How Trigger stays free: affiliate links explained

In short: Trigger is free because some links to booking sites are affiliate links, so the partner may pay Trigger a commission when you book. You pay the same price, and affiliate status never changes which offers we show or their order, which is always by price.

Trigger is free for travellers because some of the links in our results and alert emails are affiliate links. When you follow one of those links and book on the partner site, the partner may pay Trigger a commission. You pay the same price you would pay anyway. Affiliate status never changes which offers we show you or the order they appear in. Results are sorted by price.

This guide explains what affiliate links are, how they work on Trigger, and what they do not change.

What is an affiliate link?

An affiliate link is a normal link to a website that includes a small tag identifying who sent you. If you go on to make a purchase, the website can see that the visit came from a particular partner and may pay that partner a share of its revenue.

Affiliate links are common across travel comparison sites, review sites and price trackers. They are one of the main ways free services cover their costs without charging users or showing advertising.

How it works on Trigger

Trigger gets flight and hotel prices from the Travelpayouts network, which includes Aviasales for flights and Hotellook for hotels.
Some outbound links to booking sites carry a Travelpayouts marker. This tag tells the partner the visit came from Trigger.
If you book through one of these links, the partner may pay Trigger a commission.
The commission comes from the partner's side. It is not added to your price.

Trigger never sells travel and never takes your payment. You always book directly on the partner site, and your booking contract is with that site or the airline or hotel.

What affiliate links do not change

This is the part that matters most.

Your price. You pay the same price whether or not the link is an affiliate link.
Which offers you see. We do not hide offers because they do not pay us, and we do not add offers because they do.
The order of results. Results are sorted by price. Affiliate status does not move anything up or down.
When you get an alert. Alerts are sent based on your target price and our email rules only.

What we record about clicks

To understand how the service is used and to count referrals, Trigger keeps a log of outbound clicks. It records the partner, the time, a hashed version of your IP address and your country. The IP hash is anonymised after 13 months. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies, and we do not sell personal data. Our partners for price data receive only search parameters, such as route and dates, never your personal details. Full details are in our privacy policy.

Why not charge users instead?

Charging a subscription would put a price alert service out of reach for many people who only travel occasionally. Advertising would mean tracking and distracting ads. Affiliate commissions let us keep Trigger free, with up to 10 active alerts per account, and keep the site free of ads and tracking cookies.

Is the cheapest result always the best?

Not always. Results are sorted by price, but the cheapest option may have more stops, less baggage, stricter fare rules or a hotel location you do not like. Always check the details on the booking site, which shows the live price and the full terms. Prices in alerts can be recently seen prices that have since changed. See cached vs live prices and our price disclaimer.

Questions you might have

Do I have to book through Trigger's link? No. You are free to book anywhere you like. The alert is still yours.
Can I tell if a link is an affiliate link? Some outbound links carry a Travelpayouts marker. You can assume links to booking partners may be affiliate links.
Does Trigger see my booking or payment details? No. Booking and payment happen entirely on the partner site.

If you have other questions, see the FAQ or contact support@triggerprice.app.

How to set a Trigger for it

Go to flights or hotels and enter your trip.
Set your target price and create the alert. It is free.
When the price is at or below your target, Trigger emails you with a link to book on a trusted partner site. Some of these links are affiliate links, and your price is the same either way.
Check the live price and terms on the partner site and book there if it suits you.

Learn more in how it works.