How to sell on Rakuten?

The potential of the use of internet is endless. Come 2016 and the internet has become a very happening market platform. There are various sites where customers can buy almost anything they want, without having to make an effort ( thanks to home deliveries and CODs ). These sites at the same time offer a marketing platform to people who want to start a business. In this article lets look in detail on How to sell on Rakuten.

Why sell on Rakuten?

when you can start your own Rakuten like site instantly!

Click HERE to Start NOW!

Rakuten is a Japanese e-commerce and internet services company based in Tokyo, Japan. It is the third largest eCommerce site in the world after Amazon and eBay. Rakuten started expanding outside Japan in 2005. Rakuten now operates in USA, UK, Austria, France, Germany, Brazil, Spain and Taiwan.

Just like other sites available to sellers like Amazon and eBay, signing up as a seller on Rakuten is very simple. You just need to create a seller profile on Rakuten and then list your products.

Getting started

Step 1. On your laptop or desktop, open the official Rakuten site (Click here).

Step 2. Click on ‘Start Selling’.

Step 3. Create a new account on Rakuten. Fill in the details –

Email address, date of birth and a password of your choice.

Step 4. Agree to the terms and conditions, and click on ‘Create Account’.

Step 5. You will be redirected to another page where you will have to fill in your store details. Enter your shop/store name and it’s description. Mention whether you are operating from US or Japan. Note that, Rakuten selling platform is only available in these two countries.

Fill in your business information, address and contact information.

Step 6. Finally, list your product on your Rakuten store after receiving their approval.

Eligibility

Sellers on Rakuten have to be based in USA. The following documents are required to sell on Rakuten –

  1. Valid credit card
  2. Tax ID
  3. Checking account information

If you happen to be based outside USA and wish to sell on Rakuten, then you will have to meet the following requirements –

  1. US checking account
  2. US credit card
  3. US customer service phone number and address.

Selling on Rakuten

After you’ve created an account on Rakuten, you will have to wait for 3-10 business days for your setup to process. The speed of your integration will depend on your size of your catalog and your resources.

Your Rakuten account will be eligible to sell only within USA. Rakuten will take a commission fee and a selling fee on everything that you sell from their site.

How does it work?

The process is similar to the ones followed on other selling sites. First you create a seller profile and list your products on Rakuten. After your store has been setup on Rakuten, you can begin selling. Once a customer sees your product and purchases it, you will receive a notification so that you can ship the item as soon as possible. The seller has to ship the item within two days of the purchase.

Once, the shipment is confirmed. Rakuten will deposit the funds into your account after deducting it’s commission and selling fee. Rakuten will pay you on a weekly basis directly into your business checking account via an ACH transfer.

The seller can customize his online store on Rakuten. Rakuten tries to offer its customers a personal experience, so the seller can customize his/her page with their own unique layouts, picture and promotion.

Charges on Rakuten

Listing your products is free on Rakuten. Rakuten charges two different fees on each item you sell. One is their commission fee which varies depending on the type of product you sell, the other fee is the selling fee. Rakuten charges 0.99 cents on every item you sell as item selling fee.

Here are the commission rates –

Rakuten Membership

Rakuten offers its customers membership at $33 per month and $99 quarterly. With the membership you can avail the following features –

  1. Account Manager – assists with your accounts and promotions.
  2. R-Mail (CRM Mail) – is a tool that allows merchants to mail customers that have previously purchased from them. Once a merchant has a list of customer, they can create a customized email of their product and send it to their customer base.
  3. Rakuten Points – Rakuten points are given to customers when they make a purchase, which can be used in future purchases. These points are used by Rakuten and sellers to run promotional campaigns where the customer will get a certain percent of their purchase back in the form of Rakuten points.
  4. Customizable Merchant Storefront – With this tool the seller can create and customize their personal storefront.
  5. Personalized URL – The seller will receive a personal url to their store which is customizable.
  6. Robust Shipping Engine – Allows the seller to customize shipping settings based on the weight, number, location and dollar amount.
  7. Sales Report and Insights – It is a reporting tool that keeps the seller informed with data of sales, order and product information.
  8. Merchandizing Placement – provides opportunities (both paid and non paid) of product placement on the website and promotional emails.
  9. Redesigned Seller Portal – Interface where the seller can manage their account settings.

Products prohibited on Rakuten

Here are a list of products that you are prohibited from selling on Rakuten –

  1. Alcohol
  2. Tobacco, vaporizers, etc.
  3. Hoverboards, electronic jammers, pirated hardware, etc.
  4. Explosives
  5. Monetary – paper currency, lottery tickets, etc.
  6. Weapons and firearms
  7. Rakuten also prohibits the sale of renowned luxury fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada, Gucci etc. without prior approval.

Hope you learnt How to sell on Rakuten. In case you have any questions / clarifications, please mention it in the comments section below 🙂

FAQ:

Can users from other countries order products on Rakuten?

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Can I do Drop shipping on Rakuten?