Most brands scale influencer marketing by adding creators. eBay scaled it by adding layers. Its creator program buildout runs an open affiliate tier for anyone, plus a tightly measured, always-on cast for brand impact. Two systems, one goal.
That split is the lesson. Here is how it works, why it matters for your budget, and what to copy.
One caveat before we dig in
eBay has not published a single “creator program blueprint.” What follows is assembled from three public sources: eBay’s own announcement of its Ambassador Program, an award entry covering a UK creator campaign, and eBay’s recommerce research. I have marked where I am interpreting rather than reporting. Treat the interpretation as a framework to test, not as eBay’s stated strategy.
Layer one: open the funnel with an affiliate tier
In August 2025, eBay announced that its Ambassador Program opened to all U.S. users. It is an evolution of the eBay Partner Network (ePN), the long-running affiliate program that was previously limited to select creators, influencers and sellers.
The mechanics are worth studying:
- Performance-based pay. Per eBay’s announcement, participants can earn commission of up to 7.5% on qualifying purchases made through their links, and rates may vary.
- No minimum follower requirement. The gate is not audience size.
- Free to join. Onboarding cost to the brand is close to zero.
- Creator-friendly tooling. Ambassadors can customize Storefront collections, share Watchlist items their audiences already want, and use improved discovery tools.
Think about what this does operationally. A traditional program spends staff hours vetting, negotiating and invoicing every creator. An open affiliate tier shifts that work onto software and pays only when a purchase happens. Your risk per creator drops to nearly nothing.
The trade-off is control. You will not brief ten thousand ambassadors, and you should not try. That is exactly why a second layer exists.
Open tiers buy you reach and a pay-on-purchase cost structure. They do not buy you message control. Plan a second layer for that job.
Layer two: an always-on cast with a measurement loop
This is the managed counterpart to the open tier, and it reads very differently.
The brief: move beyond brand awareness and drive purchase intent for pre-loved fashion, especially among women and shoppers aged 18 to 24, two groups where eBay was underperforming. The agencies built “The Cast,” an always-on creator ecosystem across TikTok and Instagram.
Here is the part most programs skip. They ran research mid-campaign. When early data exposed gaps in the lower funnel, the team re-engineered creative for the second phase instead of waiting for a post-mortem. Across 592 tailored content pieces, creators leaned into authenticity, quality and fashion variety to address trust.
The agencies behind the campaign reported strong reach and intent lift, plus a forecast of purchases rather than confirmed sales. Those purchases are modeled, and you should hold your own reporting to the same honesty. This was also an award submission, so the numbers are self-reported by the entrants. Note the word “forecast.” Those purchases are modeled, not tracked sales, and you should hold your own reporting to the same honesty. This is also an award submission, so the numbers are self-reported by the entrants.
Why the trust angle matters
Secondhand has a built-in objection: will this item be what I expect? A creator showing a real piece, in real life, answers that better than a polished ad. Measurement then told the team which objections were still unresolved. Creative fixed them.
Why the demand side supports the bet
Infrastructure only pays off if the category is growing. eBay’s 2026 Recommerce Report recap says the research surveyed more than 10,000 secondhand shoppers and more than 1,700 eBay sellers.
That is eBay’s own research on its own category, so read it as directional. Still, it explains the logic. Habitual buyers respond to recommendation content, and recommendation content is what creators produce. Meanwhile, eBay’s Ambassador announcement says pre-loved and refurbished items make up 40% of its gross merchandise volume. For eBay, creator content is not a side channel. It points straight at the core business.
A two-layer model you can borrow
Here is my interpretation of how these pieces fit together. It is a framework, not eBay’s internal playbook.
- Base layer, open and automated. Affiliate or ambassador access with commission-only pay, simple links and a storefront. Goal: breadth and incremental sales.
- Middle layer, curated. Creators who earn higher visibility because their content converts. Promote from the base layer using performance data.
- Top layer, managed and measured. A paid cast on a defined brief with mid-flight research. Goal: shift perception among a specific audience.
The middle layer is my addition. eBay’s public materials do not describe it. But it is the obvious bridge, and without it the base and top layers never talk to each other.
What to do with this on Monday
Start with the unit economics. What does it cost your team to onboard one creator, and what would it cost if onboarding were automated? If the first number is high, an open tier is probably your cheapest experiment.
Then look at how other brands solve the adjacent problems. Estee Lauder’s centralized creator operations show how to share infrastructure across many teams. Ryse’s retention-based pay model shows what a middle layer can reward. And if your open tier relies on codes or links, measuring creator codes across the funnel keeps attribution honest. For brands that also want to turn top performers into paid media, Liquid Death’s creator-clip approach is a useful companion.
Risks to plan for
- Disclosure. Affiliate creators must clearly flag the material connection. Put disclosure language in your program terms and check it regularly.
- Brand safety. No follower minimum means a wider range of content quality. Set category and content rules up front.
- Attribution overlap. A shopper may see a cast video and then buy through an affiliate link. Decide in advance how credit is split.
Pick one audience segment where your brand underperforms, run a small managed cast against it with a mid-flight research checkpoint, and let an affiliate tier handle everything else.
FAQs
What is the eBay Ambassador Program?
It is eBay’s affiliate-style program, now open to all U.S. users and an evolution of the eBay Partner Network. Participants share eBay listings and earn commission on qualifying purchases made through their links. Per eBay’s announcement, rates may vary and can reach up to 7.5%.
Do creators need a minimum follower count to join?
No. eBay states there are no minimum follower requirements, and the program is free to join. That makes it a low-friction entry point for micro and nano creators as well as sellers and everyday buyers.
Why does a brand need both an open affiliate tier and a managed creator program?
They solve different problems. An open tier delivers reach and pay-on-purchase economics but little message control. A managed program lets you brief creators, tune creative and shift perception among a specific audience. Running both gives you breadth and precision.
What did eBay’s award-winning creator campaign achieve?
According to the agencies’ award submission, the campaign used 592 pieces of tailored content and reported gains in reach and action intent, along with a forecast of purchases. The submission is self-reported, and the purchases are forecast rather than confirmed sales. The entry is self-reported by the agencies, and the purchases are forecast rather than confirmed sales.
How should brands measure an always-on creator program?
Combine in-flight audience research with sales data. The eBay campaign used mid-campaign research to find conversion barriers and rewrite creative for the next phase. Pair that with link or code tracking so you can separate perception lift from direct response.
What compliance risks come with an open creator tier?
The main ones are missing or unclear disclosure of the affiliate relationship, inconsistent content quality and messy attribution. Write disclosure requirements and content rules into program terms, and audit a sample of ambassador content on a regular schedule.
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