BehindMLM’s unique Zilis evaluate was revealed again in 2017.
The corporate was then headed up by co-founders Steven and Angie Thompson, with Steven being a former LiveSmart 360 promoter and govt.
Zilis had a big product vary however the firm’s MLM compensation plan sadly centered on autoship recruitment.
That is from the conclusion of BehindMLM’s 2017 Zilis evaluate;
Zilis has some critical compliance points they should deal with.
Zilis have an entire sections of their compensation plan devoted to direct and oblique affiliate recruitment! Recruitment commissions in MLM are the defining issue of a pyramid scheme.
In June 2025 a BehindMLM reader recommended we replace our evaluate, owing to Zilis having a “fully new product line and comp plan.”
With that in thoughts, right this moment we’re revisiting Zilis for an up to date evaluate.
The Firm
Whereas Zilis was co-founded by Steven and Angie Thompson in 2015, right this moment solely Angie is credited as Zilis’ founder:
There isn’t any point out of Steven Thompson on Zilis’ web site. That mentioned, Angie’s Zilis company bio states she “has labored side-by-side with Steven” because the 90s.
I’m attempting to not learn an excessive amount of into it however it seems one thing went down between Steven and Angie final yr.
Neither of the Thompson’s respective social media profiles have lately featured the opposite and, in October 2024, Zilis put out a press-release saying Angie was taking on as CEO:
Divorce? Separation? No thought, however for all intents and functions Steven Thompson doesn’t seem like publicly concerned in Zilis anymore (Steven’s LinkedIn nonetheless cites him as Zilis’ CEO however I’m assuming that simply hasn’t been up to date).
Zilis’ Merchandise
Zilis’ product vary has been drastically trimmed down, a welcome change over the sprawling overlapped providing in 2017.
Classes throughout Zilis’ merchandise are wholesome weight administration, magnificence and skincare, mobile stability and total wellness, sleep, power and cognition, joint and muscle help and “pet”.
Wholesome Weight Administration
- UltraGlow Powder Sticks – “precision spectrum hemp powder [that provides] weight administration help, promotes a wholesome immune system [and] helps with situational stress”, retails at $164.99 for thirty servings
- B-Match Powder Sticks – beta-caryophyllene urge for food regulation complement, retails at $149.99 for thirty single-serve sticks
Magnificence & Skincare
- Refreshing Foaming Cleanser – “gently take away grime and oil with this superior liquid-to-foam lather”, retails at $67.99 for a 150 ml bottle
- Restore Face and Neck Serum – “cut back the looks of superb strains and wrinkles with this luxury serum”, retails at $149.95 for a 30 ml bottle
- Revive Lip Balm – “soften and soothe dry, chapped lips and cut back the looks of superb strains and wrinkles”, retails at $22.99 for a 0.17 oztube
- Renew Collagen Advanced – “helps pores and skin elasticity and the general look of pores and skin”, retails at $82.99 for a bottle of thirty servings
- Reveal Facial Exfoliant – “helps a wholesome pores and skin complexion by gently washing away impurities”, retails at $59.95 for 1.7 fl oz. tube
- Rehydrate Physique Butter – “a wealthy and silky, non-greasy physique butter that absorbs shortly to nurture and deeply moisturize”, retails at $67.99 for a 4 oz. jar
- Replenish Night time Cream – “an ultra-rich and velvety in a single day cream that improves the looks and firmness of getting older pores and skin whereas we relaxation”, retails at $79.95 for a 1 ozjar
- Get better Moisturizer – “hydrate and nourish the pure barrier of your pores and skin “, retails at $112.99 for a 50 ml bottle
Mobile Stability & Total Wellness
- UltraVibe – “probably the most superior hemp product available on the market”, retails at $59.99 for a 1 fl ozbottle
- UltraShield – “helps a wholesome immune system”, retails at $164.99 for thirty servings
- UltraCell – “helps total, complete physique wellness”, retails at $164.99 for a 30 ml bottle
