Someone has probably introduced you to Tupperware as a great way to "become your own boss". But you're probably wondering if Tupperware is still a legit opportunity to make money from home.
It's certainly not easy to make good money as the income disclosure proves that only 1 out of 833 reps earn over $32k a year.
This honest Tupperware review, with videos, exposes the true pros and cons of joining the company so that you can make an informed decision if it's right for you or not.
Tupperware Review
The overview and rankings
Name: Tupperware
Founder: Earl Tupper in 1946
Type: MLM
Products (Including Pricing): 50 out of 100
Success Stories: 1 out of 100
Price To Join MLM: $60 one off + $600 sales per 6 months = allow $1,260 for your first year (30 out of 100)
What to look for in a MLM:
Summary: Tupperware is a MLM company that sells affordable pots for people to store food in.
It is very popular but 97.3% of distributors lose money due to the sales quota to "remain active". I will prove to you that this is the case later in this Tupperware MLM review.
Make Time Online Rating: 27 out of 100
Recommended: No
What is Tupperware?
Tupperware is a Multi-Level-Marketing company that sells preparation, storage, and serving products for the kitchen and home.
As a potential representative, you can earn money by selling their items and building a team of other representatives to earn commissions on their sales.
The majority of multilevel marketing companies fail within three years. So, the fact that this company is still operating indicates they are doing something right.
As you can see, Tupperware provides a way to earn money from the convenience of your home. This offer primarily targets housewives, cooks, and others seeking high-quality storage goods for food, liquids, etc.
Instead of investing large sums of money in advertising and marketing, Tupperware MLM employs ordinary people to sell its products through the world-famous "Tupperware Parties."
You receive a commission for each sale of their product. In addition, their MLM strategy allows you to recruit a few new members into your downline and profit from their sales.
It's was founded in 1946 by Earl Tupper. It's pretty rare to find a MLM that has been running for that long as only 1 in 3 MLMs are still around after 10 years.
However, is the opportunity to make money from home really worth your time?
The 4 minute promotional video below explains more about the opportunity...
Some people will see that video and get excited about "being your own boss".
But you're smart enough to realise this is just a sales video.
So you're probably still wondering...
Is Tupperware a pyramid scheme?
No Tupperware is not a pyramid scheme.
It's possible for distributors to sell their products to earn commissions. However, it's only possible to earn good money by recruiting a lot of people into the MLM. That makes Tupperware very similar to a "pyramid scheme in disguise".
Let me explain what I mean by that...
What is a pyramid scheme?
A company that promises members payment for recruiting more people rather than selling a product or service
It's impossible for everyone to make money inside a pyramid scheme as you can see in the Wikipedia diagram below...
Tupperware does sell legit products like most MLM companies.
However, there is a strong emphasis on recruiting more people (as you can even see in the sales video above). The real money is made by people that recruit, which makes it very similar to a "pyramid scheme in disguise".
Just watch the 5 minute video below to see what I mean...
Success is rare with Tupperware
In fact, success is rare at any MLM company.
Did you know that between 72.5% and 99.9% of all MLM representatives lose money?
The truth is that 97.3% of all Tupperware members lose money.
When you account for the $600 per 6 months sales quota and how many people earn more than $1,000 a year from the income disclaimer, you can see the truth is laid out in plain site.
I'll even prove this to you in the Tupperware income disclosure later.
Ready to make passive income online?
Hey, I'm Mike.
I created a passive income online within a year. I had no marketing skills or online experience when I started.
How does Tupperware Work?
Tupperware sells a range of kitchen storage products.
But instead of spending tons of money on advertising and marketing they get everyday people to help sell the products. In fact, a "Tupperware party" is being started every 3 seconds somewhere in the world!
In return, these distributors can earn money from home and additional Tupperware.
Tupperware products
Tupperware is extremely robust. However, it can crack and become damaged with time and with irresponsible use. Most products have rounded edges to protect you and your children from injury.
The lids, also made of durable plastic, are rounded so that they will not break and will not injure or cut you. In addition, Tupperware comes with a lifetime warranty, so if properly maintained, the products can endure a long time.
Their service promotes and sells things you use and is passionate about. And you can benefit by sharing these things with others.
Some multilevel marketing companies attempt to oversell their opportunity. Fortunately, this is different from Tupperware.
Certainly, some of their experts discuss the possibility of earning a six-figure salary. Yet, this is a deceptive and uncommon strategy because people can see through it.
There are dozens of products on offer at Tupperware, which falls under one of the following categories:
- Kitchen tools
- Cookware & Bakeware
- Serveware
- Food storage
- Kids and toys
- On the go
You can find all of the Tupperware products here.
Tupperware is quite a unique MLM company. Because most MLMs offer health and wellness products, education, or skincare products such as...
