Rakuten Advertising Review (2025): How to Make Money as an Affiliate

What Is Rakuten Advertising?

Rakuten Advertising — formerly known as Rakuten Marketing — is one of the world’s largest and most established affiliate networks, connecting publishers (affiliates) with premium global brands across retail, finance, and technology.

Founded in 1996 as “LinkShare” and acquired by Rakuten Group (the Japanese e-commerce giant often called “the Amazon of Japan”), Rakuten Advertising operates in over 200 countries and manages thousands of advertiser programs — from household names to luxury brands.

💡 Fun fact: Rakuten has repeatedly ranked as one of the Top 5 Affiliate Networks in the world by mThink Blue Book for more than a decade.

How Does Rakuten Advertising Work?

Rakuten acts as the middleman between brands and affiliates, providing the technology, tracking, and payment infrastructure that lets you promote top-tier companies and earn commissions for generating leads or sales.

For Affiliates (Publishers):

1. Join for free at RakutenAdvertising.com.

2. Complete your publisher profile (include website details and niche).

3. Browse the Advertiser Directory to find brands to promote.

4. Apply to individual programs that fit your niche (manual approval required).

5. Once approved, generate affiliate links or banners.

6. Promote them via your website, blog, email list, or social channels.

7. Earn commissions for every sale, lead, or action tracked.

For Advertisers (Brands):

Rakuten provides affiliate program management, tracking technology, and brand partnerships to help companies scale through performance-based marketing.

💡 Pro Tip: Unlike beginner networks, Rakuten focuses on quality brands and reliable long-term affiliate relationships — ideal for established affiliates and content creators.

Who Should Use Rakuten Advertising?

👨‍💻 For Affiliates

Rakuten Advertising is ideal if you:

• Run a content site, review blog, or YouTube channel

• Want to promote well-known brands (retail, fashion, electronics, travel, finance)

• Have SEO or social media traffic ready to monetize

• Prefer long-term, brand-safe partnerships

• Want to get paid on time by a trusted, global network

🏢 For Advertisers

Rakuten is perfect for enterprise brands that want to:

• Manage and scale their affiliate programs globally

• Access high-quality publishers

• Use advanced tools for tracking, data analysis, and influencer outreach

Pros and Cons of Rakuten Advertising

✅ Pros

• Trusted global brand with 25+ years in business

• Access to thousands of premium advertisers

• High conversion rates thanks to brand reputation

• Reliable tracking and on-time payments

• Strong reporting and analytics dashboard

• Dedicated affiliate managers

• Supports multi-currency and multi-language programs

❌ Cons

• Manual approvals required for each merchant

• Not ideal for beginners with no traffic or track record

• Interface can feel dated compared to newer platforms

• Minimum payout ($50) may be slow for small-volume affiliates

Best Rakuten Advertising Niches & Brands (2025)

Rakuten partners with hundreds of household names and niche advertisers.
Here are some of the best verticals and example brands you can promote:

💡 Pro Tip: Focus on high-trust consumer brands — they convert better, especially with SEO-driven traffic.

How to Get Started with Rakuten Advertising

Step-by-Step:

1. Go to RakutenAdvertising.com.

2. Click “Join as a Publisher.”

3. Fill in your contact info, website URL, and niche.

4. Wait for approval (usually 24–48 hours).

5. Log into your publisher dashboard and browse advertiser programs.

6. Apply to individual merchants that fit your content.

7. Once approved, copy your affiliate link and start promoting!

Payment Methods: Direct Deposit, Check, PayPal (varies by region)
Payment Frequency: Monthly
Minimum Payout: $50

Rakuten Advertising vs Other Affiliate Networks

Verdict:
Rakuten Advertising stands out for its high-quality brands, trusted infrastructure, and global partnerships.
It’s best suited for affiliates who already have traffic or SEO authority and want to work directly with household names instead of random offers.

How to Make Money with Rakuten Advertising

1. Create Brand-Focused SEO Content

Write product reviews, comparisons, and roundups.
Examples:

“Best Travel Booking Sites in 2025 (Ranked by Perks & Price)”
“Top 10 Fitness Brands with Affiliate Programs”
“Dell vs Lenovo: Which Laptop Is Better for Creators?”

2. Use YouTube Product Reviews

Make authentic unboxings or comparisons of Rakuten partner products.
Include affiliate links in your video description.

3. Build Seasonal Campaigns

Promote Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or holiday sales for partner brands — Rakuten merchants often run exclusive promotions for affiliates.

4. Leverage Email Marketing

Send curated shopping guides or brand promotions to your subscriber list.
Example: “Top Father’s Day Gift Ideas — Earn 10% Cashback from Macy’s.”

5. Promote Travel or Finance Offers

These verticals often pay flat CPA commissions ($50–$200 per conversion) — perfect for comparison or review-style content.

💡 Affiliate Tip: Pair Rakuten’s premium brand offers with SEO Affiliate Domination’s organic traffic strategy — ranking comparison and listicle pages converts far better than cold ad traffic.

Common Questions About Rakuten Advertising

Is Rakuten Advertising legit?
Yes — it’s one of the oldest and most respected affiliate networks in the world, used by thousands of global brands.

Do I need a website?
Yes, Rakuten generally requires a live website with quality content.

How much can I earn?
Commissions vary, but affiliates promoting top brands can earn anywhere from $500 to $10,000+ per month, depending on traffic and conversions.

Does Rakuten offer recurring commissions?
Most offers are CPS (Cost Per Sale), though some SaaS or finance programs offer recurring or hybrid models.

When do I get paid?
Monthly, after reaching the $50 minimum threshold.

Final Thoughts

Rakuten Advertising is a premium affiliate network that opens the door to top global brands, high conversion rates, and reliable payments.
It’s not a “get-rich-quick” network — but it’s perfect for affiliates who want to build trust and long-term income promoting legitimate, established companies.

If you already have traffic or plan to build SEO-based authority sites, Rakuten Advertising is a must-join network in 2025.

🚀 Want to Turn Rakuten Promotions into a Job-Replacing Income?

If you’re serious about learning how to earn a job-replacing income promoting offers on Rakuten Advertising (or any other affiliate network), check out my training — SEO Affiliate Domination.

Inside, you’ll discover how to rank simple affiliate websites in Google and create passive, predictable income — even if you’re starting from scratch.