- UltraCBG – “helps intestine well being and optimum digestion”, retails at $164.99 for a 30 ml bottle
- UltraIce – “helps stability your physique”, retails at $119.99 for a 2 fl ozbottle
- UltraSupport Vitamin C – “helps a wholesome immune system”, no pricing out there (store hyperlink damaged)
- UltraSupport Biotix – “helps a discount of free radicals”, retails at $199.99 for thirty servings
Sleep
- UltraDream – “helps deep, restful sleep during times of occasional restlessness”, retails at $149.95 for a 60 ml bottle
Vitality & Cognition
- UltraCafe Completely happy – “a scrumptious mixture of 100% premium Colombian Arabica espresso and Precision Spectrum Hemp CBC”, no pricing out there (store hyperlink damaged)
- UltraEdge – “cognitive and power help”, retails at $89.95 for a 60 ml bottle of oil or thirty single-serve sachets
Joint & Muscle Help
- UltraCell Topical Gel – “helps total pores and skin well being and pores and skin conditioning”, retails at $97.99 for a 1 fl oztube
Pet
- UltraCell Pet – “wholesome coat and pores and skin conditioning help”, retails at $82.99 for a 0.5 fl ozbottle
Observe there may be nonetheless some overlap with Zilis’ product classes and merchandise. To maintain issues easy I’ve listed merchandise as offered on Zilis’ web site within the first class they seem in.
Whereas a few of Zilis’ web site featured merchandise are absent from its retail storefront, others are within the storefront however not featured on Zilis’ web site.
These merchandise embody:
- Amalaki Powder Sticks – “amalaki juice powder”, retails at $99.9 for thirty servings
- Extremely R&R – “help falling asleep and sustaining restful sleep”, retails at $104.99 for a 0.5 fl ozbottle
Zilis’ Compensation Plan
Zilis’ compensation plan pays on the sale of merchandise to retail prospects and recruited promoters.
Autoship is closely incentivized, for which retail prospects are slugged with a $49 annual payment.
Zilis Promoter Ranks
There are sixteen promoter ranks inside Zilis’ compensation plan.
Together with their respective qualification standards, they’re as follows:
- Ambassador and Lively Ambassador (be aware these seem like the identical rank) – enroll as a Zilis promoter, generate both 50 PV in autoship quantity or 75 PV in common order quantity a month, and have generated 100 PV gathered complete
- Jade – keep both 50 PV in autoship quantity or 75 PV in common order quantity a month and recruit two Ambassador or larger ranked promoters
- Pearl – generate both 100 PV in autoship quantity or 150 PV in regulator order quantity a month, have generated 500 PV gathered complete, recruit three Ambassador or larger ranked promoters and generate 1000 GV a month (max 400 GV from anyone recruitment leg)
- Opal – keep both 100 PV in autoship quantity or 150 PV in regulator order quantity a month, recruit 4 Ambassador or larger ranked promoters and generate 3000 GV a month (max 1200 GV from anyone recruitment leg)
- Ruby – keep both 100 PV in autoship quantity or 150 PV in regulator order quantity a month, keep 4 personally recruited Ambassador or larger ranked promoters (a minimum of one Jade or larger), generate 6500 GV a month (max 2600 GV from anyone recruitment leg and min 1000 GV on both aspect of the binary crew)
- Ruby Elite – keep both 100 PV in autoship quantity or 150 PV in regulator order quantity a month, keep 4 personally recruited Ambassador or larger ranked promoters (a minimum of two Jades or larger), generate 10,000 GV a month (max 4000 GV from anyone recruitment leg and min 2000 GV on both aspect of the binary crew)
- Sapphire – generate both 150 PV in autoship quantity or 225 PV in regulator order quantity a month, keep 4 personally recruited Ambassador or larger ranked promoters (a minimum of two Jades or larger), generate 20,000 GV a month (max 8000 GV from anyone recruitment leg and min 4000 GV on both aspect of the binary crew)
- Sapphire Elite – keep both 150 PV in autoship quantity or 225 PV in regulator order quantity a month, recruit 4 Jade or larger ranked promoters, generate 30,000 GV a month (max 12,000 GV from anyone recruitment leg and min 6000 GV on both aspect of the binary crew)
