DealPicker — how price comparison works | dealpicker.net
The retailer pays, through affiliate commissions — which explains both why searching is free and why some sellers never appear.
Comparison shopping sites typically earn money from affiliate marketing agreements. The shopper does not pay to search. The retailer pays a commission when a click from the comparison page leads to a completed sale.
This model funds the site but shapes the results. A retailer with no affiliate programme has no tracked commercial link, so it may be absent from the comparison even when its price is competitive.
On narrow screens, swipe or scroll the plate sideways.
In the United Kingdom, comparison shopping services made between 780 and 950 million pounds in revenue in 2005. That figure describes money flowing from retailers and affiliate networks, not from shoppers.
The consequence for a buyer is that result order is not a neutral ranking. It can reflect price, a composite score, or paid placement. If the page does not label sponsored rows, sort by price yourself before drawing conclusions.
A comparison engine is therefore best read as a map of its commercial partners, not as a map of the whole market. Use it to find candidates, then verify the final price at the retailer.
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