that needs to check whether the purchase has indeed come from ShopDonation. We therefore appreciate your patience when dealing with this process.

If, after checking, a purchase is still not assigned to ShopDonation, the above reasons are valid for the affiliates not awarding the commission to us. In any case, we will always continue to contact the webshops until we receive a clear answer, so that we can communicate this back to you. With this information we also want to inform you of how to prevent it from happening again.

The role of ShopDonation

In order to receive this information about missed purchases, notifications from shoppers are essential so that we can monitor the transactions given to us from the webshops. If this transaction cannot be found in our system, we will contact the webshop to still receive the commission and pay out the donation.

ShopDonation is the only platform where users can receive an email confirmation of a donation after a purchase. In addition, all users and causes can view a live overview of all donations in their account. As a result, missed purchases do not go unnoticed and the highest possible percentage is still converted into donations by ShopDonation.

Read more about how ShopDonation ensures complete transparency regarding all donations and payments.

Do not approach the webshop yourself

The collaboration between the webshop and ShopDonation is only known by the marketing department of the webshop (the collaboration is based on the 'affiliate marketing' principle, so we are technically part of their advertising). If you approach the customer service of a webshop, they will most likely not know about the cooperation with ShopDonation, unless you speak to someone from the marketing department.

Therefore, it is better to send the missed purchase query to ShopDonation and we will get in touch with our contact person from the webshop to investigate the issue.

Donation confirmation within 48 hours

If you have created an account at ShopDonation and you are logged in when you make a purchase, it can take up to 48 hours before you can see a confirmation of the donation in your account and you have received a confirmation email. If you still have not received a confirmation after these 48 hours, please fill in the contact form.

Purchases with statuses "pending" and "rejected" in account overview.

A registered purchase is initially given the status 'pending', because a purchase can often still be returned or canceled. If a purchase is indeed returned or canceled, the status 'rejected' will be communicated to us and the amount will be deducted from the total. 

You can see all purchases with any assigned status in your ShopDonation Account.
Please note, some webshops initially allocate a purchase to all channels (with status 'pending') from which you clicked to the webshop. After investigation, the commission is only awarded to one party, so the other channels receive the status 'rejected'.

Read the detailed information about the meanings of different transaction statuses here.