I am unable to come to terms with the marketing fees that are being levied on us. The joy that I used to get on seeing a sale has turned to a feeling of being robbed when I see that I am getting only $10 out of a $23 royalty earned. The rest being siphoned off as this or that fees. Can we expect a change in this please?
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I don’t think Zazzle is going to get rid of the marketing fees, but there are some things you can do to offset that loss of income. For example, you can double your royalty, so that you will be making about as much as you were before the changes. Of course, if you look at the breakdown, you’ll still see that you will be losing half the royalty, but since the royalty will be twice as much, you won’t actually be losing income.
None of us like the new fee structure. But if this is the platform we want to sell on, we have to figure out how to make it work for us. There are worse options that Zazzle could have done, such as charging a listing fee like Etsy does. And even Amazon Merch and KDP drastically reduced the amount paid out to designers (and you KNOW Amazon isn’t hurting for money!). I don’t know of any other platform that comes close to being as good as Zazzle, even with the changes, so I hope that Zazzle knows what they are doing and made these decisions to ensure they will be around for the long term.
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I respect your perspective, but I have to disagree. While doubling the royalty rate might seem like a way to offset the loss, in reality, it just shifts more of the burden onto the customer, which could hurt sales overall. We’re not truly “breaking even” if our effective royalty payout is cut in half per item sold, especially when price increases might drive away buyers.
The idea that “this is still better than other platforms” also doesn’t fully justify accepting a structure that significantly reduces creator earnings without transparency about 3rd party sale , marketing fees or meaningful input from the community. Other platforms have their flaws, yes—but that doesn’t mean we should settle for a bad deal here.
I believe it’s important to speak up and push for fairer treatment, especially when creators are a big part of what makes Zazzle successful. Just adapting and absorbing the loss shouldn’t be the only option.
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I had a new set planned and started, but putting if off here. I might make a few things but not what I planned.
I agree. Accepting and adapting will not result in any positive changes in designer’s earnings.
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I want to echo what you said in a previous post:
“If we just accept this situation as unchangeable, then nothing will change.”
I completely agree. While some believe the terms of the Ambassador program are final, I still think there’s room for improvement. That improvement matters, because the current setup is already causing designers to step back from taking custom requests and from creating in certain niches like weddings.
Designers like us aren’t just uploading random products. We’re building relationships with our customers, often one by one, and creating designs that meet very specific needs. These are the kinds of buyers who come back again and again. When we share a custom link for something we’ve designed personally, and we’re penalized for it, it’s hard not to feel discouraged.
If Zazzle wants to keep growing, supporting its designers should be a priority. Here are a few ideas I hope the team will consider:
- Restore full self-referral commissions when a designer refers traffic to their own shop, especially for custom or niche items.
- Create a separate tier or structure for designers who refer traffic to their own products, rather than grouping us in with large-scale affiliates.
- Allow exceptions for one-on-one custom links shared with customers who specifically requested a design.
- Consider hosting a feedback session so designers can speak directly about how these changes are impacting our businesses.
- Show appreciation for long-time designers who consistently bring in new customers and serve smaller, high-touch markets with care and quality.
I do appreciate the improvements Zazzle has made to the commission breakdowns. That kind of clarity is helpful. But there’s more that could be done to make sure designers feel supported, not sidelined.
Many of us want to keep promoting Zazzle. We want to keep designing. But things need to be fair. I really do believe Zazzle can make changes that support both designers and the health of the platform.
Like jadendreamer13 said, if we stay silent and assume nothing will change, then nothing will. I’m hopeful Zazzle is still willing to listen.
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We also need transparency on where our traffic originated - not only to check the cookies/tracking pixels are working as they should, but also so we can learn where to direct our promotion efforts.
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I agree. If we’re being held financially responsible for traffic Zazzle labels as ‘referred,’ we deserve the ability to verify it and learn from it. Transparency in traffic origin not only builds trust—it empowers us to be better business owners, marketers, and creative entrepreneurs. It’s a win-win if we can see what’s working and help drive more qualified traffic to Zazzle as a result.
I hope this is something the platform seriously considers implementing. It’s not just about metrics, but about trust, accountability, and giving us the tools we need to grow.
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This is one thing I was trying to convey in the other thread. We should be getting perks and yes transparency for these fees.
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