Open plans, targeted plans and how creators choose
An open plan is visible to every eligible creator and sets one rate for everyone. A targeted plan lets you offer a named creator a higher rate, often 25 to 30 percent, for a specific push. Most shops run an open plan at 15 percent and layer targeted plans on top.
Creators browse the marketplace by estimated commission per sale in pounds, so a 20 percent rate on an £8 product is less attractive than 10 percent on a £45 product. If your average order value is low, raise the rate or bundle up to lift the pound figure.
Sample seeding is the real work
Creators apply for free samples through the marketplace. Approving requests is a daily job. Screen on GMV in the last 28 days, category fit and recent posting frequency, then approve in batches. A creator with 3,000 followers who posts daily often outsells one with 300,000 who posts monthly.
Set a rule and stick to it. Approve 20 to 50 samples a week, follow up at day seven and pause creators who take a sample and post nothing. Sample abuse is common and the only defence is tracking who converted and reseeding only the ones who did.
What the commission has to earn back
Stack it up. A 15 percent affiliate commission plus a 9 percent referral fee is roughly a quarter of the sell price gone before postage. That is affordable at 70 percent gross margin and impossible at 45 percent. Set the rate from your margin, then test up in 5 point steps.
Do not cut the rate once a product is selling. Creators watch their earnings per click and drop products that suddenly pay less. If margin is tight, keep the headline rate and add a short term bonus plan on the SKUs you want pushed.