- Emerald – keep both 150 PV in autoship quantity or 225 PV in regulator order quantity a month, recruit six Jade or larger ranked promoters, generate 60,000 GV a month (max 24,000 GV from anyone recruitment leg and min 18,000 GV on both aspect of the binary crew)
- Emerald Elite – keep both 150 PV in autoship quantity or 225 PV in regulator order quantity a month, recruit eight Jade or larger ranked promoters, generate 150,000 GV a month (max 60,000 GV from anyone recruitment leg and min 60,000 GV on both aspect of the binary crew)
- Diamond – generate both 200 PV in autoship quantity or 300 PV in regulator order quantity a month, recruit ten Jade or larger ranked promoters, generate 300,000 GV a month (max 90,000 GV from anyone recruitment leg and min 120,000 GV on both aspect of the binary crew)
- Double Diamond – keep both 200 PV in autoship quantity or 300 PV in regulator order quantity a month, keep ten personally recruited Jade or larger ranked promoters, generate 600,000 GV a month (max 180,000 GV from anyone recruitment leg and min 240,000 GV on both aspect of the binary crew)
- Triple Diamond – keep both 200 PV in autoship quantity or 300 PV in regulator order quantity a month, keep ten personally recruited Jade or larger ranked promoters, generate 1,000,000 GV a month (max 300,000 GV from anyone recruitment leg and min 400,000 GV on both aspect of the binary crew)
- Black Diamond Elite – generate both 300 PV in autoship quantity or 450 PV in regulator order quantity a month, recruit twelve Jade or larger ranked promoters, generate 2,000,000 GV a month (max 600,000 GV from anyone recruitment leg and min 800,000 GV on both aspect of the binary crew)
- Double Black Diamond Elite – keep both 300 PV in autoship quantity or 450 PV in regulator order quantity a month, keep twelve personally recruited Jade or larger ranked promoters, generate 4,000,000 GV a month (max 1,200,000 GV from anyone recruitment leg and min 1,600,000 GV on both aspect of the binary crew)
- Triple Black Diamond Elite – keep both 300 PV in autoship quantity or 450 PV in regulator order quantity a month, keep twelve personally recruited Jade or larger ranked promoters, generate 8,000,000 GV a month (max 2,400,000 GV from anyone recruitment leg and min 3,200,000 GV on both aspect of the binary crew)
PV stands for “Private Quantity”. PV is generated through autoship and non-autoship orders by a Zilis promoter and referred retail prospects.
GV stands for “Group Quantity”. GV is the PV complete of a Zilis promoter and their downline.
Observe that required recruited Jade or larger ranked promoters should be cut up evenly on each binary crew sides.
Additionally be aware there’s a discrepancy the place for Opal and decrease ranked, required recruited promoters may be substituted with retail prospects on autoship. This isn’t mirrored within the common rank compensation chart so I’ve simply caught with recruited promoter necessities.
Retail Commissions
Zilis pays commissions on retail buyer orders.
Retail commissions are paid because the distinction between the retail and wholesale worth of merchandise ordered.
Recruitment Commissions
Zilis pays an undisclosed fee on recruitment of promoters who enroll on the Bronze ($299) to Gold ($999) tiers.
Residual Commissions
Zilis pays residual commissions through a binary compensation construction.
A binary compensation construction locations a promoter on the prime of a binary crew, cut up into two sides (left and proper):
The primary degree of the binary crew homes two positions. The second degree of the binary crew is generated by splitting these first two positions into one other two positions every (4 positions).
Subsequent ranges of the binary crew are generated as required, with every new degree housing twice as many positions because the earlier degree.
Positions within the binary crew are crammed through direct and oblique recruitment of promoters. Observe there isn’t any restrict to how deep a binary crew can develop.
