Thinking of monetizing your website, blog, or social media following in 2025? Rakuten Advertising might already be on your radar, and for good reason. With decades in the affiliate industry and partnerships with some of the world’s biggest brands, it’s one of the more established names in the performance marketing world.
But is Rakuten Advertising actually worth your time, especially in 2025? In this guide, we’ll walk you through how it works, how to sign up, what to watch out for, and whether it’s the right fit for you.
Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
What Is Rakuten Advertising?
Rakuten Advertising is a global affiliate marketing network that connects advertisers (brands) with publishers (like bloggers, influencers, and websites) who want to promote those brands in exchange for commission. This is usually done through affiliate links, banner ads, and other marketing tools.
It’s a great easy-to-use tool that simplifies the entire affiliate marketing process.
How Rakuten Advertising Works
Once you’re approved as a publisher, you can browse and apply to individual brand programs. Each brand sets its own terms: commission rates, cookie durations, and approval requirements. After you’re accepted, you’ll get access to that brand’s creative assets and affiliate links.
When someone clicks your link and completes a qualifying action (usually a purchase), you earn a commission.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how it works:
- Sign up as a publisher on Rakuten Advertising.
- Apply to individual brand programs (e.g., Walmart, Macy’s, Samsung).
- Add affiliate links or banners to your content.
- Earn commission when users click and convert.
- Get paid once you reach the minimum payout threshold.
Rakuten tracks everything through its backend dashboard, so you’ll know how each campaign is performing.
How to Create Your Rakuten Advertising Account
Creating an account is free but takes a little more effort than some other platforms. Here’s how to get started:
- Go to rakutenadvertising.com and select “Publishers” > “Join Now.”
- Choose your country, then fill out details about your website, blog, or traffic source.
- Add your payment and tax info.
- Wait for Rakuten’s approval. This can take 2–5 business days.
- Once approved, start applying to affiliate programs within the dashboard.
Extra Tip: Brands on Rakuten tend to be pickier. Make sure your site looks professional and has original content before applying. Originality and authenticity is the key for success in 2025.
Affiliate Network Finder
Discover the best affiliate programs for your niche
Rakuten Advertising Pros & Cons
Like any platform, Rakuten Advertising has its strengths and weaknesses. Here’s a quick look at both:
Alternatives to Rakuten Advertising
If Rakuten Advertising doesn’t quite work for you, here are some solid affiliate network alternatives that you might like better:
- ShareASale: Great for beginners with tons of niche merchants.
- CJ Affiliate: Similar to Rakuten in terms of scale and brand access.
- Impact: Sleek interface, great reporting, and access to DTC brands.
- Awin: Another global player with a mix of mainstream and indie advertisers.
- Amazon Associates: Not a traditional network, but still a solid pick for beginner-friendly affiliate earnings.
You can also explore direct affiliate programs, which brands often host on their own sites. These can have higher pay-outs at times.
Tips to Get the Most Out of Rakuten Advertising
If you’re going to use Rakuten Advertising in 2025, here are a few tips to help you succeed:
- Be selective with brand partnerships. Focus on brands that align with your audience and content.
- Use deep links. These send users to specific product pages rather than generic homepages (higher conversion rates).
- Track your best performers. Use UTM parameters or subIDs to track what’s working and what’s not.
- Keep your content updated. Affiliate links that lead to expired deals or out-of-stock products kill trust, and your commissions.
- Monitor reporting tools. Don’t “set it and forget it”; optimize based on what’s performing.
What Other Services/Partnerships Does Rakuten Offer?
Beyond affiliate marketing, Rakuten Advertising provides:
- Programmatic display and media buying for advertisers.
- Influencer marketing solutions.
- Data-driven retargeting and dynamic ads.
- Access to Rakuten Rewards, which gives advertisers another way to promote offers through cash back incentives.
- Rakuten Viber and Rakuten TV, opening doors for global advertising opportunities.
If you’re a brand, these additional tools can help with multi-channel performance campaigns that go beyond traditional affiliate.
Final Thoughts: Is Rakuten Advertising Right for You?
If you’re serious about affiliate marketing and want easy access to some of the world’s top brands all in one place, Rakuten Advertising is definitely worth exploring. The approval process and dashboard have a steeper learning curve, but once you’re in, the potential is solid, especially for bloggers, YouTubers, and content creators with consistent traffic.
That said, if you’re a total beginner or looking for quick wins with smaller brands, you might find platforms like ShareASale or Amazon Associates easier to start with.
FAQs About Rakuten Advertising
1. Is Rakuten Advertising legit?
Yes, Rakuten Advertising is a legitimate, long-established affiliate network trusted by global brands and publishers.
2. How much can I earn with Rakuten Advertising?
Earnings vary based on traffic, niche, and conversion rates. Some publishers make a few hundred per month, while others make thousands.
3. Does Rakuten Advertising work for beginners?
It can, but there’s a learning curve. New affiliates might prefer simpler networks like ShareASale.
4. How long does approval take?
Initial approval from Rakuten can take a few business days. Individual advertiser approvals may take longer.
5. When do you get paid?
Rakuten pays on a net-60 schedule, meaning you’ll receive commissions 60 days after the end of the month in which the sale occurred.
