Income disclosure reading guide
Arbonne income disclosure: what to read before joining
If you read only this:
- Start with the company disclosure, but do not stop there.
- Check who is counted, who is excluded, and whether expenses are subtracted.
- Ask what comparable new participants kept after ordinary costs.
What to do next:
- Check who is included and excluded.
- Ask whether the numbers subtract expenses.
- Compare the disclosure with the compensation plan and refund rules.
What the company discloses
| Data year | 2023 (via a 2024 self-regulatory review) |
|---|---|
| Median (business-building consultants) | $77 — for 85% of them |
| Reported as | Gross, before fees and other expenses |
- Arbonne publishes a U.S. Independent Consultant Earnings Statement on its website and updates it periodically.
- A 2024 self-regulatory review cited Arbonne's figure that 85 percent of business-building U.S. consultants earned a median of $77 in 2023.
- Arbonne states its figures are gross earnings before expenses and exclude fees such as the annual renewal fee.
What is not clear from the disclosure alone
- Net income after expenses, since fees and business costs are excluded.
- Whole-population results, because averages are computed over consultants who had earnings.
- How much income comes from retail resale versus recruiting.
Common costs to check:
- Product, samples, shipping, and taxes.
- Starter kits, renewal fees, websites, apps, or back-office tools.
- Training, events, tickets, travel, meals, lodging, and childcare.
- Advertising, giveaways, displays, packaging, or payment fees.
- Licensing, exam prep, background checks, or required continuing education.
- Unsold inventory and unpaid time.
Gross income is not the same as money kept after these costs.
Why this matters
A small annual median is a useful reality check against income claims.
Gross earnings before fees can be very different from money kept.
Not a verdict: This page is not a judgment about Arbonne or the person who contacted you. It is a guide to
written facts, costs, income disclosures, public records, and questions to ask before making a money decision.
Questions to ask before joining
- Does this disclosure show net income after expenses or gross earnings?
- What percentage of all consultants, including those with no earnings, earned nothing?
- What are the renewal fees and other recurring costs?
Source notes
- Read the income disclosure together with fees and event costs.
- Ask whether the figures include consultants who earned nothing.
Related pages
- Arbonne company page
- Someone pitched me Arbonne. What should I ask?
- Income disclosure library
- What MLMs pay, according to company disclosures
- Median vs. average in MLM income disclosures
- Who is counted in MLM income disclosures?
- Expenses not included in MLM income disclosures
- Gross Income Is Not Profit
- What should an MLM income disclosure show?
- Before You Pay
Sources
-
Public-interest secondary source
DSSRC Case #191-2024: Monitoring Inquiry – Arbonne International
-
Regulator guidance
Business Guidance Concerning Multi-Level Marketing
Correction request
To request a correction, email corrections@boringanddevastating.com with this page URL, the specific text at issue, and supporting public sources.