Capital One is the latest corporation accused of hijacking affiliate commissions through its Shopping browser extension, according to a federal lawsuit. The case exposes an industry-wide scandal involving cookie manipulation, costing creators millions in lost revenue.
The Allegations
Content creators claim Capital One’s extension generates fake referral clicks, replacing legitimate affiliate links with its own. Similar lawsuits have targeted Microsoft (which quietly removed its coupon feature) and PayPal’s Honey extension, which lost 3 million users after accusations of commission theft.
How the scam works
- Creator shares link – affiliates promote products with unique tracking codes.
- Extension hijacks click – at checkout, extensions trigger popups (e.g., “Find coupons”).
- Cookie replacement – the extension overwrites the original affiliate link, stealing the commission.
The Fallout
- Google updated Chrome policies, requiring extensions to disclose affiliate relationships.
- 19 lawsuits have been filed against major extensions.
- Creators report significant income losses, threatening their livelihoods.
How to protect yourself
- Monitor traffic – check for unusual conversion drops.
- Demand transparency – require partners to disclose cookie practices.
- Use multi-touch attribution – reward all touchpoints, not just the last click.
The Future of affiliate marketing
With lawsuits mounting, the industry faces a reckoning. Will self-regulation work, or will federal intervention be needed? For now, creators must stay vigilant – trusting corporate extensions without verification is no longer an option.