On the finish of every week Zilis tallies up new gross sales quantity on each side of the binary crew. If a minimal 300 GV is tallied up on the weaker binary crew aspect, residual commissions are paid out as follows:
- Ambassadors earn 10%, capped at (not disclosed, additionally be aware Ambassadors should recruit two promoters to qualify for residual commissions)
- Lively Ambassadors earn 10%, capped at (not disclosed, additionally be aware Ambassadors should recruit two promoters to qualify for residual commissions)
- Jades earn 10%, capped at $250 per week
- Pearls earn 11%, capped at $500 per week
- Opals earn 11%, capped at $750 per week
- Rubys earn 12%, capped at $875 per week
- Ruby Elites earn 12%, capped at $1000 per week
- Sapphires earn 12%, capped at $1750 per week
- Sapphire Elites earn 12%, capped at $2500 per week
- Emeralds earn 12%, capped at $5000 per week
- Emerald Elites earn 12%, capped at $10,000 per week
- Diamonds earn 12%, capped at $15,000 per week
- Double Diamonds earn 12%, capped at $20,000 per week
- Triple Diamonds earn 12%, capped at $25,000 per week
- Black Diamond Elites and better earn 12%, capped at $30,000 per week
Observe that new Zilis promoters who enroll on the Silver or Gold tier obtain “pay to play” residual fee charges for one yr:
- pay $499 to enroll on the Silver Zilis promoter tier and obtain an 11% residual fee charge, capped at $1000 per week for first 60 days
- pay $999 to enroll on the Gold Zilis promoter tier and obtain a 12% residual fee charge, capped at $2500 per week for first 60 days
After sixty days residual commissions are capped based mostly on rank. After one yr residual fee charges are adjusted per relevant rank.
As soon as paid out on, weaker binary crew aspect quantity is matched towards the stronger binary crew aspect and flushed.
Leftover quantity on the stronger binary crew aspect carries over provided that a Zilis promoter is producing both 100 PV a month in autoship quantity or 150 PV a month in common order quantity.
Matching Bonus
Zilis pays a Matching Bonus through a unilevel compensation construction.
A unilevel compensation construction locations a promoter on the prime of a unilevel crew, with each personally recruited promoter positioned straight below them (degree 1):
If any degree 1 promoters recruit new promoters, they’re positioned on degree 2 of the unique promoter’s unilevel crew.
If any degree 2 promoters recruit new promoters, they’re positioned on degree 3 and so forth and so forth down a theoretical infinite variety of ranges.
Zilis caps the Matching Bonus at seven unilevel crew ranges.
The Matching Bonus is paid as a proportion of residual commissions earned throughout these seven ranges based mostly on rank:
- Opal and Ruby ranked promoters earn a 20% match on degree 1 (personally recruited promoters)
- Ruby Elites earn a 20% match on degree 1 and 10% on degree 2
- Sapphires earn a 20% match on degree 1, 10% on degree 2 and 5% on degree 3
- Sapphire Elites earn a 20% match on degree 1, 10% on degree 2 and 5% on ranges 3 and 4
- Emeralds earn a 20% match on degree 1, 10% on degree 2 and 5% on ranges 3 to five
- Emerald Elites earn a 20% match on degree 1, 10% on degree 2 and 5% on ranges 3 to six
- Diamond Executives and above earn a 20% match on degree 1, 10% on degree 2 and 5% on ranges 3 to 7
Blessing Bonus
The Blessing Bonus sees Opal and better ranked Zilis promoters in a position to present $100 into “their area people” every month.
It’s the sole discretion of every Ambassador to decide on the place they offer their Blessing Bonus.
Life-style Bonus
The Life-style Bonus is a month-to-month bonus paid to Ruby Elite and better ranked Zilis promoters:
- Ruby Elites obtain $400 a month
- Sapphires obtain $500 a month
- Sapphire Elites obtain $1000 a month
- Emeralds obtain $1500 a month
- Diamonds obtain $2500 a month
- Double Diamonds obtain $3000 a month
- Triple Diamonds obtain $3500 a month
- Black Diamond Elites obtain $4000 a month
- Double Black Diamond Elites obtain $4500 a month
- Triple Black Diamond Elites obtain $5000 a month
World Bonus Pool
Zilis units apart 2% of company-wide gross sales quantity and locations it into the World Bonus Pool.
