How we make money (the honest version).

What those /go links are

When you click a "check price" or product link on Best Tea Bags, it routes through a /goredirect on our own domain. Some of those links are affiliate links: if you buy after clicking, the retailer pays us a commission. The price you pay is identical either way — the commission comes out of the retailer's margin, not your pocket. That commission funds the boxes we buy, the steeping, the taste panel, and the writing.

Verdicts come first. Money comes after.

Rankings are set on the merits — what the cup actually tastes like, stated origin and grade, and cost per cup — beforeanyone checks whether a product has an affiliate program. The order doesn't change afterward. If the best tea on a list earns us nothing, it stays at the top of the list.

• A brand cannot buy a ranking, a "Best Overall" badge, or a softer review. Not for any amount.
• We don't accept sponsored verdicts or paid placements, and we don't run "advertorial" reviews.
• Free samples don't buy anything either — a product we paid for and a product we were sent are scored the same way.
• If our verdict and our wallet ever disagree, the verdict wins. That's the whole business model: being worth trusting twice.

The methodology behind every verdict is published in full at how we test.

The Tea Finder, too

Our matching tool recommends from the same editorial catalog as our reviews — teas that cleared the same steeped-and-ranked bar. Its results may include affiliate links, and the same rule applies: your answers pick the teas, not the payout.

The honest notes

• Not medical advice. We describe taste, aroma, and how a tea brews — we don't make health claims, and nothing here diagnoses, treats, or prevents anything.
• Caffeine is real. Most black, green, oolong, and matcha teas contain caffeine; herbal blends usually don't. If you're sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing, or take medications, weigh that with a professional, not a review site.
• Prices and counts move. Box sizes shrink and prices drift; verify the current price and count with the seller before you buy.
• Taste is personal. Our verdicts reflect a panel of regular tea drinkers — your perfect everyday cup may differ, and that's fine.

Questions?

A person reads every email: hello@bestteabags.com.