Can I have a private store?

[KimB3384]

I've had my Zazzle store for a few years, but I don't use it the way I thought I would. I've transitioned to doing mostly custom commissioned portrait artwork that I use Zazzle to produce, but I don't sell anything through a Zazzle storefront because it doesn't make sense. 

My store name is my business name and it's possible that someday I might do a shift in my offerings and decide that selling some things would make sense, but that wouldn't happen any time soon. I don't want to close the shop and risk someone taking my name. It's unlikely, but there are similar websites to mine and I could see someone trying to grab my name to thin the herd.

Will I be penalized if I keep my shop set as private? 

[Sara_H · Accepted solution]

@KimB3384  .You may incur a "Non Contributing Account Fee" if you don't publish a "public product" after 15 months. Just make something and post for sale to stop that from happening. (also mentions or getting a "referral sale")

There's nothing stopping you from having a private store - but you'll may end up paying that fee if you do

https://help.zazzle.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019101674-Non-Contributing-Account-Fees

[KimB3384]

Good to know! Thank you so much!

All of the money from my art goes to my local shelter or other animal-related organizations and I'd been thinking of doing a campaign with merch, but the revised royalty rate made me rethink it because at 10%, it almost wouldn't be worth my time. But maybe it's what I do to keep the shop active. 

You have been very helpful!

[LakeEffects]

You don't have to set your royalty rate to 10%. You only incur a small fee if your rate is above 10%, so you can set it to 20%, 30%, whatever you want.