The World Bonus Pool is paid out to Sapphire Elite and better ranked promoters based mostly on shares:
- Sapphire Elites obtain one World Bonus Pool share
- Emeralds obtain two World Bonus Pool shares
- Emerald Elites and better obtain three World Bonus Pool shares
The World Bonus Pool is paid out quarterly.
Rank Achievement Bonuses
Zilis’ compensation plan lists what seems to be rank-based bonuses however doesn’t elaborate.
Nonetheless, that is the data offered:
- qualify at Ruby Elite and obtain a “customized watch”
- qualify at Emerald and obtain an “Emerald cruise”
- qualify at Diamond and obtain “customized Diamond baggage” and a “Diamond luxurious journey”
Numerous rank recognition plaques and crystals are additionally out there at different ranks.
Becoming a member of Zilis
Becoming a member of Zilis as a promoter prices between $99 and $999:
- Fundamental – $99
- Bronze – $299
- Silver – $499
- Gold – $999
The first distinction between the Zilis promoter choices is earnings potential and bundled product.
Zilis Conclusion
Zilis’ trimmed down product catalog seems to coincide with breaking away from its Zen Mist roots. This was an apparent carry over from the Thompson’s time at LiveSmart 360 and Cyberwize earlier than it.
There’s nonetheless some class overlap however by and enormous every product class has sufficient merchandise in for selection, however not sufficient to be daunting.
I did discover pricing to be a bit on the excessive aspect. Zilis has loads of $100+ dietary supplements and this is perhaps a tough promote given the competitors (MLM and non-MLM).
Not serving to is Zilis charging retail prospects for autoship. Historically an MLM firm makes use of autoship as a retail incentive. Retail prospects decide to a month-to-month order in alternate for a reduction; win-win.
Zilis prices retail prospects $49 yearly for entry to autoship, for no different motive than to current a major hurdle in direction of producing retail gross sales.
In the event you take into account the idea behind charging retail autoship prospects a payment, issues solely worsen. Clearly the infrastructure to take retail orders is already there, so we will rule out the $49 payment having something to do with growth prices.
The one different factor we’re left with is the payment is meant to eat away at autoship reductions, such {that a} retail buyer feels obligated to order over nevertheless many months it takes to recoup the $49 payment and begin really saving.
In an try to justify the $49 payment, Zilis attracts comparisons to Costco and Sam’s Membership;
It’s estimated that 94 million People have a Costco or Sam’s Membership membership. The very fact is that everybody likes to buy
their favourite merchandise on the deepest low cost doable.With a view to meet shopper calls for, Zilis has created the VIP Buyer program.
Yeah that’s fairly disingenuous. Costco and Sam’s Membership present entry to hundreds of merchandise. Zilis has a comparative handful.
Even when we take into account Zilis’ earlier abundance of merchandise, they nonetheless solely catered to particular niches.
I’m talking strictly as a shopper right here, an organization desirous to cost me $49 for reductions on a handful of merchandise is a non-starter. I’d promptly take my enterprise elsewhere with no second thought.
There’s no sugar-coating it, Zilis’ charging retail prospects $49 yearly for autoship is simply unhealthy.
Zilis won’t care their “VIP Buyer” autoship payment is unhealthy for retail prospects, as a result of it’s not meant for retail prospects:
It might appear Zilis’ retail autoship is in actual fact only a cheaper “you don’t earn something” possibility for potential promoters who can’t afford $99 or extra.
Cannibalizing retail prospects into promoters reinforces recruitment over retail gross sales. This was an issue with Zilis’ compensation plan as reviewed in 2017.
Earlier than we get into Zilis 2025 compensation plan, I wish to level out that it appears like a legacy compensation plan. That’s to say Zilis’ compensation plan is filled with outdated restrictions and gotchas, sometimes related to Nineteen Nineties by means of 2010s MLM compensation plans.
Zilis’ promoter rank qualification standards is a primary instance.
Zilis’ compensation plan wasn’t headache inducing however I undoubtedly needed to cross-reference a number of definitions for the compensation part of this evaluate.
