Do we earn a commission when purchasing our own products?

[southlake01]

Hello!

I purchased one of my own products two days ago on Dec. 11 and I have not received a "Your Recent Sales" email from Zazzle noting the purchase.

My Earnings tab shows a pending purchase for Dec. 11 but on a different product (but similar) to the one I ordered. So I'm not even sure if that's my order or not.

Do we receive a commission when buying our own products? Does the sales email come when the product is shipped or just ordered?

[Pádraig]

Hi @southlake01,

Yes, Creators can earn a royalty when buying their own designs. I sent you an email on this to see if we can help resolve any issues you're experiencing.

Thank you for your patience!

Pádraig

[lorena]

Hi there, I also ordered my own product over the weekend and did not receive a royalty or referral. Would you be able to look into this for me as well? Please let me know what you need from my end.

Thanks in advance,
Lorena

[PenguinPower]

If you customize the item in any way, it reverts to a personal product and you will not receive a royalty or see it in your sales. In order to get a royalty you must purchase the product completely as it appears in your store. If you want it customized, but don’t want your personal info/images appearing in your store, make your personal edits and post the item for sale again, but as a direct only product so that you are the only one with access. Buy with no changes and you should receive your royalty. 

[southlake01]

It's an address label so of course I had to customize it. I've received royalties on other address labels that people have purchased from me so I'm confused how customizing a product negates royalties? 

[PenguinPower]

It’s because not all customers are also designers… It makes sense in a round about way. When a regular customer comes in and uses a blank template, no one gets a royalty. When you, as a designer make a change to an existing product it gets treated as you starting from a blank again.. it can’t happen when another person buys your product, only when it’s you. 

[PopParrot]

I've customized my own products before and always get the royalty. I purchased one just yesterday and entered the editor to adjust a photo crop. Can confirm, I did receive royalty. It does make a difference though if you come into the site with preexisting cookies. Clear your browser cache before shopping and it will work.

[southlake01]

Thank you. I did hear from Zazzle / Padraig and they confirmed that no royalty was earned because I customized the product, even though the "customization" was just entering my address on an address label. I'm so baffled by the logic that this negates a royalty just for the designer but not for anyone else who purchases the label. Seems a bit sketch as a way to avoid paying a royalty. This is a customization site lol, where people are free and encouraged to make customizations to their designs. Again, truly baffled by this logic. I'll try the browser cache clearing if I were to ever make another purchase on here but that's doubtful.

"Unfortunately no royalty was earned for this sale as the design is a private one. Anytime you modify one of your published designs it becomes a private one. Royalties cannot be earned on private designs. I understand that this is an address label so you didn't have a choice but to customize it but if a royalty was to be earned you would have had to publish it first and then purchase it. I'm very sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. "

[ColsCreations · Accepted solution]

Exactly that. As long as you're using a virgin browser (i.e. - you're browsing Z anonymously) you can customize and add to cart and then log-in when prompted on the order/payment page and you'll get your royalty & referral same as any other sale.

[southlake01]

Good to know. Thank you!!