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Expanding into new markets can be both exciting and overwhelming for online sellers. From navigating local regulations to managing logistics and pricing, the barriers to global growth are real. That’s where Rakuten stands out. As a globally integrated e-commerce ecosystem with strong footholds across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, Rakuten offers sellers a unique opportunity to access diverse consumer markets through localized platforms designed to support independent growth.
Known for its loyalty-driven customer base, seller-friendly tools, and decentralized marketplace model, Rakuten helps sellers not only reach new audiences - but build long-term, sustainable value.
This article is your practical guide to selling on Rakuten: you’ll get a global overview of the marketplace’s reach, learn what it takes to launch and operate successfully in different regions, and discover strategies to optimize pricing, logistics, and visibility. Whether you’re new to cross-border selling or looking to scale smarter, this guide gives you the insight to make Rakuten work for your business.
Founded in Japan in 1997, Rakuten has grown into one of the largest e-commerce and internet services companies worldwide. The company operates country-specific marketplaces under the Rakuten brand in Japan, France, Spain, and Taiwan, with additional digital commerce and fintech services extending its influence across over 30 countries.
Globally, the Rakuten ecosystem supports over 55,000 merchants and encompasses services across shopping, finance, mobile, advertising, and logistics.
Each regional platform is tailored to the needs of its local market, offering sellers access to deeply engaged, loyalty-driven customer bases, with Rakuten’s signature Super Points Program and Club R cashback initiatives central to user retention and repeat purchasing.
Rakuten pioneered the concept of e-commerce loyalty rewards, and its global cashback strategy remains a defining feature. In Japan and several international markets, Rakuten Super Points are awarded on almost all purchases - typically at a base rate of 1%, with promotions pushing this up to 3x - 5x during campaign events.
This unified rewards system strengthens customer stickiness and raises average basket size and purchase frequency - key metrics for sellers seeking reliable lifetime value and looking to reprice products dynamically during high-demand periods.
In addition, localized loyalty initiatives, such as Club R in France and seasonal cashback events in Taiwan and Spain, provide sellers with tools to amplify conversion rates and visibility within a highly competitive digital landscape.
Rakuten operates its marketplaces independently by country, meaning seller registration and compliance processes vary by region. For example, Rakuten Japan accepts both domestic and international sellers, but international sellers must either have a local business registration in Japan or partner with a Japanese intermediary. In Europe, Rakuten France and Spain accept EEA-based sellers with valid VAT documentation. Sellers can explore solutions like Taxually to help manage VAT registration and compliance more efficiently. Rakuten Taiwan provides a simplified registration process tailored for regional exporters, particularly in categories like fashion and electronics.
While exact requirements differ by region, core compliance standards remain consistent. Sellers are expected to provide customer service in the local language, such as French or Spanish. Pricing must always include relevant local taxes, and adherence to local consumer protection laws is strictly enforced. This includes offering returns and refunds, alongside clear communication of shipping timelines. These standards ensure a seamless buying experience and reinforce buyer confidence across all markets - especially when paired with repricing tools that keep offers competitive and compliant.
Rakuten’s catalog systems differ slightly by region. In France and Spain, the platform uses a consolidated multi-offer model, where sellers of the same product compete within a shared listing, similar to Amazon’s Buy Box.
Regardless of format, well-structured listings are essential. Product titles should always include the brand, model, and distinguishing features. Descriptions must be written in the local language and provide clear, accurate information on product specifications. Sellers should also include high-quality images with clean backgrounds and multiple angles to showcase the product’s use and condition. Furthermore, listing products with valid identifiers, such as EAN, JAN, or ISBN codes, is required for catalog integration or the creation of new listings when necessary.
Consistency and clarity are key. These practices not only improve discoverability and user experience but also make products eligible for inclusion in seasonal promotions and sitewide campaigns - especially when combined with repricer platforms that automatically adjust pricing in real-time based on competition and demand.
