If you pick a vertical by "highest payout", you walk straight into this wall. The verticals paying the highest affiliate commissions — crypto, finance, gambling, insurance — are almost all in the blocked or restricted group. This is not a matter of taste but of policy: if the ad cannot run, every commission figure is zero.
Closed everywhere — no exceptions
- Gambling: casinos, sports betting, lotteries, poker with cash prizes. One exception: a hotel or resort with a casino may advertise the lodging, provided gambling is not the focus and the landing page is clean too.
- Adult content: dating apps, sexual services, companion apps. Lingerie and swimwear are still allowed when presented in a standard retail context, not framed to arouse.
- Alcohol (over 0.5% ABV) and tobacco, vaping, nicotine.
- Recreational drugs, counterfeit goods, weapons.
- Political advertising and issue-based advertising.
- Debt repair, debt settlement, debt assistance, and alternative investments such as bullion — blocked even though they sit in the finance group.
Finance: the affiliate trap
Finance sits in the "case-by-case, US-only, licence may be required" group: auto loans, credit cards, credit monitoring, deposit accounts, financial planning, insurance, investments and brokerages, mortgages, personal loans, payment services. But there is one line in the policy that affiliate marketers must read closely:
Verbatim: "Financial tools that do not promote financial products or transactions are generally permitted. Examples include budgeting apps, general financial software, and finance-related educational courses or materials that do not offer financial services." So budgeting apps, financial software, and finance courses that sell no financial product are permitted — and that is the only door into finance without a licence.
It is also the easiest line to cross when writing a landing page. A page selling a "how to invest" course is clean; adding an affiliate link to open a brokerage account on that same page kills the ad. An approved ad pointing at a violating page is still rejected — the policy covers the whole path end to end, not just the creative.
Open by default — the group to pick from
- Consumer and household goods.
- Local services.
- Travel and experiences.
- Digital products and education — the widest group, covering SaaS, courses and tools.
- Fitness, nutrition and general wellness gear, provided no medical claim is made.
For an affiliate, this list means: pick offers in the digital/education group (SaaS, hosting, courses, tools) instead of chasing the highest payout. Why low payouts cannot survive a $3–5 CPC is in the economics post.
Other posts in the series: what ChatGPT Ads is, account setup and the first 30 days.
Sources: Ad policies, ChatGPT Ads eligibility.