RAKUTEN GUIDE

How to calculate Rakuten commissions

Enjoy a steady cash flow on Rakuten Marketplace with Qashflo

Contents

When a company wishes to sell on marketplace, it must pay certain selling costs. These may relate directly to the cost of using the marketplace, but may also include additional costs to run the business. In this practical guide, find out about the different Rakuten commissions and the expenses you need to anticipate to get started on this platform.

Overview of Rakuten commissions and sales fees

Registering on the marketplace and starting to sell on Rakuten requires a few expenses that are often underestimated by merchants.

Monthly subscription for professional vendors

On Rakuten Marketplace, as on many other e-commerce platforms, sellers must pay a subscription fee to use the service. The fee varies from site to site, and gives access to a wide range of functions for creating a store and managing orders.

Rakuten commission on sales

Among the other selling costs inherent in using the marketplace, you'll have to pay Rakuten commissions. These are percentages on the prices of products before tax, which are collected by the site and vary according to the category of item and its condition.

Various e-commerce costs

In addition to Rakuten commissions and the seller's subscription specific to use of the site, you'll also need to factor in a number of other costs. These relate to the management of your sales: stock orders, advertising, logistics...

Rakuten subscription and commissions

Rakuten monthly subscriptions

To become a professional seller on Rakuten, you can take out two types of subscription depending on your needs:

A €0/month Starter subscription combined with standard commissions (see opposite),
An Expert subscription at €49 ex-VAT / month, combined with lower commissions.

Sales commissions

Rakuten commissions are organized in different ways and with percentages that vary according to the seller subscription chosen, the item category and the condition of the product (new, used, reconditioned):

Commissions from 14% for sellers with Starter subscription,
Commissions as low as 8% for merchants with Expert subscription.

Handling fees are also applied according to the value of the item sold: from €0.15 for a product under €10 to €5 for a product over €400.

How are Rakuten commissions calculated?

Rakuten commissions are deducted by marketplace before you receive any money from your sales. As a result, you receive a lower amount than that invoiced to your end customer.

Reminder on payment terms marketplace

As a reminder, when you sell on a marketplace, you don't receive your customers' money directly into your business bank account. marketplace collects the money and transfers it to you at a later date, deducting its commission and any management fees in the process. On Rakuten, you'll have to wait up to 23 days to receive your payment, minus fees.

Ship today and get paid tomorrow with Qashflo's D+1 payment solution on Rakuten Marketplace

Declaring Rakuten commissions and sales

From an accounting point of view, you must still declare the total amount of the sale as sales, even if you only receive part of this amount after Rakuten commissions have been deducted. Your accountant, however, will categorize the commission amount in a specific expense account, to rebalance the operations.

Other e-commerce costs with Rakuten

In addition to the Rakuten commissions specific to the use of the platform, you need to anticipate all the costs associated with online sales. Here's an overview of the expenses you'll need to plan for.

Logistics costs

Managing your logistics is essential to ensuring a good customer experience for your buyers. On the cost side, you need to factor in the cost of labor to pack your orders, and the cost of delivery to get them there. Each delivery service has its own rates: La Poste, DHL, Mondial Relay, Chronopost, UPS...

You can also outsource the logistics of your orders. Like ManoMano Marketplace or Cdiscount Marketplace, Rakuten offers a Fulfillment service. This allows you to store your products in marketplace warehouses in France or other countries. These warehouses handle the preparation and dispatch of parcels, leaving you to concentrate on generating conversions.
In terms of rates, the service charges are as follows:

Storage :

Rakuten warehouse logistics cost table

Shipping :

Rakuten shipping cost table

Advertising costs

Marketing actions are strategic sales levers, so you need to anticipate their cost. As a general rule, the advertising you set up via Rakuten Ads, Google Shopping or social networks will be billed on a cost-per-click (CPC) basis. You can therefore determine the overall budget you wish to allocate for this purpose. You'll then pay according to the number of clicks on your ads, your targeting... The bigger your budget, the better your chances of generating clicks and therefore conversions.

Inventory purchase costs

If you want to develop your growth on an ongoing basis, it's essential to stock your current products and buy new ranges to reach more target groups.

How to invest in stock despite Rakuten payment delays?
It's not easy for merchants to successfully buy back stock, because of the payment delays on marketplaces. As a reminder, on Rakuten there can be a delay of 23 days between order validation and payment (minus Rakuten commissions) into your company bank account. This means your cash flow is irregular and doesn't necessarily allow you to place supplier orders.
To get around this problem, turn to a third-party solution like Qashflo, which advances cash the day after the sale. This way, you'll get cash back quickly, so you can continue your business under the best possible conditions.