Upcoming Changes To Zazzle’s Terms of Use

[Heather]

Hello Creators,

We’re making updates to Zazzle's Terms of Use, including the Creator License Agreement, and introducing our new Ambassador Program Agreement, which replaces our Associates Program Agreement. While the onsite experience will not be updated until April 1st, you can preview the updated Terms of Use here. 

We understand you might have additional questions or feedback. Please use this form to share them directly with us. While we may not be able to respond individually at this stage, we’ll review all submissions and address frequently asked questions after the Terms of Use go into effect.

To keep the conversation organized, all community discussions on this topic will be redirected to this thread.

Thank you for your understanding and for helping us make Zazzle a thriving community for all Creators!

Best,

The Zazzle Team

UPDATE 3/24/25: 

Hi Creators - Thank you all so much for your valuable feedback and for taking the time to submit your questions through our form. We truly appreciate your engagement and insights. Rest assured, we are carefully reviewing each question and will address the most commonly asked ones soon.

Timely Update Regarding Royalty Rates: We understand your concerns about adjusting royalty rates, and to support you through this transition, we will be processing royalty rate changes daily from now through April 15th, allowing creators time to make any necessary adjustments. Please note that updates may take 24–48 hours to appear. After April 15th, we’ll return to our regular schedule, with royalty updates processed on the 20th of each month. 

*To clarify: Setting your royalty to 10% exactly will not trigger the Excess Royalty Fee. Royalties above 10%, will trigger the Excess Royalty Fee when changes go into effect 4/1. 

UPDATE 4/7/25

This forum post is now closed for new replies. Please see our most recent update for information about the Terms of Use Changes and information about the new Ambassador Program. Thank you!

[Andrea]

Can I please ask - Will Zazzle be taking any credit for links when we share using their tools? Would I be better off creating my own posts with the affiliate links rather than sharing using Zazzle share tools? As I understand it sharing using their share tools gets us better zRankings. Please help I am so confused.

[ClareS]

I'm pretty sure when you use the "Share tool" it's a clean link - ie there is no RF code added, you have to add the RF code manually. So if you're sharing your own products then you will get credit for a subsequent sale. 

I don't know if anyone knows what affects the zRank but I do know that my store is a 9 and I have never used the share tools to promote my products.

[Cat]

The current functionality of the share tools is different depending on whether you're in either the affiliate or promoter 2.0 programs. If you're in the affiliate program, the share tools create an rf link (for all products - your own and others). If you're in the promoter 2.0 program, the share tools create a clean link (both for your products and for those designed by others.) This is problematic for folks who were in both programs - the promoter 2.0 functionality trumps the affiliate - so if you're in promoter 2.0 you get all clean links even if you're also an affiliate. So, when I joined the promoter 2.0 program I stopped promoting other designer's products because it was just too much hassle to create the rf links by hand. I'm hoping that with this new change they will update the tools so that they post a clean link for your own products and an rf link for products designed by others. It would certainly be in their best interest to make it easier for people to promote.

[LMGildersleeve]

@ClareS @Andrea , if the creator is enrolled in the Associate's Program their rf# is attached to links shared with the "share" tool on the product page.

[ClareS]

Ah ok - so if you're sharing other people's products you can use the share tool but if you're sharing your own and you want the full commission you need to create the link yourself or remove the RF code before posting.

[LMGildersleeve]

That's assuming Zazzle doesn't change something come the 1st.

[CarlaRolfe]

It's all explained in the new "Ambassador Center". 

For the record, I hate the new term. It's got "political" vibes. 

[Mariholly]

And couldn't it be much easier? If the product in the link is yours, it's self-reference, and if the product isn't yours, then it isn't. That's how I see it. Am I wrong?

[Cat]

You're not wrong. That's exactly how it should work. Whether they will do that or not remains to be seen.

Caution: Rant Ahead
IMHO this whole referral program is just way too complicated and convoluted. If they wanted to offer extra incentives for folks to promote their own products, they should have just upped the percentage for rf referrals on your own products - like maybe to 20% or 25%, but still given the regular 15% if your link resulted in a sale of a different designer's work. It wouldn't have been too complicated to do that since they obviously know who the referrer is and if the referrer is the same as the creator then clearly it's a self-referral.

