Editorial Policy — how we decide what makes a Top 5 list, and how we keep rankings independent of commission.
- Rankings are based on price, flexibility, track record and category fit — never on commission rate.
- Every list shows a “last verified” date; dead codes get updated, not left live.
- Sponsored placements are always clearly labeled and kept separate from ranked lists.
Our editorial principle
Every ranking on Hottop5 is built to answer one question honestly: if you only had time to consider five options in this category, which five would actually be worth it? That judgment is made independently of which store pays the highest commission.
How rankings are decided
Price & discount depth
The size and reliability of the current offer.
Plan flexibility
Trial length, refund/return terms, contract lock-in.
Track record
How consistently a store’s codes actually work when readers use them.
Category fit
Whether the product competes on merits that matter for that use case, not just brand recognition.
We do not accept payment in exchange for a specific ranking position, and commission rate is never a ranking factor.
Verification & freshness
Coupon codes and deals are checked on a recurring schedule, and every published list or offer displays a “last verified” or “last updated” date. When a code stops working or an offer expires, we update the listing — we don’t leave dead codes live to inflate the appearance of savings. Reader reports (via the Contact page) are one of our fastest signals that something has changed.
Sponsored content and partnerships
Occasionally a store may pay for a clearly separate, labeled placement (for example, a “Partner” banner). This is always visually distinct from — and never mixed into — our ranked Top 5 lists, which remain independently compiled. See our Affiliate Disclosure for the commercial relationship behind our links.
Corrections
If we get something wrong — an incorrect price, an outdated code, a factual error in a guide — we correct it as soon as we can verify the report. Material corrections are reflected in the page’s updated date. Flag anything via the Contact page.
Author & review process
Content is researched and compiled by the Hottop5 editorial team, drawing on merchant data, publicly available pricing, and direct testing of codes where possible, before publication.