If you know a thing or two about affiliate marketing, you would have heard about Rakuten for sure, or as it was previously called, Linkshare.
Linkshare had already made its name in the affiliate marketing arena when Rakuten, a colossal e-commerce company based in Japan, acquired it in 2005.
Suppose you’re considering becoming a Rakuten affiliate. In that case, this article will help you learn about its application process, the program’s standing amongst other programs, the payment cycle, and its ease of use.
What brands does Rakuten work with?
Although the company started back in 1996, it has never let its reputation grow old.
There are over 1000 brands that you can promote through Rakuten, and some of these names are giants – Macy’s, NordVPN, Lyft, Microsoft, Lego, NVIDIA, Monster, JetBlue Airways, and Billabong. If those aren’t names worth promoting, then what are?
Rakuten secured the trust of big brands and noticed how diverse its range of affiliate programs are.
Remember, even though other affiliate sites might boast a larger number of brands, many of them are barely generating revenue.
On the other hand, names like Rakuten are part of the 20% of affiliate programs that are generating 80% of all the revenue!
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Signing up as an affiliate
The application process for joining Rakuten doesn’t warrant any clarification. There is a one-page (albeit long) application form to fill.
You will be asked for your website’s domain name, so make sure you own a decent-looking website. Don’t fret when mentioning your site’s traffic because sites with low traffic are easily approved too. Just make sure your site looks good enough to pass the approval process (you should Google guidelines on creating a good affiliate site).
And don’t, don’t, pull a deal-breaker like using a free blog or website builder like WIX, Blogger, etc. Buying a proper domain and hosting is worth it!
I suggest WP Engine for WordPress hosting.
Rakuten will take at least five days to get back to you on your application.
Rakuten’s User Interface
Rakuten has not changed how its interface looks in 20 years, but they aren’t lazy.
They choose to keep their UI this way only for its ease of use.
Sure, other affiliate sites have fancier-looking interfaces, but Rakuten has an edge where easy navigation is concerned.
Creating affiliate links
With the user-friendly interface, we have talked about, finding affiliate programs with Rakuten and creating affiliate links is a walk in the park:
- Go to “Programs” and then “Categories”.
- Browse through all the programs to find one you like or look up a keyword in the search bar to find related brands.
- Click “Apply” on the programs you want. Some will approve you automatically, while most will have a manual approval procedure.
- Go to “Advertisers” where all your brands are, and click on “View Links”.
- Choose the type of link (Text/Email, Product Links, Banners/Images).
- Click “Get Link” to generate the HTML code to place on your site.
Payment Method and Timeframe
The Rakuten affiliate program’s payments are net 60, which means you receive your payment after 60 days.
So if you can sell something in November, payment is authorized in December and reaches you in January.
The extended payment timeframe is one of the downsides users report about Rakuten, especially in some cases where it is delayed beyond the 60-day frame.
You get your payments either via PayPal, check, or direct bank transfer, so the payment methods are very convenient.
Lastly, you have to earn a minimum of $50 before you can get paid, but that’s a low threshold, so you’ve got nothing to worry.