Instead they created this crazy complicated system where you get a huge bonus for self referrals, but if your link results in a sale of someone else's product you get nothing. I think it's really counter-productive because it makes you feel like promoting your own stuff is a real craps shoot rather than a good investment of time. I think that people would be much less upset about the whole "landing page" deal if they knew that they'd still get a reward for promoting even if the customer chose someone else's product. As it is, the whole thing really leaves a sour taste in your mouth. But I guess once they went that route with the Promoter 2.0 program they were sorta stuck because folks had already created zillions of clean links - and if they switched now then those clean links would be for naught and folks would be really ticked off. Seems like they could have found a way around that if they'd worked at it.

I dunno. I wish they'd taken this opportunity to fix the problem instead of doubling down on it. I think it's a missed opportunity to generate some good will and incentivize promoting rather than exacerbating the problem and making people feel really ambivalent about promoting. But alas, not my circus, not my monkeys.

OK - rant over.

[Mariholly]

I think you're right about everything. I still believe it's quite unfair, and I also can't shake the bitter feeling that instead of rewarding our effort and dedication, we're being punished. With every change they make, we take a step back, gather momentum, and keep fighting.

These days, as I read posts from fellow creators about different issues that aren't working, I have to hold myself back from writing: "Okay, that doesn’t work, but they’re lowering our royalties. Okay, that doesn’t work either, but even with that obstacle, they're still cutting our royalties..."

I really don't want to be unfair to Z; they are the ones taking the biggest risks. But we work hard—every Zazzler I know puts in an incredible amount of effort, and those who come in expecting this to be easy and effortless quit sooner rather than later.

Still, I can't help but feel this way—punished.

[Westerngirl2]

Exactly. And, as I've worked all day on my best selling store, changing royalties to what I think might still make it worthwhile to be here....that store gets downgraded in rank. So frustrating anymore to try to make it all work.

[Mariholly]

😔

[dbvisualarts]

Mine hardly ever worked.  I would ask the buyer ( on custom requests) to clear their cache and their cookies, I would do the same and send clean links but rarely do they result in referrals working.

[Mariholly]

That hasn’t worked most of the time for me either 😔

[LMGildersleeve]

I can't say I know exactly why Zazzle has done this. But I am a smart cookie when it comes to the POD business. The model is set up like a pyramid scheme and I've been in a few. 

@Catit's not about encouraging us to promote more. It's about them making more money. They are in this for their profits. The secondary reason is the encouragement to promote ourselves more because in the end it makes more money for themselves.

I'm not saying this because I hate Zazzle or not appreciative of what they have to offer here. I'm just giving you the reality of the POD business.

[Westerngirl2]

I totally agree. That's why I often just roll my eyes when we've been told how much we are appreciated. In my neck of the woods we call that "blowin' smoke up your skirt".

I was fortunate in my career to work for an organization that really DID value their employees, and showed it to us in many ways at many times. (Not that we are really employees, but the same principles can apply.) Unfortunately, I think that business practice is getting more rare rather than more common. It's hard to understand, too, because those organizations benefit greatly from the trust and loyalty that is built.

It's a crazy world. And that's about as deep as I care to get on a Monday morning! 😎

[LMGildersleeve]

Agreed, this job is what is called a "gig" job. We are "contractors" not "employees".

It's old school to think that you want to build that trust with employees. Because it means the business instant bottom line is effected with health insurance for them. That's why the full time model of a work force is passe. Part time workers are cheaper to maintain. Contractors fits the same model.

Gosh, how'd I get to talking about this stuff? 😅

[Cat]

Well obviously they're in it for the money, it's business after all! I guess I'm assuming that they make more money when we do more promoting, but perhaps that's not an accurate assumption.

I don't know how other people responded, but I do know that once I joined the Promoter 2.0 program, I pretty much stopped all rf promoting a because it was just too complicated to create the links on my own. And since this program essentially puts everyone in Promoter 2.0 I have to assume that's going to be the outcome - unless, of course, they update their share tools... but it remains to be seen whether they'll do that or not. 

Maybe their internal numbers show that they make more money when people promote with clean links so that they only have to pay out occasionally? Who knows.

Anyhow, my point was NOT to say that I think Zazzle should "appreciate" us more. "Appreciation" is a pretty meaninless and naive concept when it comes to business. I was simply pointing out that by making people feel ambivalent about promoting, they are discouraging it rather than encouraging it. But perhaps you're correct, maybe that's the goal.

