# TheGivingMachine CEO calls for fairer treatment over affiliate commission payments

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/08/13/thegivingmachine-ceo-calls-for-fairer-treatment-over-affiliate-commission-payments/
- Published: 2019-08-13T08:50:39+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**TheGivingMachine co-founder and CEO Richard Morris is calling for Amazon and other
companies offering affiliate commission to treat non-profit organisations that refer
business to them the same as profit making companies.**

Appearing on BBC R4’s [You and Yours](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0007djl)
last week (9 August) Morris highlighted how not only do Amazon policies mean TheGivingMachine
earns less affiliate commission than profit-making organisations but that changes
to its rules have also seen the percentage given to TheGivingMachine drop.

This, Morris says, has reduced the donations generated by [TheGivingMachine](https://www.thegivingmachine.co.uk/)’
s users by over £400,000 in recent years, resulting in less money for thousands 
of schools, charities and community groups across the UK.

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According to Morris, while other large retailers TheGivingMachine works with, such
as Waitrose and Partners, John Lewis and Partners, M&S and BT, pay standard affiliate
commission rates to TheGivingMachine, Amazon has reduced the commission it pays 
because it is not a ‘for profit’ organisation.

He says that if it was a ‘for profit’ organisation, it would earn the standard affiliate
rates of 5% to 11% for referrals depending on the goods bought. Instead, TheGivingMachine
is now given 1%. This has fallen from the 5% with volume bonuses it originally received,
which had dropped to 3% with no volume bonuses before falling to the current 1%.

In the programme, Morris argued that as a business referring business to Amazon,
it should be subject to the same commission rates as other businesses, saying:

>  “We’re a business, we’re referring business. There are standard rates for that
> and we would like to earn the same rates as everyone else. The fact that we choose
> to give our money away really shouldn’t be a factor.”

Amazon declined to discuss why commission rates differed on the programme, but highlighted
its AmazonSmile programme, which sees 0.5% of the purchase prices of customer orders
go to chosen charities.

Addressing all organisations that offer affiliate commission, Morris said:

>  “Please treat us the same as everyone else. We really value working with you 
> and would love to be able to pass on as much money as possible to the amazing 
> schools, charities and community groups we work with. Our plea is for parity with
> all those organisations being paid more than us because they are profit making.”

 * **[UK Fundraising is Amazon.co.uk Associates site of the Week!](https://fundraising.co.uk/1999/11/13/uk-fundraising-amazoncouk-associates-site-week/)**(
   13 November 1999)
 * **[Holy cowshed!](https://fundraising.co.uk/1999/12/02/holy-cowshed/)** (2 December
   1999)
 * **[Cashback site Pouring Pounds offers ongoing referral income](https://fundraising.co.uk/2011/02/08/cashback-site-pouring-pounds-offers-ongoing-referral-income/)**(
   8 February 2011)

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