- Optavia
- Xyngular
- Modere
- Bellame
- SeneGence
- Financial Education Services
- Usborne Books
- Southwestern Advantage
- Cutco
- Credit Star Funding
- Online Team Builders
However, there are hundreds of brands that offer a similar range of products as Tupperware these days. When they started they dominated the storage food market.
Here's what people think about Tupperware...
We'll dig into what people really think in more detail later. But for now this 7 minute video shows you the Tupperware products being used...
Can you make money with Tupperware?
Yes you can make money by selling products and recruiting people.
However, most Tupperware distributors end up losing money due to the hidden sales quota of $600 every 6 months. If they don't sell that amount they often end up forking out on extra Tupperware themselves and stockpiling it at home.
How to make money with Tupperware
There are 2 main ways to make money at Tupperware, like most MLMs...
- Sell products to earn a commission
- Recruit people to sell products and earn bonuses
So I bet you're wondering...
How much does it cost to join Tupperware?
It costs $60 to join Tupperware with the Basic Business Kit. You need to go to the Tupperware "Join us" page and fill out the information required.
But the costs do not stop there...
Tupperware monthly cost
Distributors need to sell $600 worth of products every 6 months to remain active.
Most MLMs have monthly sales quotas to remain active. However, Tupperware seems to really hide this information and the only compensation I could find was dated back to 2014...
With some digging I found a more recent distributor YouTube video (you will find it later in this review) which claims that you need to sell $600 worth of products every 6 months.
That means you will need to allow the following expenses for your first year:
- $60
- $600 x 2
Total minimum cost for year one = $1,260
This is before you even consider additional costs such as marketing, training, postage and packaging etc.
Tupperware compensation plan
Tupperware's compensation plan shows there are 4 ways that distributors can get paid:
- Personal sales - 25% commission
- Unit/ team sales - 2-8% bonus for your downlines sales
- Leadership commission - 3-10% bonus on "director" downline team members
- Additional bonus opportunities- One time bonuses for promotions ($100-$2,500)
For some reason MLMs love to use confusing terms and acronyms. It is genuinely harder to understand than a baby who won't go to sleep at night when it's clearly super tired!
However, all of the ins and outs really doesn't matter when you start.
All you need to know is that you can make money from doing 2 things:
- Sell products
- Recruit people
Here's an insider consultant explaining more about what you need to do...
Is Tupperware a scam?
Tupperware is not a scam. They sell legit products and pay their consultants like they claim they will.
However, with so many people losing money with them over the years they have started to get a bit of a bad reputation. And many people claim that all MLMs are scams due to the nature of trying to recruit others.
The rest of this Tupperware MLM review will reveal some of the hidden truths that you probably won't hear from Tupperware consultants...
Just to be fully transparent with you, I am not a distributor myself and I do not endorse Tupperware in any way.
I have researched the website, testimonials and information on the Internet to get to the bottom of what this program genuinely does. This is because I have been burnt from programs just like this in the past and I want to prevent others from making the same mistakes.
Common positive reviews
Here are some of the positive reviews we had from Site Jabber about the job opportunity...
- "From our experience this can indicate that the business is trustworthy and popular among people."
- "We found that the domain for this business is older than two years which could be an indication that this is a trustworthy business with an established customer base and experience in their field."
Common negative reviews
And here are the common negative reviews...
- "Cannot believe the audacity of this company. I ordered the simple orange peelers from Tupperware online last year becomes the covid and they never sent them."
- "I ordered pre- covid so this shouldn't happen then here it is almost a year and no item. They tipped me off. Buyer beware using Tupperware online services."
Tired of MLMs? Check out how I make money online here!
What I like about Tupperware
There are some things that I genuinely like about Tupperware compared to some other MLMs out there...
Key Terms:
- Pyramid Scheme – recruits members via a promise for payment from referring others to the service rather than providing a product
- Affiliate Marketing- Connecting a customer to a product they are looking for and receiving a commission for doing so
- Red Flag - A warning sign
#1 Affordable product prices
This is always a great sign!
If the company has affordable products it means that real people may actually be tempted to buy them...
- Tupperware microwave safe bowls = $6 per bowl
- Amazon microwave safe bowls = $6.99 per bowl
Even when looking on Amazon it's hard to find a semi decent container that costs less than Tupperware equivalents.
Most people use a microwave and these affordable bowls are useful for most people!
This is great signal that Tupperware is not a scam...
#2 Positive product reviews
There are even tons of people that rave about Tupperware products...
Some people claim to have used the products for dozens of years and they still have them today.
From reading a lot of these reviews and seeing some YouTube reviews it does seem like the quality may be on the decline. But there are still many people who enjoy the products.
#3 Proven history
The company has been going since 1946!