Across its international network - including Japan, France, Spain, the United States, and others - Rakuten maintains a marketplace model that emphasizes competitivepricing, sellerperformance, and customer-centric service. While each regional platform operates with some local nuances, the overarching pricing mechanics are built around transparency, loyalty incentives, and fair competition among merchants.
In most Rakuten marketplaces, products are listed using a catalog-based structurewhere multiple sellers can offer the same item under one product page. Rakuten’s proprietary algorithm determines the most prominently displayed offer - often featured under a “Buy Now” or equivalent call-to-action - based on a combination of:
Unlike platforms that rely solely on price-driven buy boxes, Rakuten balances cost with buyer satisfaction metrics. This means merchants with strong fulfillment practices, faster shipping, or better reviews may win the top placement even when not offering the lowest price.
To remain competitive, many sellers use automated repricers, such as Multiply, to update their listings based on real-time changes in market conditions. These repricing strategies allow sellers to adjust prices dynamically while still preserving margins and compliance with regional pricing laws.
Globally, Rakuten enforces regional pricing compliance, including VAT/GST inclusion, currency conversion accuracy, and clear disclosure of all charges. Sellers must price in accordance with local consumer protection laws, ensuring buyers receive full cost visibility before checkout.
Seller performance plays a vital role in visibility and sales outcomes across all Rakuten platforms. Metrics that matter most include order accuracy, dispatch speed, responsiveness to customer queries, return handling efficiency, and overall buyer satisfactionas reflected in post-sale feedback.
High-performing sellers are rewarded with improved placement in product listings, increased exposure during promotional events, and access to enhanced features. Maintaining strong metrics is thus essential not only for growth but also for preserving trust within the Rakuten ecosystem, and using a repricer can ensure that pricing remains competitive without requiring constant manual adjustments, freeing you to focus on customer service and fulfillment.
Rakuten provides an extensive array of promotional and advertising options tailored to each market. The Rakuten Advertising platform offers affiliate marketing, display ads, and search-based targeting, enabling sellers to directly reach high-intent users through Rakuten-owned and partner media channels.
In Europe, Mirakl Ads facilitates automated keyword and category-based bidding to increase product visibility within Rakuten France and other EU marketplaces. You can also participate in region-specific campaignssuch as Japan’s Super Sale or Club R Days in France, which feature boosted cashback offers and platform-wide exposure. These campaigns are supported by Rakuten’s internal marketing assets - including push notifications, mobile apps, email newsletters, and influencer content - giving sellers broad exposure to loyal shoppers.
Rakuten does not operate a single global fulfillment infrastructure but instead leverages regional logistics partnerships tailored to each marketplace’s needs. In Europe, the Rakuten Fulfillment Network provides warehousing, packing, and shipping services through trusted third-party providers, offering reliable delivery across the EU.
Sellers are expected to comply with local standards, ensuring that products are delivered on time, tracked throughout shipment, and supported by responsive customer service for returns and inquiries - while using repricing tools and software to maintain competitiveness across varied shipping models and regions.
To support sellers operating at scale, Rakuten offers a range of integration tools. API access, along with CSV and XML data feed capabilities, allows for seamless automation of product listings, inventory synchronization, and order management.
Sellers can also leverage multichannel e-commerce platforms like Multiply, which specialize in repricer functionality. These integrations enable dynamic repricing, centralised performance tracking, and SKU-level reporting to inform sales strategy and improve operational efficiency.
Rakuten’s global ecosystem offers a decentralised yet unified opportunity for sellers seeking to enter high-value, loyalty-driven e-commerce markets. With strong customer engagement, regional flexibility, and robust tools for data optimisation, Rakuten supports businesses of all sizes in finding and serving the right audiences - whether in Japan, Europe, or beyond.
While operational complexity can increase due to localisation requirements, the payoff is access to millions of active, reward-focused customers in stable and mature economies. With the right tools, language support, repricing tools and strategy and product strategy, sellers can thrive in Rakuten’s global network and build long-term brand value in markets traditionally hard to access through other platforms.
For those aiming to scale internationally with control, Rakuten is not just a marketplace, it’s a full ecosystem ready for strategic expansion.
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