[KC]

Agreed. A designer who posts designs and shares their own product should AUTOMATICALLY get a % of a product sold from their links EVEN IF IT'S NOT THEIR DESIGN, without having to create a different type of link. We still directed the traffic into Zazzle just like any other "ambassador/influencer" link did (except we spent more time by creating the products). 

Then we still recoup SOMETHING for our time while battling all the "other designs you may like"/"frequently bought with" widgets that are on every with our own products.

Currently...

Designer - researches, creates product, tags product - uses self-referral link - earns only from sale of own product, earns $0 from other products purchased instead of or alongside our own. 

Outside "Ambassador/Influencer" - grabs a link to any random product - posts it - earns from any product that is purchased through and alongside that product.

Designers should earn more from a product they posted. They should ALSO be able to earn on products they didn't design when their link (of any kind) brought the buyer. I'm not saying designers should receive the same referral payment for other's products, but we should at least receive the default ambassador rate please.

[ColsCreations]

This is how it already works?

You can use an RF link - which if not automatically generated for you is a easy as pasting a short snippet to the end of the URL - to earn 15% commission on any order be it your product or not. This is the same as any outside Ambassador/Influencer grabbing a link. Doesn't matter if you're a Designer/Creator or not, anyone with an affiliate ID is eligible to make that same referral commission on anyone's products.

When the Promoter Program came out, it offered the chance at making more than double that referral commission ON YOUR OWN PRODUCT. For people treating Zazzle as a serious business and maybe even their only source of income, those with websites and/or a decent social media following, those confident in their work and ability to promote it ... this was a tempting gamble. But still a gamble. The fact that you would make zero on someone else's products was not a secret.

Noone is being forced to use a promoter-style link. We can all go for the 15% on anything, or we can voluntarily bet on just our own product hoping for the higher payout. We can't have it both ways. Zazzle has now made it possible for everyone to choose which way they want to go without having to apply for a separate program. Probably an unpopular opinion, but I think that is great. You can use an RF link in this case, a "promoter" link in this other case ... whichever seems the best gamble at the moment, and you didn't have to apply for a separate program to have that choice.

[Cat]

I'm unclear about whether we'd still be allowed to use rf links for our own products under this new program. I'm assuming that we would, but hoping that they'll clarify.

[tsikona]

In the past 10 days I have earned referrals from other products (I was in a promoter program and used to share only my links) I think zazzle was already testing new system during this period, hope we won’t need to reshare thousands of products again. 

[ColsCreations]

The new terms say

2. Your Marketing Efforts as an Ambassador:
There are two (2) methods through which you can refer a User to the Site (“Referral”) who then purchases a Product (“Referred Sale”) and earn a Referral Commission (as defined below):

and then it goes on to describe all the nittygritty which seems to be same as before re Rf or "clean" promoter link, the difference being in what you'll now earn on a 'promoter' link.

Interestingly, up til now, if you clicked the fine print at bottom of any Zazzle page to view the terms, you got the current terms (pre April 1) and a link to view the new terms. Now that it's April 1 my time, that link at bottom of all pages goes directly to the new April 1 terms now in effect. But if you go to your My Account - Associate - Associate Account tab, nothing there has been updated with the new "Ambassador" terminology. It won't be the 1st Zazzle CA time for another 10 minutes so maybe that page will look entirely different in the morning, w/ explanation that your old Associate RF# is till the same now as Ambassador ....

[Sara_H]

@ColsCreations 

it's updated now

[Julia_Frank]

As I can see in the Ambassador Center now, there are two options to promote products:
1) Self-Promotion — Promote your Products
When promoting own products, the link is clean, without Ambassador ID. 

2) Cross-Promotion — Share other Zazzle Products
In this case, the Ambassador ID should be automatically included.

When I checked own and other people's links via the share button, they work now as described in the Ambassador Center.

I noticed that the links to share via social media are a bit strange, but most likely, it's how those links "tell" the system that they must be shared via those social media. 

[LMGildersleeve]

My only concern is the default for everyone is now a clean link when sharing one's own products easily through the Share button. That means EVERYONE is playing that gamble. The gamble is real and many times we're not as lucky to get that self referral. So now all creators are losing that self referral to... Zazzle who cleans up when the customer buys something else.

