The New Stampin’ Up! Compensation Plan: Thoughts From an 11-Year Hobby Demonstrator

Some Thoughts About the New Stampin’ Up! Compensation Plan … From a Hobby Demonstrator

There has been a LOT of conversation lately about the new Stampin’ Up! Compensation Plan that takes effect October 1, 2026. Some of it has been positive. Some negative. And some has been … VERY negative. 😬😂

I’ve spent some time reading the comments and opinions floating around social media, and I’ve also gone through the new Compensation Plan Stampin’ Up! provided to demonstrators. And after thinking about it for a while, I decided I wanted to share my own perspective.
Not as a Stampin’ Up! leader.
Not as someone with a giant team.
Not as someone whose household income depends on Stampin’ Up!.
But as someone who’s been a demonstrator since 2015 and originally joined for one very important reason: I really like stamps. 😂
Okay, stamps … and paper.
And ink.
And dies.
And embellishments.
And pretty much all the other crafty goodness that somehow finds its way into my shopping cart.
The demonstrator discount didn’t hurt either.

I’ve Always Been a “Hobby Demonstrator”

Technically, Stampin’ Up! doesn’t really use the term hobby demonstrator, but that’s what I’ve always considered myself.
I didn’t join in 2015 with dreams of becoming a top demonstrator, building a giant team or earning an incentive trip. I joined because I loved paper crafting, I loved Stampin’ Up! products, and I figured if I was going to buy them anyway, I might as well get a discount. Basically, I became my own craft-supply dealer. 😂
Over the years, though, I actually did advance in title because of my sales. Most of those sales were personal purchases, although I’ve had customer sales along the way too. My highest title was Bronze Elite, and at one point I had enough sales to advance to Silver. The thing stopping me was that Silver required having a team member. And recruiting people just wasn’t something I was interested in doing. I was perfectly happy being the lady in the corner playing with her stamps. 😂

Somewhere Along the Way, Things Changed

About four or five years ago, the demonstrator I originally signed up under left Stampin’ Up!. Her upline became my new leader. And in all the years since that happened, I’ve never heard from her. Not once.
I’m not mentioning that to bash anyone. I’m sure she has her own business, responsibilities and a large organization to manage. But I think it matters to my story.
Because somewhere during those years, I lost some of my enthusiasm for the business side of Stampin’ Up!.
I didn’t stop loving paper crafting.
I didn’t stop loving Stampin’ Up! products.
I just stopped feeling particularly connected to my Stampin’ Up! business.
My sales gradually dropped. And dropped some more.
I’ve failed to meet my quarterly sales requirement numerous times over the past several years and landed in Pending Status.
Then I do what any self-respecting paper crafter would do: Panic and buy more craft supplies. 😂 Okay, there have been customer orders in there too. But each time, I’ve managed to make up the difference and remain active. Somehow, eleven years later … I’m still here.

And Now Stampin’ Up! Is Changing the Compensation Plan

Beginning October 1, Stampin’ Up! is implementing a new Compensation Plan.
And understandably, people have opinions. LOTS of opinions.
The new plan changes how demonstrators earn commissions, how leaders are compensated, title requirements, bonuses, recognition and other incentives.
One of the changes getting a lot of attention is the new 15% base order discount/commission for Bronze demonstrators.
My first reaction? Well, crap. 😂
Because if there’s one benefit that matters to a hobby demonstrator, it’s the discount! But after looking more closely at the actual plan, there’s an important distinction.

The 20% Discount Isn’t Completely Going Away

Under the new plan:
Bronze demonstrators receive a 15% order discount/commission.
Bronze Elite demonstrators and above receive 20%.
Bronze Elite requires 2,000 CSV in rolling 12-month personal sales.
And importantly for someone like me, Bronze Elite does NOT require a team.

That last part caught my attention. The new plan bases Bronze Elite on personal sales over a rolling 12-month period rather than requiring me to become a team builder. So while my guaranteed/base discount may be 15%, I can still earn that 20% level by reaching the Bronze Elite sales requirement.
That actually gives Hobby Demonstrator Dawn something to think about. Because apparently Stampin’ Up! has figured out the one thing that might motivate me: Threaten my craft discount. 😂

There Are Actually Some Interesting Opportunities for Sellers, Too

Something else I noticed when reading the new plan is the emphasis on personal sales.
There are new monthly volume rebates beginning at 300 CSV in personal monthly sales and increasing at higher sales levels. That means someone doesn’t necessarily need to build a large organization to earn beyond the regular order commission. Sell more products yourself, and there are additional earning opportunities.
For someone like me - who has always been much more comfortable sharing products and selling them than asking people to join a team - I actually find that interesting.

Does it suddenly mean I’m going to become some crafting sales mogul? Let’s not get carried away😂 But I like seeing compensation tied more directly to what I personally sell.