This is another great sign that Tupperware is not a scam and is not likely to just disappear tomorrow. There are some MLMs where consultants build up a good income and then the MLM disappears... with their income!
What I don't like about Tupperware
Here are some of the hidden truths that you won't find on the Tupperware website...
#1 Is Tupperware losing quality?
There are a lot of people that suggest the company is not what it once was. Just watch this 6 minute video to see...
Just read that Tupperware review above too! That's not even me cherry picking one like this you see this kind of comment in a lot of places.
#2 Hidden monthly expenses
Finding out what is required of you to be a Tupperware consultant was really hard... and having reviewed over 100 MLMs, I'm pretty used to finding out this stuff!...
It took some serious digging and watching YouTube videos to find this up to date "sales quota".
The issue is that when consultants do not sell this amount they often end up stockpiling and buying a ton of Tupperware just so they can "remain active" in the hopes that next month they become their own boss.
This is the reason that...
#3 Tupperware is like a pyramid scheme in disguise
The only way consultants can guarantee avoiding losing money every 6 months is by recruiting more people. Any company that relies on recruiting to make good money ends up looking like this...
Still don't believe me?
Tupperware openly admits it...
#4 1 in 833 members earn $32k+ per year
The Tupperware income disclosure shows that only 0.12% of all members earn over $32k per year...
But it also shows that 96.92% of members earn less than $700 a year on average!
Now, if you include the $600 sales quota in 6 months you can see why so many people lose money!
#5 Downward trend
The final nail in the coffin for Tupperware is found on Google Trends...
Tupperware has been on the decline since 2015.
MLM products are far easier to sell when people are actively searching for it each month. Just compare it to a newer MLM like Farmasi.
Ready to make passive income online?
I've created a growing passive income online with no previous marketing skills or online experience...
I've made a special video for you to explain exactly how I did this.
My opinion - Tupperware
Tupperware does have some affordable and decent tupperware! It's even become the name of the containers (like when people say "Google" it).
However, what do I think about the MLM business opportunity?
The only way to make good money is by recruiting a lot of people. You'll end up becoming more like a "full time salesperson" on the phone or Zoom calls with your "downline" encouraging them to sell more and do the weird "house parties".
If that sounds like something you'd enjoy then it may be for you. But be aware that the majority of the people you recruit will fall into the 97% of consultants that lose money.
And that doesn't sound like an ethical business model to me!
How I make passive income online
MLMs are not scams or illegal. However, I'm not a fan of them because of the restrictions to the expensive products you have to promote.
Once I learnt about affiliate marketing, I realised it's a far superior business model because:
- You can promote anything you want and truly own the business
- You never need to sell to friends and family
- It's completely free to start
In 2018 I had no idea what affiliate marketing was.
But I went from a full time PE teacher to making a passive income online within one year...
If you want to discover how I did it then check out this special video I created which explains exactly how. You can also get your free 7-day bootcamp to get started.
Hi Mike
When I read the title of this review I was shocked as I did not think that Tupperware was still available and still an opportunity. I thought it was a throwback to the 70s with these Tupperware parties trying to sell your wear. I think , as you said that this will be a difficult market to get into, as you would have to started years ago. If tupperware use a MLM to promote the business to others then I will not be a part of it. I believe that success should reward you personally and not people above you. You did the hardwork and not the people above you.
IAs there are so many different plastic containers on the market, you wonder what there USP is?
An opportunity where you will put a lot of effort in and get no reward.
Thanks
Antonio
Haha, those “throwback parties” still exist today Anotonio! In fact, it’s a big part of their training and what they encourage their distributors to do as you can see in the review and videos above
I’ve heard of many MLM businesses but never tupperware! I guess there is a MLM business for almost every niche imaginable which can be a positive thing if the business is set up in a way to add as much value as possible to those promoting their brand and helping them build a successful business. I was shocked to see that over 90% of reps lose money in a MLM company. Doing your research and due diligence is so important before joining any MLM business. Great insight!
Glad it helped Lindsey. Yep Tupperware is a MLM company
Hi Mike
Thank you for sharing your in-depth knowledge about this MLM business. I surely had a clue of this business from friends and workmates but they never disclose how this business model really works. All I could see was the need for them to sell fast and at times having a lot of products without customer orders for them. However, I appreciate that you concluded that it is not a scam but a legit money opportunity that comes at some hidden extra costs. Your videos helped me to understand more about this business model.
My question now is, why would such a reputable business still use ways to distribute their products that they know some people will lose money in the process? Again, why will they go on to create so many career levels from a consultant to executive director well knowing that only a few of them will certainly make it come year-end? Are they failing to devise better ways of distributing their products? I am just curious, really from 1946 up to now, the same sales technic.
