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Affiliate Marketing · head to head

Postal vs Rakuten Advertising

Postal logo

Postal

Affiliate Marketing

Offline engagement platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rakuten Advertising logo

Rakuten Advertising

Affiliate Marketing

Performance marketing solutions with global reach

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Postal no published pricing on homepage or accessible pricing page; Rakuten Advertising account terminations without clear explanation
  • They diverge on capability: Postal covers Curated marketplace, Rakuten Advertising covers Global publisher network.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Postal and Rakuten Advertising actually diverge.

Attributes where Postal and Rakuten Advertising differ
AttributePostalRakuten Advertising
Pricing modelsubscriptiontransaction
Founded20201997

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Affiliate Marketing).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Postal

  • Curated marketplace
  • Swag management
  • Direct mail
  • Event sending
  • Budget controls
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Marketo

Only in Rakuten Advertising

  • Global publisher network
  • Influencer marketplace
  • Cross-device attribution
  • AI-powered insights
  • Brand protection
  • Google Analytics
  • Adobe Analytics
  • Shopify

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Postal

  • affiliate marketing management
  • Workflow automation
  • Reporting

Rakuten Advertising

  • affiliate marketing management
  • Workflow automation
  • Reporting

Both are used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Postal

  • No published pricing on homepage or accessible pricing page
  • Onboarding timeline not guaranteed (typically 30-60 days mentioned but not binding)
  • No feature-to-price comparison; cannot determine if features justify enterprise costs

Rakuten Advertising

  • Account terminations without clear explanation
  • Commission payment delays of 60-90 days before payment settlement
  • Support response times are slow and often unhelpful
  • Limited transparency on advertiser approval reasons when applications get rejected
  • Less user-friendly interface compared to CJ Affiliate and ShareASale

Pricing, plan by plan

Postal

On request
  • ProfessionalFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Marketplace access
    • Integrations

Rakuten Advertising

On request
  • NetworkFree
    • Performance-based pricing
    • Global publisher access
    • Advanced reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose Postal if

  • You need curated marketplace.
  • You also want swag management.
Postal review

Choose Rakuten Advertising if

  • You need global publisher network.
  • You also want influencer marketplace.
Rakuten Advertising review

Questions people ask

Is Postal or Rakuten Advertising better?
Neither clearly leads. Postal starts at On request and Rakuten Advertising at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Postal or Rakuten Advertising?
Postal starts at On request and Rakuten Advertising at On request.
Does Postal or Rakuten Advertising run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Postal best used for?
Postal is most often used for affiliate marketing management, workflow automation, reporting.
What can Postal do that Rakuten Advertising cannot?
Postal covers Curated marketplace, Swag management, Direct mail, Event sending. Rakuten Advertising covers Global publisher network, Influencer marketplace, Cross-device attribution, AI-powered insights. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Postal: How do I get pricing for Postal's First Class service?

Postal does not publish pricing online. The First Class tier features unlimited sends, branded merchandise sourcing, global warehousing, pick-pack-kitting, and dedicated customer success manager. Contact Postal directly for custom pricing. Source: https://www.postal.com/pricing

Source
Rakuten Advertising: How does Rakuten Advertising pay commissions?

Rakuten Advertising follows a 60-to-90 day commission payment cycle tied to advertiser invoice settlement, which is industry-standard but can result in delayed payments.

Source
Postal: What payment options does Postal accept?

Postal accepts credit card or pre-approved invoicing for enterprise customers. Exact payment terms and invoice cycles are determined during sales consultation. Source: https://www.postal.com/pricing

Source
Rakuten Advertising: What integrations does Rakuten Advertising support?

Rakuten Advertising integrates with third-party platforms including Improvado, Strackr, Wecantrack, and Kochava for data tracking and reporting across Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, and Meta Ads.

Source
Postal: How long does Postal onboarding take?

Postal customers are typically fully onboarded within 30-60 days. Specific timelines depend on implementation scope and customer readiness. Contact Postal for your organization's estimated onboarding duration. Source: https://www.postal.com/pricing

Source
Rakuten Advertising: How are commission rates determined on Rakuten Advertising?

Each advertiser sets its own commission rates, cookie durations, and approval requirements. Commission structures vary by individual brand and product category.

Source
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