Updates to our Faire Direct policy: increased clarity and new tools for getting 0% commission

Faire Direct is designed to help brands like yours grow your sales at 0% commission while extending the benefits of Faire to retailers. It’s our way of recognising the time and energy you put into encouraging your customers and leads to order through Faire. In turn, those retailers receive all the benefits of buying on Faire, including 60-day payment terms for eligible retailers, free returns on first orders, easy online ordering, and sign-up offers specifically for your shop. 

We’ve heard feedback from brands that we could do more to clarify how relationships qualify for 0% commission. To that end, we’re making some updates to our Faire Direct policy with clarity and ease of use in mind.

The updates will go into effect on 9 January 2024 – and they won’t affect or change any of your existing Faire Direct relationships. To help you understand the new policy, including what’s changing and the reasons for these updates, we’ve put together this helpful guide.

• What’s changing with Faire Direct?
• Why is Faire making these changes?
• What qualifies for 0% commission under the updated policy?
• How do I request a change to 0% commission?
• How can I make the most out of Faire Direct?

What’s changing with the Faire Direct policy?

First, it’s important to know what is staying the same. We know that the ability to bring your relationships onto Faire at 0% commission is an important benefit of selling on Faire, and we remain committed to maintaining that value for you. 

The updates we are making to the Faire Direct policy fall into three key areas, and we’ll give you more detail on each in the sections below:

Firstly, we’re making it clearer which relationships qualify for Faire Direct, specifically:

• We’ve extended the timeframe for ordering customers to qualify for a commission change from two to four years. This change is to accommodate longer sales cycles. 
• We’ve updated our timeframes for leads to qualify for a commission change to align with best practices for converting customers, e.g. re-engaging them once every quarter. 

Take a look at the “What qualifies” section below for a simple visual that summarises what relationships will qualify for 0% commission.

Secondly, we’re improving our Faire Direct tools, including:

• Later this year, we’re launching a new feature in the Faire app for brands that will make it easy for you to capture retailers in person at 0% commission, just in time for trade show season. 
• Making an update to our Campaigns tool so that you automatically get 0% commission based on an email being sent within the accepted timeframe, regardless of if the email isn’t delivered due to rate limiting, bounces or unsubscribes. 

And thirdly, we are updating the process for commission change requests to ensure the experience is easier and more consistent for you. You can read the “How do I request a change” section below for details on how this works.

Why is Faire making these updates, and when do they go into effect?

We built Faire Direct to foster a stronger partnership between Faire and our brands – an opportunity for you to grow your sales at 0% commission while offering your retailers all the benefits of shopping on Faire. 

We recognise that recently there has been some frustration and confusion about how relationships qualify for 0% commission through Faire Direct. We want you to know that we’ve heard your feedback and have revisited our Faire Direct policy to make sure it’s transparent and consistent going forward. 

The updated policy will take effect for all brands on 9 January 2024. Until then, our current policy, which you can reference in our Help Centre, will continue to apply. Remember, the updates to the Faire Direct policy will not affect your current Faire Direct relationships.

What qualifies for 0% commission under the updated policy?

When these updates take effect in January, your relationships can qualify for 0% commission according to the following scenarios if:

As always, your relationship will automatically qualify for 0% commission if the retailer signs up for Faire or places their first order through your Faire Direct tools.

If the retailer does not automatically qualify for 0% commission, you can still request a commission change by providing documentation of your relationship. That process is outlined in the section below.

How do I request a change to 0% commission?

In order to request a commission change for customers, you need to provide documentation in the form of an invoice showing an order from the retailer within the past 4 years and before their first order on Faire. For leads, you’ll need to submit documentation that shows you encouraged the retailer to order through your Faire Direct link, such as an email or a social media conversation, within the timeframes outlined above. 

In both cases, the documentation must include:

• Date and timestamp 
• The retailer’s shop name, contact name, email address or shipping address that matches their details on Faire.

For leads, the documentation will also need to include your Faire Direct link. Until 9 January 2025 (one year after the updated policy going into effect) we will accept documentation for leads without your Faire Direct link if it includes a retailer response and was in the 12 months before their first order on Faire.

All commission change requests should be submitted through your brand portal. We’re making some improvements to the in-product flow in January – it will be just three steps with clearer guidance and easier document upload.

We’ve also updated our policy around reimbursements. If your relationship qualifies for 0% commission, we’ll remove commission on your most recent order and all future orders. If you were already paid out, we’ll reimburse the commission on your most recent order if it was in the last 30 days. 

For more details on the updated Faire Direct policy, take a look at this Help Centre article.

How can I maximise the value of Faire Direct?

The simplest way to grow your sales at 0% commission is by using your personal Faire Direct link and supporting tools to encourage customers to shop with you on Faire. Follow these best practices to ensure your customers and leads qualify as a Faire Direct relationship.  

1. Send emails that include your Faire Direct link. This is one of the best ways to convert leads into ordering customers and drive reorders from existing customers. We recommend emailing leads at least once every 3 months through the Faire email campaigns tool to automatically qualify them as a Faire Direct relationship and keep them engaged with your brand. In addition to featuring a Faire Direct link in the body of the email, many brands also include this in their email signature.
   
   An email only needs to be sent to a retailer to qualify for Faire Direct, so issues with deliverability won’t impact your ability to get 0% commission. However, we’ll automatically skip delivering emails to any addresses that have previously bounced or unsubscribed in order to protect your reputation as an email sender, so it’s a good idea to periodically confirm and update contact information. 
   


2. [Coming soon!] Capture leads in person using the Faire app for brands. Trade shows and networking events are tried-and-tested venues for sourcing new leads. When you meet a retailer who hasn’t ordered from you through Faire, they can scan your Faire Direct QR code in the Faire app for brands and will automatically qualify for 0% commission if they order from you within 12 months.
   
   Even with this new tool, we recommend sending a follow-up email to anyone you meet in person or speak with on the phone to keep them engaged and encourage them to order from you.
   


3. Incorporate Faire Direct into your marketing. As well as including your Faire Direct link in emails, make it a habit to share your link in any social media conversations and direct messages. This way, those leads can qualify for Faire Direct if they purchase from you down the line. You can also add your link to your social media profile, and feature it in social media posts and comments. For print collateral, try including a QR code with your Faire Direct link.
   


4. Add the Faire Direct widget to your website. Add the Faire Direct widget to your business website or wholesale page to easily link retailers to your Faire shop through the click of a button and convert leads. When retailers order through the widget, you will pay 0% commission on those orders if they haven’t ordered from you before and they will receive the benefits of shopping on Faire.

Still got questions?

Feel free to reach out to us, and we’ll be happy to help answer any other questions. We’ll also be reaching out via email before these updates go into effect, so keep an eye on your inbox for reminders.