Affiliate Disclosure

This page explains how the site is funded, how partner relationships work, and how we keep editorial recommendations grounded in real-world testing.

Partner links and commissions

Some pages include links to third-party products and booking platforms (for example travel booking tools, connectivity services, and related software). Those links may include tracking parameters that identify StartChinaTravel as the referrer. If you complete a qualifying purchase or booking, we may receive a commission or referral fee.

• Trip.com (flights, hotels, trains, Trip eSIM): widgets and booking shortcuts use partner parameters so attribution works when you book transport, lodging, or connectivity on Trip.com.
• Klook (attractions, tours, experiences, selected buses): where we link to tickets, day tours, or cross-border buses on Klook, outbound URLs go through our Klook affiliate redirect (aid=121573). We use Klook for activity-style bookings; we still recommend Trip.com for high-speed rail and most hotel/flight flows.
• VPN and eSIM providers: where we recommend specific services after hands-on testing, outbound links may be partner links (for example Surfshark, NordVPN, Airalo).
• Promotional codes: when we list a Klook promo code, it is one made available to us through the Klook affiliate program. Codes may have country-of-residence limits, expiry dates, and product exclusions—we state those limits in the article. We do not publish our codes on coupon-aggregator sites, Discord, or comment spam, per program rules.
• Email list (Brevo): if you join the newsletter, that signup is handled by our email provider; it is not an “affiliate commission,” but it is still a direct relationship we disclose here for completeness.

Editorial independence

Partner relationships do not change our goal: help first-time visitors plan China travel with practical, field-tested advice. We publish corrections when policies and products change, and we explain our testing methodology on the How We Test page.

If a recommendation is weak, we say so. If a tool failed repeatedly in real China conditions, we downgrade it or remove it—even if a partner program exists.

Security: avoid phishing

Use bookmarks for sensitive bookings, install official apps from the Apple App Store or Google Play, and do not trust “official” links sent by strangers in DMs, cold emails, or urgent texts.

Changes to this disclosure

We update this page when our monetization mix changes in a material way. The “Last updated” date at the top reflects the latest revision.