And Then There’s the Team Compensation Change

This seems to be where much of the controversy comes in.
The new plan places much more emphasis on a demonstrator’s team rather than the traditional multi-level organization.
According to the plan, a team consists of demonstrators who have officially chosen that person as their team leader - either when enrolling or after their previous leader is no longer a demonstrator. Eligible team leaders can earn monthly team commissions based on their team’s sales, along with other bonuses and leadership benefits.
And I know this is probably where my opinion will differ from some longtime leaders: I kind of like the philosophy behind that. I’ve never completely understood why someone several levels above me should earn money based on my sales when I’ve potentially never met them, talked to them or received any leadership from them. And considering my own experience over the last several years, perhaps I’m a little biased.
I don’t have a problem with someone earning compensation for mentoring, supporting and developing a team. Actually, I think they should be compensated for that. But I also understand the idea of tying that compensation more directly to the people they’re actually leading.

That Doesn’t Mean I Think the Upset Leaders Are Wrong

This part is important.
I’ve seen quite a few comments criticizing leaders who are upset about the changes, and I don’t think that’s fair either. Some demonstrators have spent years - or decades - building their businesses under the compensation structure Stampin’ Up! had in place.
They followed the rules.
They built organizations.
They mentored people.
They structured their businesses around the compensation opportunities the company offered them.
For some of those demonstrators, Stampin’ Up! provides a meaningful portion of their income.
So if a compensation change significantly affects that income, they have every right to be concerned about it. Their experience isn’t my experience. And my experience isn’t theirs.
Both things can be true. I can understand why they’re upset without personally being upset about the same things.

There Are a Few Changes I Actually Like

The more I read through the new plan, the more I realized it isn’t simply a matter of “Stampin’ Up! cut everybody’s compensation.”
There are some interesting changes.
Sales can lead to monthly volume rebates.
Bronze Elite (and the 20% discount) can be achieved through personal sales without building a team.
There are new title advancement bonuses.
There are performance bonuses for sales, team building and leadership.
Stampin’ Up! is continuing sales milestones, anniversary recognition and its incentive trip program.
And demonstrators still only need 300 CSV per quarter in personal sales to remain active.
Even the Pending Status provision remains: if we don’t make the quarterly minimum, we have a month to make up the shortfall. Thank goodness! Because Dawn and Pending Status have become a little too well acquainted over the years. 😂

So… Am I Staying With Stampin’ Up!?

Yep. At least for now.
I’m not going to pretend I love every part of the new plan. Of course I’d rather have my 20% discount automatically. Give me all the discounts! I have Designer Series Paper to buy.
But I’m also not ready to grab my pitchfork and storm Stampin’ Up! headquarters. 😂
I’m going to do what I’ve pretty much done since 2015:
Stay in my own crafty little lane.
I’m going to keep making cards.
I’m going to keep playing with pretty paper.
I’m going to keep buying entirely too much Designer Series Paper because apparently I believe possessing beautiful paper and actually cutting beautiful paper are two completely different hobbies.
I’m going to keep getting ridiculously excited when a new catalog comes out.
I’m going to continue sharing products and projects I genuinely love.
And maybe this will even give me the little kick in the butt I’ve needed to start sharing Stampin’ Up! more consistently again.

Because Here’s What Hasn’t Changed

Compensation plans change.
Companies change.
Direct-sales businesses change.
Social media definitely changes.
But none of those things are why I started doing this eleven years ago.
I love paper crafting.
I love sitting down with cardstock, stamps and ink and turning a pile of supplies into something I can give to another person.
I love finding a coordinating stamp and die set.
I love discovering that two products I never would have put together somehow work perfectly.
I love finishing a card, staring at it and thinking: “Holy crap. I actually made that.”
And after eleven years, I still genuinely love Stampin’ Up! products.
That’s the part that matters most to me.

So I’m Giving This New Chapter a Chance

Will these changes ultimately be good for Stampin’ Up!? I don’t know.
Will the company make adjustments after seeing how the new plan works in the real world? Maybe.
Will I still be a demonstrator five years from now? Who knows?
Heck, there have been quarters when I wasn’t sure I’d still be one next month. 😂

But I’m not going to make that decision today because social media tells me I should be angry.
I’m going to give the new Compensation Plan a chance. I’m going to see what happens. And I’m going to continue doing the thing that brought me to Stampin’ Up! in the first place. Creating.

Because whether my discount is 15%, 20% or I have to hide another Stampin’ Up! box from my husband … I’m still a paper crafter. 💜✂️
And frankly, after eleven years, I have WAY too much coordinating cardstock, ink and Designer Series Paper invested in this relationship to quit now. 😂

Here’s to the next chapter 👏

Until next time ...

xoxo

Dawn