I understand why Zazzle made it easy to share self referrals with the Share link but the implications for thousands of creators means no extra revenue.

While I love Zazzle and all that is does for us, that referral gamble is to easy to fall into this way.

[Anne]

"they should have just upped the percentage for rf referrals on your own products - like maybe to 20% or 25%"
I just got 4% for a self-referral. I have no clue where that number comes from.

[SheaPrints]

I just came across some new information in the 'info box' while I was listing a product.

[Sara_H]

I would like it say something on co.uk that  20% VAT is deducted before estimated earnings are calculated. Now they are charging 30% VAT

they should really update it if this is now the case

[ClareS]

?? Zazzle can't charge 30% VAT on UK sales. VAT in the UK is 20% 

[Sara_H]

@ClareS  Have you checked your royalty calculations on co.uk? That's what's happening to the couple I checked

[Julia_Frank]

My data as of March 2025 seems to include the VAT in the UK 20%, as Clare said.
Sara, was your item sold when referred via 3rd party? In the old system calculations, it meant minus an additional 20% from royalties. It was in my case.

So, the royalties were calculated (as I understand it):
Step 1: Subtotal (price for client) * 0.8 = price without VAT

Step 2: price without VAT * 0.1 = royalty
Here I use 0.1, because I had 10% royalty for that product

Step 3: royalty * 0.8 = royalty you receive (in the old system (before 1 April) were 20% deducted if 3rd party referred it).

--

or if combine everything:  Subtotal (price for client) * 0.8 * 0.1 * 0.8 = royalty you receive (in the old system (before 1 April) were 20% deducted if 3rd party referred it).

[Sara_H]

@Julia_Frank 

This is not a sold product - it's how it's calculating now in edit details - royalty percentage - for postcards it's calculating 30% VAT deduction not 20% as it used to (only on co.uk website - not .com)

[ClareS]

TBH I never check the numbers on the calculator - I just insert the royalty % and publish - because there are so many other variables at play (even more now) most of the time the product is discounted anyway so I just accept the final royalty figure in the sales report and don't ever try to match it back to the calculator

[AirTwin]

True it seems hit or miss to set any rate and expect the percentage will hold. Yes with the discounts changing daily, and if they alter the product it can drop to 5%. Nothing has worked to get what was asked for percentage wise, it's like gambling.

I watch orders place, cancel, then place, then cancel, then place until they force it to a lowest percent or 5%. I assumed this is a Zazzle bot or customer support doing this, because what buyer has all day (or days) to do this? I also see them cancel until they either get a 3rd party ref or remove it... it's been happening for years.

[ClareS]

I was waiting for an actual UK sale but it was for a paper sheet so the number is tiny lol According to the calc I should be due 14p for a 3rd party sale but I got 13p. Its just adding to the confusion to be honest!

[tiffjamaica]

Soooo, assuming the marketing fee is not applying to self-referrals then?  Had they clarified this earlier, which would have been the right thing for them to do, this would have saved me a lot of calculating time this week. Thanks for pointing that out!

[ClareS]

It looks like the 50% marketing fee is being applied to self referrals too... This was not an RF link

$38.80

18.0%+

$3.14 USD

$3.14

I would expect that to be $6.63 ie no marketing fee applied. 

[ClareS]

I just checked a sale from yesterday and that was reduced by the old 20% marketing fee - so it seems we've always paid a marketing fee on our promoter program self referrals and I just didn't realise.

[tiffjamaica]

You are right. The marketing fee is on self referrals, too.  If anyone out there is reading through the FAQ's posted today, be careful of the wording Z is using to explain it.  In the Creator FAQ they say " the Marketing Royalty Fee is deducted from your Gross Royalty whenever a sale results from Zazzle’s own marketing efforts or a fellow Ambassador’s Referral."   This made me think self referrals were safe.  But then they say, "For Self-Promotion Links, this fee is effectively offset by the higher Referral Commission calculation. "  and they give an example of a self referred sale at the end of the Ambassador FAQ and it does have the MF applied.  

Calling that fee "offset" by "higher referral commissions" is bananas, guys.  The 35-50% referral now is your royalty + referral combined.  I was earning 35% referrals on products I had royalties set at minimum of 14.9%. My self referrals in this new system will not be higher and will not just "offset" the marketing fee.  Even if they did, it's intentionally misleading to not include "self referrals" in the explanations.  Frustrating.