About Zazzle

Zazzle is an American online marketplace founded in 2005. It operates as an e-commerce platform that connects independent designers and customers with manufacturers.

The core offering of Zazzle is the ability for users to create, customize, and sell their own products—including clothing, invitations, stationery, home goods, and more—using either their own designs or images from participating companies like Disney and Warner Brothers.

Zazzle handles the production, payment processing, shipping, and customer service, allowing designers and content creators to focus on their creative work and promotion.

Zazzle Affiliate Program Overview

The Zazzle Affiliate Program, now often referred to as the Zazzle Ambassador Program, allows individuals to earn commissions by referring customers who make a qualified purchase on the Zazzle site. Affiliates, or Ambassadors, can promote any product on the marketplace, which includes products designed by others (cross-promotion) or their own custom-designed products (self-promotion), with different commission rates for each type.

Factor Details
Industry E-commerce, Print-on-Demand, Custom Products, Retail
Product Type Customizable physical and digital products (e.g., apparel, home décor, stationery, gifts)
Affiliate Program Type Cost Per Sale (CPS) / Revenue Share

Zazzle Affiliate Program Offers

The program provides affiliates with necessary marketing tools and a generous cookie duration to ensure referred sales are tracked accurately. It accepts a wide variety of promotional methods and is generally open to global participants.

Factor Details
Promotional Materials Unique URL links (Ambassador/Associate ID), text links, banners, link-building guides, developer tools (Create-a-Product API, RSS feeds)
Affiliate Cookie Duration 45 Days (A referred customer has 45 days to make a purchase for the affiliate to earn commission)
Accepted Traffic Source Websites, blogs, social media platforms (Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter), email marketing, etc.
Accepted Countries Worldwide / Global participation is generally allowed.
Explicit Content Not Allowed (Sites that promote sexually explicit materials are typically deemed unsuitable for the program)
Religious or political content The program agreement generally prohibits promoting discrimination based on religion or promoting illegal activities. Promoting non-discriminatory religious or political products/sites requires careful adherence to the program’s terms and conditions.

Zazzle Affiliate Commissions & Payments

Zazzle offers a competitive commission structure with the potential for higher earnings through self-promotion and volume bonuses. Payments are processed monthly once the minimum threshold is met.

Factor Details
MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) Single-tier (Affiliates earn commissions only on sales they directly refer, not on the sales of affiliates they recruit)
Commission Rate Base Commission: 15% of the net sale for cross-promotion (promoting others’ products). Self-Promotion: 35% to 50% (Royalty + Referral Commission) of net sales for promoting one’s own products (varies by product department).
Commission Structure Percentage of sale (CPS), with the potential for a volume bonus up to an additional 17% on top of the base 15% commission (the volume bonus generally applies to cross-promotion/standard associates, but not to self-promoters).
Payout Frequency Monthly
Payout Methods PayPal or Check (methods may vary by country)
Minimum Payout $50

Suitable Affiliates for Zazzle Affiliate

The Zazzle Affiliate Program is highly versatile and suitable for a wide range of content creators and marketers, particularly those in niches like gifts, art, crafting, custom goods, weddings, and party planning.

  • Bloggers: Highly suitable, especially for niche blogs (e.g., wedding planning, crafting, unique gift ideas) that can embed product links and banners within relevant content.
  • TikTokers / YouTubers / Video editors: Suitable for creating video content showcasing product reviews, customization tutorials, unboxing, haul videos, or “how-to” guides, linking to the products in their profile or video description.
  • KOC (Key Opinion Consumer) / KOL (Key Opinion Leader) / Influencers: Very suitable, especially those with an audience interested in home décor, fashion, personalized gifts, or specific life events (weddings, baby showers, holidays). They can use direct links on social media posts and stories.
  • Livestreamers: Suitable for promoting products live, such as by designing a product in real-time or reviewing items, and sharing the affiliate link during the stream.

Zazzle Affiliate Software

Zazzle uses its own in-house affiliate management software through what it calls the “Ambassador Program center” or “Associate Program center” within the user’s “My Account” section. This platform is used for tracking referrals, reporting sales activity, and providing affiliates with links and promotional assets.

  • Note: While some sources indicate Zazzle can be found on networks like Ascend, Zazzle primarily runs its program directly through its own internal system.

3 Alternatives for Zazzle Affiliate Program

Here is a comparison of the Zazzle Affiliate Program with three popular alternatives in the custom product and print-on-demand space: Redbubble, Society6, and Etsy.

Comparison Factor Zazzle (Ambassador Program) Redbubble (Affiliate Program) Society6 (Affiliate Program) Etsy (Affiliate Program)
Product Type Customizable/Personalized goods (apparel, invitations, gifts, etc.) Artist-designed products (apparel, wall art, home décor) Artist-designed products (home décor, art prints, apparel) Handmade, Vintage, & Craft Supplies
Average Bill Varies widely based on customization and product type, but often higher for bulk/event items like invitations. Generally lower to mid-range for unique art prints and t-shirts. Mid-range to higher for premium home goods and art. Highly variable (from low-cost craft supplies to high-end handmade goods).
Entry Fees Free to join Free to join Free to join Free to join
Withdrawal Threshold $50 minimum Varies by network (e.g., $20 via PayPal on Impact) Varies by network (e.g., $10 via PayPal on Impact) Varies by network (e.g., $10 via PayPal on Awin)
Payment Frequency Monthly Typically Monthly Typically Monthly Typically Monthly
Commission (Standard) 15% base commission on cross-promotion sales, up to 50% for self-promotion. 10% base commission (via Impact) 10% base commission (via Impact) 2% – 4% base commission (via Awin)
Conversion High potential for conversions due to strong brand recognition and high customization options. Strong for impulse buys and unique aesthetic finds. Strong for audiences focused on modern design and home décor. High potential due to unique, niche, and giftable items.
Marketing Materials Links, banners, developer tools. Links, banners, dedicated creatives. Links, banners, dedicated creatives. Links, banners, curated lists of high-converting products.