What we pay for.

Sometimes we pay a channel to mention us. That is the only place our money moves, and it is written on the page when it happens.

What we pay for

Shoutouts: We pay some channels a flat fee to mention StreamRated on stream, or to link us from a panel. The fee is agreed in advance and does not change with anything anyone says about us, or about them. While the arrangement runs, their profile says so, with the date.
Links we can count: Links we place carry a marker so we can see where visitors came from. It records the link, not the person, and the marker is gone from your browser after fifteen minutes.
Incentives, if we ever run one: If a giveaway ever rewards writing a review, the reward is the same whatever the rating, and every review that comes from it is labelled Incentivised review on the card. We have not run one yet.

What money never buys

A better score
A review removed, hidden or reordered
A higher place in a category
A place in search results
A word changed in anyone else’s review

Not by a streamer, not by a brand, and not by us. Scores come out of a formula anyone can read.

How you can tell

On a channel: A paid channel carries a dated line under its name, for as long as the arrangement runs.
On a review: An incentivised review carries a neutral label on the card. Every review, paid for or not, is read by a person before it appears and follows the same guidelines.
On a gambling channel: We do not sell or place anything on channels streaming casino content, and we strip operator names, links and promo codes out of what we show from those channels.

If you think something on this site is a paid placement that is not labelled, tell us through the complaints form and we will answer within seven days.