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!

[Argyleimp]

I didn't get that email.  How do I get that email?  I got the email about the updates to the policy, but I didn't get that email---even though I'm signed up for the referral program.

[LMGildersleeve]

You don't need the e-mail. Go HERE and use the links provided for their explanations of what has happened.

[YesItsRoy]

Hi.  Yes, it’s Roy. 👋😊  I haven’t posted in years – didn’t even sign up to the “new” Community until these new terms were announced.  I signed up now because I feel so disrespected as a designer, creator, whatever we’re called this week, and I wanted to be heard.  Then I said screw it.  Z isn’t concerned about our earnings. They weren’t concerned when they decided we needed to pay for Secondary Content created and added by others to OUR designs; they aren’t going to be concerned now when they want to take up to half of our earnings to cover their cost of doing business, and I just didn’t bother.  And they don't care how much time and effort it's going to take to adjust our rates.  The disrespect is palpable, and there was just no point in posting. 🤷‍

Honestly, they would’ve had better control of the Marketplace by increasing base costs.  Now, because we tend to not like math and they’ve made algebra a requirement to figure out how much we make on a greeting card, prices will be wildly different throughout the Marketplace – and for the most part it’s the same end result:  Products are priced higher and customers will pay.

But I digress already.  Sorry!

I’m posting now because I see people struggling over this one aspect quite a bit -- The Ambassador, i.e. Promoter, program and what to do with links.  Consider this:  Why would Z want us to post “clean” links?  Why would they give up between 35 and 50 percent on Referrals, when they just changed the program to take that much from our Royalties?

Answer:  Because a Clean Link doesn’t set a cookie, and that means Z can set one and scoop up the Referral. 

When we post a link without an RF number, no cookie is set in the user's browser. Then, Z sends a sign-up coupon email, a welcome to Zazzle email, an order status email, a “you left something in your cart” email, a daily sales email, or even a “Your Associate Account is Now Part of the Zazzle Ambassador Program” email (yes, I checked, it has their RF code) -- I suspect millions of emails per day -- and their links will have an RF code in them – Zazzle’s RF code.  And when we push "clean" links which don’t set that cookie, now theirs will, and Z gets the referral.  That’s who most of our "3rd Party" sales are:  Zazzle.

If the allure of up to 50 percent referral fee is enough for you or you've done really well with Promoter (kudos!), post your Clean Links.  I wish you much success!  But be fully aware that Zazzle will be setting cookies all day, every day, in email, on social media platforms, and in Google paid search.

For me, I'm going to stick with my RF code in all of my links.  A small chance at 15% is better than a near-zero chance of earning 50% because 0 x 50% = $0 Referral.  I use something called "Auto Hotkey" (downloadable for Windows; unsure if available for Mac) to type "?rf" and it types out the whole string for me without error. 

Source:  I placed my first order here in 2005 and started selling in 2007. I’ve been around a little while. 😊  Hope everyone is well. ♥

[Harmony]

Someone has probably already done this, but it probably got buried in the forum. i am looking to find a summary of the pertinent terms of service changes. The legalese of going through everything is daunting right now. I just need to know what has changed 

(aside from the earnings and referrals structure already in place)

[Fiona]

Hi @Harmony ,

Our FAQs should explain this in more detail here:

Creator FAQ 

Ambassador FAQ 

-Fiona 🙂

[PetStar]

I have never been able to figure out 3rd party royalty on Zazzle and most definitely will not be able to figure the highlighted royalty I received today. Can anyone shed light on the sale I highlighted in the screenshot? It’s not even 10% of the sale 😱 

 

[PetStar]

Forgot to mention department is Business Cards 

[Sara_H]

@PetStar  Business cards are in Office & School department which now has a MRF (Marketing Royalty Fee) of 40% of your Gross Royalty which is deducted from your royalties as a "Third Party". There will also be a Excess Royalty Fee of 5% for being over 10% royalty.

https://help.zazzle.com/hc/en-us/articles/30810357489175-Ambassador-Referral-Commissions-Creator-Roy...

https://help.zazzle.com/hc/en-us/articles/220267087-What-Royalty-Rate-Do-You-Recommend-I-Use

have a read of this thread too

https://community.zazzle.com/t5/creator-news/opportunities-ahead-new-ambassador-program-amp-importan...

[tnestico]

Wow, this is crazy, so do we get the marketing fee if we do marketing or not on our products anyway?

[Sara_H]

@tnestico  Yes -

https://community.zazzle.com/t5/creator-news/opportunities-ahead-new-ambassador-program-amp-importan...

[PetStar]

@Sara_H Thank you! So grateful that I have this forum to turn to especially during this complicated transition. I will definitely take a read on the above and try not to panic 🫨 

[tiffjamaica]

Business cards are actually in the 45% bracket
Here's how to calculate it... 
Sale x Royalty Rate = Royalty (76.92x.18=13.85)
Royalty x .05 = Excessive Royalty Fee (13.85x.05=.69)
Royalty x .45 = Marketing Fee (13.85x.45=6.23)
Royalty - (ERF + MF)= Earnings (13.85 -(.69+6.23)=6.92) 

(Before the changes, assuming the same royalty rate and sale amount, you would've earned 10.38, so this is a 33% loss)

[SandyMDesigns]

I just started a new conversation about my incorrect earnings and it instantly got marked as spam. It does not add up after the 3rd party and 5% transaction penalty. I should have received more.

[Sara_H]

@SandyMDesigns  were the products in the Wedding department? As Weddings have a 50% MRF

Using @ColsCreations  most excellent spreadsheet on the fuji notepads (assuming they are wedding related at 50%) the math - maths

And the stickers from the 40% MFR (Crafts & Party department)

so that works out correct to

So your earnings are not incorrect - they calculate correctly according to Zazzle's new department MFR fees on all referred sales

[SandyMDesigns]

These weren't in the wedding department. It was my understanding that the MFR fees are for the Self Ambassador sale. And 3rd party referral is still 15%. Am I wrong with that?

If that is the case, then we are screwed.

[Sara_H]

@SandyMDesigns  Yes 3rd party is no longer 15% - it's changed as per new T&cs and it depends which department the product is in which ranges from 35% - 50%

MFRs are for all referred sales (self and third party) as per screenshot

https://community.zazzle.com/t5/creator-news/opportunities-ahead-new-ambassador-program-amp-importan...

[SandyMDesigns]

I wanted to believe differently, but it makes sense now. A 10% commission doesn't provide much of a payout for the creator. Especially when up to 50% of it will be taken away. Not to mention the sales. Self-referrals don't work for me, either. Even if I know the person making the purchase, and they went through all the hoops I told them to go through. Thanks for the clarification.