Kind regards
T. Manyimo
The sales techniques have developed since 1946, such as using social media marketing. The issue in most MLMs is that there really isn’t any “formal education” on internet marketing. Many people think that because they get a “done for you” website that they have an online business. However, without paying for additional online marketing training you really just have to rely on those old school marketing techniques such as home parties
Hey nice review you have about Tupperware there. I have heard so much about Tupperware before now, having going through your review, I now have a better understanding of how they operates, their compensation plan and their red flags. To me I think Tupperware is still worth investing base on its historic trademark and the position their products occupy in the global market, but the idea of you recruiting more persons before you can earn more needs to be review.
Yeah, that’s really how many MLMs work though. Tupperware still has a pretty good name for themselves, just be aware that many people claim their products are not what they once were
Hello there, This review on Tupperware MLM is awesome and interesting. Tupperware does sell legit products like most MLM companies and thus, can not be a pyramid scheme but rather a legit opportunity for all. they sell preparation, storage, and serving products for the kitchen and home.
Thanks for sharing this review with me.
Yep it’s certainly not a pyramid scheme. But many people are unaware of the focus on actually recruiting people to make some good money from the company.
Hi Mike, I have known about Tupperware business for so many years. But there was no clarity to me of how to go about it. And today your review has just clarified everything for me. Both with regard to the business and some of its products. Well, all that has made me believe that I am not the one for Tupperware business. Maybe for their products, yes.
I don’t like MLM business either hence I also am in affiliate marketing business. I find affiliate marketing business more sophisticated, more relaxed, easy to start, rewarding and financially safer than always running after people and risking losing a lot of money in the process. And always stressed as to who is going to buy my products or join my business.
Thanks Mikey your review has put me in line. Now I am in the clear.
Glad it helped Jeffrey!
This article is misleading.
First, you can join Tupperware without selling a kit for $15. That's it. If you want a website, after 3 months you pay $14 a month for the site. If you don't, you pay nothing
Second, you have to sell $350 in 4 months to stay active. If you don't stay active, you can reactivate for $15. So you are not out the $1200 a year they claim. 1 party is usually more than $350 so it is extremely easy to meet that goal.
Third, you do NOT have to recruit. You can, and will make more money, but you can never recruit a single person and make your 25% commission.
Fourth, Tupperware has AMAZING training videos, team support and websites to assist you, all for free.
Fifth, just because you sign up to sell a product, it doesn't mean you will be good at doing it. A lot of people don't have the technology or people skill necessary to make a business go. Most businesses fail within the first 5 years. I've recruited people who did nothing to try to promote their business. Some people sign up just to save 25% themselves with no intent of ever selling to anyone.
Sixth, I have been in Tupperware for 2 months. In that time I have made several thousand dollars. I am organized, smart, educated, polite and hard working. Tupperware is my second job, and I love it.
Seventh. Tupperware stands behind their warranty. This claim that the product has gone down in quality is nonsense. Since almost all Tupperware products are guaranteed for life, the company would lose money fast if they made a bad product that consistently needed to replaced.
Bottom line, direct sales is not for everyone. Most people who sign up won't make money, but that is not because of Tupperware, it is the fault of the individual who simply was not cut out for sales. But I am living proof that you don't have to spend a lot of money to make money. I joined for $15 and am doing great!
Thanks for this Amanda, I’m sure that info will help a lot of other people too! I totally agree it’s not for everyone but there are certainly people that make it work. Thanks again for sharing an insider’s insight. Please do drop by again in the future to update us on how it goes
I’m in no way advocating for Tupperware here, I did it for a few months, made a few bucks and decided it wasn’t worth the effort and I didn’t care enough about it.
The problem with the statistics you quote here is that not everyone is trying to make a living out of it. If you want to give someone an idea of what they might get out of Tupperware, you need to compare them to other with similar goals.
From my experience Tupperware encourages all sorts of people to join. Many do it as a side job, others as basically a hobby. I’m not going to guess at a more accurate statistics but you’re inferring a lot from a statistic derived from a bucket made of people who treat it like a full time job, people who are on the books still but literally haven’t done anything, and everyone in between.
On top of that, if you don’t make the quota, you aren’t charged $600 so if you can’t make it work and decide to give it up then you aren’t out of pocket at all. (Particularly in my case where the starter kit wasn’t an up front payment either, you didn’t pay for it until it made you money so your not directly out of pocket ever).
Very valid points made Blayn. The info here is purely to help people see the whole picture. You’re right many people do just join to get the products or do it on the side. However, the stats on how many people make any money from MLM programs is often manipulated to suit the owners of MLM programs.
Here is a study our team conducted into 167 MLMs if you’d like to learn more about the success rate https://maketimeonline.com/mlm-income-disclosure-statements