Redbubble is announcing new account tiers and account fees

[Noedelhap]

Not sure if there are lots of Redbubble sellers on this forum, but I occasionally sell a print there. I received an email this morning:

Hello ***,

Redbubble is introducing a new tier structure for artist accounts, and an account fee for some accounts. We understand that this is a big change for the artist community, so we want to be transparent and clear about what's happening.

The new account tiers are intended to encourage actions that are positive for the marketplace and recognise and reward artists who invest time creating and promoting unique products. From today, your account will be classified as either Redbubble Standard, Redbubble Premium, or Redbubble Pro. You can find your account classification on a new Account tiers and fees page on the Artist Dashboard.

View Your Account Tier

Redbubble Standard accounts will be subject to an account fee. The fee is a flat fee based on your monthly earnings and only applies if you make a sale. If you make no sales during the payment period you will not be charged a fee, so artists are never out of pocket. The monthly earnings period will begin with orders shipped from the 1st of May, 2023 and end on the last day of each month. As recognition for positive engagement and investment in the Redbubble marketplace, Premium and Pro accounts are exempt from the fee.

Some articles explaining the changes in-depth:
https://blog.redbubble.com/2023/04/new-artist-account-tiers/
https://blog.redbubble.com/2023/04/how-accounts-are-reviewed-and-classified/
https://blog.redbubble.com/2023/04/how-account-fees-may-apply-to-you/

The fee table can be found in the last link.
Insanely high fees as you can see. Redbubble always was always a low-tier agency for me so it's an easy decision for me.

[Mir]

Have you checked your tier, many people are premium without selling a lot, it seems the tiers are randomly assigned. They could change every month too.
Society6 also introduced new fees and plans.
With AI and everything else the good news just can't stop coming.

[Hannafate]

I notice they don't say how much the "account fee" is.

[Jo Ann Snover]

There is a table of the account fees - click through a link from the page explaining the new scheme.

I read through it and then canceled my account. I make a little bit there (and to be fair, I did not actively market my stuff there) but they're clearly signaling they want the casual shop seller gone, so I am obliging them

[thx9000]

Saw that this morning. I stopped uploading and making new products years ago but still get some occasional sales. Apparently that's enough for a Premium account. So no changes for me but it sucks that they went this path

[Noedelhap]

I notice they don't say how much the "account fee" is.

See the last link in my post

[Noedelhap]

Have you checked your tier, many people are premium without selling a lot, it seems the tiers are randomly assigned. They could change every month too.
Society6 also introduced new fees and plans.
With AI and everything else the good news just can't stop coming.

I have, it's the Standard tier. And I'm certainly not waiting around like a schmuck to get put in a higher tier.

[Justanotherphotographer]

They refused my application a long time ago, with no way to appeal (apart from an automated form I never got a reply to), so no skin off my nose. I did a search on the site after and found a lots of people selling my work on products, so guess I was refused because because I was uploading other "artist's" work as part of my application LOL

[Evaristo tenscadisto]

Receive an email from Redbubble today.

I only uploaded 2 images with the intention of making some gifts to offer to some friends at a party but I ended up using a cheaper local store...

Cancel my account.

[Annie2022]

They refused my application a long time ago, with no way to appeal (apart from an automated form I never got a reply to), so no skin off my nose. I did a search on the site after and found a lots of people selling my work on products, so guess I was refused because because I was uploading other "artist's" work as part of my application LOL

What ?? Refused???

....

I just started an account with them a couple of months ago. Only uploaded a small selection of files, mainly Aussie landscapes, to test how they would go. On the 19th, this week, I made my first sale (see below) - I thought it looked a bit strange. My margin was supposed to be 20%

Then the next day I received this fees notification. I was horrified. POD sites are supposed to make their own profits from the production of the merchandise!!  I was so angry I immediately cancelled my account.  Hopefully I will get the money due to me.  I don't care - I am sick of this.

Another Aussie thing to be ashamed about - Murdoch, Coal Mining, and now Redbubble. 


Also, this week, Design Bundles announced that they will be accepting AI.   

[Evaristo tenscadisto]

I thought it looked a bit strange. My margin was supposed to be 20% ???Then the next day I received this fees notification. I was horrified. POD sites are supposed to make their own profits from the production of the merchandise!!  I was so angry I immediately cancelled my account.  Hopefully I will get the money due to me.  I don't care - I am sick of this.

Annie i see that you might deliver your share of VAT if outside some countries. Perhaps this was an Euro zone sale?
VAT is a tax that Europeans pay to every product we purchase. Companies that make the sale (physical/online) charge the VAT directly to the customer and then they have to deliver it to the state.

Usually is 23% VAT here but it varies (0%-32%) according to type of product (basic or luxury goods) and from country to country in EU zone. If you apply my country 23% VAT to your 42 dollars (your 20% of sale) that is approximately the value that is missing.

I am only guessing here but it might be delivery of taxes for being an EU sale.

[wordplanet]

Saw that this morning. I stopped uploading and making new products years ago but still get some occasional sales. Apparently that's enough for a Premium account. So no changes for me but it sucks that they went this path

Same here, I've had exactly 300 sales (I would have guessed around 100, but I checked my account to be sure I was accurate and was surprised), but I've only had a couple dozen in the past year, mostly stickers, hoodies & journals, so my recent payouts have been small. With no new uploads in a couple of years, I was sure I'd be bumped, but I'm in Premium. I lucked out when they featured one of my photos (unbeknownst to me - I found out months later). It's sold nearly 100 times, some prints at first but now it's more likely to be stickers & greeting cards, but it still ranks high in searches.

I've only got 116 images there since it seems more geared toward graphic art than photography. Some are embarrassingly awful attempts at illustration, so I should delete a them and upload some new stuff so I stay in Premium, I guess. I don't make enough from there any more to have to pay fees if I slip down a notch. When I first joined and added work regularly, I got regular sales, but one print on Fine Art America earns me more than dozens of mugs & stickers so I lost interest, though the quality of their products is good (My daughter just started a new job & she said she got several compliments on a mug I designed for her years ago).

[Annie2022]

I thought it looked a bit strange. My margin was supposed to be 20% ???Then the next day I received this fees notification. I was horrified. POD sites are supposed to make their own profits from the production of the merchandise!!  I was so angry I immediately cancelled my account.  Hopefully I will get the money due to me.  I don't care - I am sick of this.

Annie i see that you might deliver your share of VAT if outside some countries. Perhaps this was an Euro zone sale?
VAT is a tax that Europeans pay to every product we purchase. Companies that make the sale (physical/online) charge the VAT directly to the customer and then they have to deliver it to the state.

Usually is 23% VAT here but it varies (0%-32%) according to type of product (basic or luxury goods) and from country to country in EU zone. If you apply my country 23% VAT to your 42 dollars (your 20% of sale) that is approximately the value that is missing.

I am only guessing here but it might be delivery of taxes for being an EU sale.

Ah-ha! That makes sense. Thanks.

Anyway, my first and last sale with them.

[WaterView]

I decided to opt out of future RedBubble payment structure because it seemed like another company I didn't like so I decided to close my account. I give credit to RedBubble for paying out less than $5. account with electronic payment! Thank you RedBubble.
If I ever reconsider you'd be a first considered! Thanks