Global Compare Group operates consumer comparison websites including NZ Compare, Broadband Compare, Power Compare and Mobile Compare. We generate revenue when site visitors buy through us and become customers at partner companies. We also earn money through advertising and paid promotional placements. All of this allows us to provide our comparison services to consumers.
We believe it is important to be clear about the difference between advertising and our independent comparison rankings.
What can paid promotion look like?
Businesses may pay for additional exposure on our websites in a number of formats. This can include:
- Banner advertising within comparison results or rankings;
- Homepage takeovers or prominent homepage advertising;
- Overlays or pop-ups shown when you first visit a website;
- Featured deal call-outs within comparison results;
- Highlighting particular features, discounts or promotional offers using borders, labels or additional text; and
- Other clearly identified promotional placements designed to bring attention to a particular deal or offer.
These placements are intended to highlight or showcase a product, deal or provider. They are advertising, rather than an indication that the product is the best option available.
Advertising does not change our rankings
Paying for advertising or promotional exposure does not buy a better ranking.
The order in which plans or products appear in our comparison results continues to be determined by the relevant ranking methodology and criteria for that comparison.
An advertiser may therefore appear more prominently through a clearly identified promotional placement, but we will not move a plan higher in our underlying rankings simply because the provider has paid us.
For example, if a provider pays to highlight a broadband deal within our results, the advertising may draw your attention to that deal, but it does not change the position the plan would otherwise receive under our ranking methodology.
Group Companies
Where an advertised product or service is provided by a company that is part of Global Compare Group, we will make that relationship clear.
For example, Simply Broadband is part of Global Compare Group, and where Simply Broadband is promoted on one of our comparison websites, we will identify it as a Part of Global Compare Group.
Advertising vs recommendations
It's important to understand the distinction:
Advertising = paid exposure designed to highlight a product, provider or deal.
Ranking = our comparison methodology applied to the relevant products based on the criteria used for that comparison.
A paid placement does not mean we consider the advertised product to be the best option, nor does it guarantee a particular ranking.
In short: advertisers can pay to get your attention, but they can't pay to change our rankings.