Rakuten.com, formerly called Buy.com, helps to make it very easy for sellers to become a part of the ecommerce website and to start selling more. After learning the Rakuten basics, sellers will need to have a valid credit card, tax ID, and checking account information for payments. Before deciding to work with the site though, potential users should always look at what a site offers and what they expect.
What Types of Fees Does Rakuten Charge?
Naturally, one of the first things that sellers will want to know is what fees they will have to pay whenever they are selling through an online site. Rakuten does not actually charge any listing fees to put items up on the site. However, the sellers will pay a commission of .99 for each item they sell, as well as a percentage of the overall product price.
The percentage will vary based on the type of product it is, but it will generally range from around 5% to 14.5%. The fees through Rakuten and other ecommerce websites tend to change over time, so sellers should always look at the latest information directly from the company to understand just how much they will have to pay on the items they sell. Another thing to consider is that they base the rates on the entire transaction cost, including the shipping and handling.
Pricing the Items with Rakuten.com
Sellers must price the item, including shipping, at the same price that they are selling on their own personal ecommerce website or other sales channels. The reason Rakuten requires this is simple. They want business, and if a customer can get a product from you cheaper on another site, then that’s just what they will do. Keeping the price identical on all of the sales channels creates equal footing for all of the online sites giving you virtual retail space in which to sell.
Listing Items and Filling Orders
After receiving approval, the sellers can start listing products on the site. Sellers will have two different options when it comes to putting their items up for sale on the ecommerce website. They can list their products one at a time, or they can list in bulk. Depending on the number of items you need to add and the nature of those products, the method you choose for uploading will vary. Those who have a large number of similar products will likely want to use the bulk upload option. Still, it is important to make each listing as unique as possible.
Once a seller receives an order, they have two days to ship the items in the order. Sellers will receive notification at the time of purchase, so they can start the shipping process immediately. Using order management software and shipping management software can help to make it much easier to keep track of all of the sales that are coming through. Working with Appath can ensure there are no missed or lost orders, and that you are always on top of your inventory.
Summary:
Online sellers should always be looking for new avenues to sell their wares. One of the best in the business was Buy.com, now called Rakuten.com. Whether you have an ecommerce website already, or you are just now starting to sell online, you need to know and understand the requirements of Rakuten so you can abide by their policies and requirements. It is important to understand their shipping requirements as well as how to list items on their site. Of course, sellers also want to know the fees they charge for using the service. They do not have listing fees, but they do have two fees for each item sold.