Issues could possibly be made lots less complicated, however as an alternative you’ve acquired at least six qualification standards for every rank. And a few are in a position to cancel out the remaining (unilevel or binary GV must be sufficient, specifying minimums for each is only a grasping gotcha).
Zilis’ 2017 compensation plan was closely geared in direction of autoship recruitment. Charging retail prospects an autoship payment isn’t going to do something to treatment that.
In actual fact a lot of BehindMLM’s criticism surrounding Zilis’ autoship recruitment focus have carried into its new March 2025 compensation plan.
Particularly:
- no retail gross sales quantity necessities;
- retail gross sales punished over autoship gross sales by the use of requiring larger non-autoship quantity for rank qualification (leaning in direction of promoter autoship recruitment owing to the $49 annual retail buyer payment);
- “pay to play” in Zilis becoming a member of ranks, pay extra to earn extra; and
Get your Zilis enterprise launched with the merchandise you might want to meet the wants of your Prospects whereas maximizing your incomes potential out of the gate.
Once you enroll with both a Silver or Gold Pack, you’ll qualify for the next Binary fee proportion to your first full yr within the enterprise.
- promoter autoship marketed as a approach to improve enterprise versus self-consumption
Crucial element of autoship is guaranteeing you will have the merchandise you might want to pattern, promote, present, and reveal.
Recruitment commissions are nonetheless a factor in Zilis, regardless of the corporate’s efforts to cover them:
Eligible Ambassadors earn a Quick Begin Bonus (FSB) after they personally enroll a brand new VIP Buyer or Unbiased Ambassador that chooses a promotional product enrollment pack.
A VIP Buyer (retail buyer on autoship) isn’t going to enroll with a promoter enrollment pack. In the event that they did, they might now not be a VIP Buyer.
So in actual fact the one factor the Quick Begin Bonus is paid out on is promoter recruitment.
I believe between 2017 and now the general make-up of Zilis hasn’t modified. In that you just seemingly have an organization stuffed with promoters on autoship, getting paid on recruitment of promoters additionally on autoship.
There’s actually nothing to discourage this in Zilis compensation plan.
The excellent news is establishing this on a micro degree is straightforward. Ask your potential upline what their month-to-month qualification PV is and the way they’re qualifying.
If it’s by means of a month-to-month autoship order of their very own, ask for proof of corresponding retail PV. You wish to see a minimum of as a lot retail PV being generated equal to their very own order.
Something much less, or by no means, would reveal that promoter is operating their Zilis MLM enterprise as a pyramid scheme.
I’ll end up with this disclosure in Zilis’ compensation plan that caught my eye;
Zilis requires Emerald Ambassadors and above to execute an Exclusivity & Dedication Settlement.
This settlement consists of obligatory attendance at Zilis’ Annual Conventions (and every other particularly named occasions), in addition to settlement to an unique dealing relationship through which Zilis is the one direct promoting firm through which an Emerald Ambassador or larger has a distributorship.
The Management Settlement should be executed inside 30 days of accomplishment of the rank of Emerald Ambassador with a view to proceed receiving Emerald Ambassador and above rewards, advantages, and incentives.
Exclusivity contracts between MLM firms and prime promoters is nothing new, however I imagine that is the primary time I’ve seen them overtly disclosed. In a compensation plan no much less.
It is a credit score to Zilis and after all else, is sweet to see. I feel its truthful if an MLM firm goes to reveal commerce secrets and techniques to prime promoters that they be certain to the corporate beforehand.
Zilis’ Management Settlement is successfully an NDA, which once more is normal however not often publicly disclosed (sometimes solely when a butthurt firm takes authorized retaliation after somebody leaves).
Zilis’ Management Settlement doesn’t prohibit somebody from leaving Zilis to hitch one other MLM, it simply stops prime promoters from gathering a verify from Zilis whereas having successfully deserted the enterprise.
You won’t agree however to their credit score, Zilis is upfront about what they count on from promoter leaders. That degree of transparency in an space sometimes granted no transparency, is commendable.
Sadly till Zilis’ deal with its autoship recruitment centered compensation plan nevertheless, the MLM alternative as an entire must be approached with warning.
