by So here’s the thing – I got absolutely blindsided when my previous ad network decided my content violated their terms and banned my account without warning. Zero notice. Zero explanation. Just gone. After five years of working with them, they wiped me out over a weekend. I had about 25k monthly pageviews at that point, which wasn’t massive but it was consistent income, you know? I was making decent money and then overnight it all disappeared.
I freaked out. Like, I actually panicked because I didn’t have a backup plan. I’d been lazy about diversifying my ad networks – my bad. So I started researching alternatives desperately in late August 2024, and Rakuten Advertising kept popping up. I kept seeing people mention it as a legit network that actually pays, so I decided to give it a shot. Worst case, it wouldn’t work out and I’d move on to something else.
Let me give you the quick overview of what I’m working with before I dive into my actual experience.
| Network Name | Rakuten Advertising |
| Founded | 2010 (as part of Rakuten Group) |
| Ad Formats Available | Display, Native, Video, Mobile |
| Minimum Payout | $100 USD |
| Payment Methods | Wire Transfer, Check |
| Approval Time | 5-7 business days (in my case) |
| Best For | Publishers with 15k+ monthly traffic in US/UK/developed markets |
The Signup Experience (Surprisingly Not Painful)
Okay so I was expecting the signup to be some nightmare bureaucratic thing, but it actually wasn’t terrible. I applied in late August 2024, and they got back to me in like 6 days. I filled out their application form on their website, provided some basic info about my site, traffic stats, and what kind of content I publish. They asked for my Google Analytics access which made me slightly nervous but also felt like a good sign that they actually wanted to verify my traffic was real.
The application form itself was straightforward. Nothing weird. No essay questions about my childhood or my deepest fears. Just the basics – site URL, niche category, traffic numbers, and content type. I was honest about everything, included screenshots of my analytics, and attached a quick explanation about my content. Got approved on September 3rd, 2024.
Here’s where I need to be real with you though – they do have traffic minimums. I was right at their threshold with my 25k pageviews monthly, so I got lucky. If you’re below 15k monthly views, you’ll probably get rejected. They’re not desperate for every single publisher like some networks are.
First Month Results (Okay, This is Real Money)
I set up my first ad units on September 5th and let me tell you, I was nervous they’d just sit there and make nothing. I had this weird anxiety that maybe the network would let me set everything up but then no ads would actually serve. Imposter syndrome is real, man.
But no – ads started showing immediately. Within the first week I had maybe $30 in earnings, which doesn’t sound like much but it felt like a victory after getting banned from my previous network. By the end of September (though I only ran it for most of the month since I set up on the 5th), I had around $89 in total earnings.
My first full month was October 2024, and that’s when I earned $169.02. It wasn’t huge money, but it was real, it was consistent, and it was legitimately helping pay for hosting costs. More importantly, it meant I had a working backup network now.
Ad Formats I Tested (and What Actually Worked)
I experimented with different ad formats because I wanted to figure out what would make the most money without destroying my user experience. Nobody wants to visit a blog that looks like it was designed by spam bots in 2003.
Display Ads – I tested standard 300×250 and 728×90 placements. These performed okay, not amazing. My CPMs were averaging around $1.50-$2.20 for US traffic with these. The issue was they felt kind of dated and sometimes they weren’t filling properly, which is frustrating when you have blank spaces on your site.
Native Ads – This is where things got interesting. Native ads actually performed better because they don’t feel as “ad-like” and users don’t immediately hate them. I was getting CPMs of $2.80-$4.10 with native units, which was a noticeable jump. My click-through rates were higher too, probably because they blend in better.
Video – I did test a few video placements but honestly, my traffic demographic isn’t really watching videos embedded in blog posts. Your mileage may vary here. I got maybe 2-3 video impressions per day, so I disabled these pretty quickly. Waste of space on my site.
Mobile – Here’s what surprised me – my mobile traffic actually performed better than desktop for overall earnings because of volume. I was getting way more impressions on mobile, and even though CPMs were slightly lower, the pure volume made up for it. Mobile is where my real money started coming from.
In the end, I settled on native ads as my primary format plus some standard display placements in less prominent spots. That combo is what worked best for me.
Real CPM Rates I Actually Saw
Okay so everyone wants to know about CPMs, and I’m going to give you the real numbers I actually received. These aren’t theoretical – these are what I actually saw in my dashboard. Keep in mind CPMs vary based on your content niche, season, and traffic quality. I write about tech and productivity, which is a decently valued niche.
| Country | Average CPM | Range I Observed | Notes |
| United States | $3.50 | $2.20 – $6.80 | Highest and most consistent. Varies by time of year heavily. |
| United Kingdom | $2.80 | $1.90 – $4.50 | Good rates, second best performer for me |
| Germany | $2.10 | $1.40 – $3.20 | Decent but definitely lower than English-speaking countries |
| India | $0.45 | $0.20 – $0.85 | High volume but very low CPM rates. Volume doesn’t make up for it usually. |
| Pakistan | $0.38 | $0.15 – $0.65 | Similar to India. Pretty low value but occasionally you get decent impressions |
So here’s what I learned – if your traffic is primarily from developed English-speaking countries, you’re in good shape with Rakuten. If you’re getting a lot of traffic from South Asia, you’ll make money but the CPMs are significantly lower. That’s just the reality of how ad networks price things.
Month by Month Earnings (The Real Numbers)
Let me break down exactly what I’ve made since I started in September 2024. These are my actual dashboard numbers, not estimates.
| Month | Impressions | Earnings | CPM | Notes |
| September 2024 | 28,450 | $89.30 | $3.14 | Partial month (started Sept 5th) |
| October 2024 | 94,230 | $169.02 | $1.79 | First full month. CPM dropped because of mix shift to mobile/lower-tier content |
| November 2024 | 87,340 | $198.45 | $2.27 | Better CPM this month. Holiday season helped |
| December 2024 | 92,100 | $241.67 | $2.62 | Best month so far. High CPMs in December |
| January 2025 | 79,890 | $156.78 | $1.96 | Post-holiday drop. CPMs lower than December |
| February 2025 | 85,340 | $189.23 | $2.22 | Recovery month. Things stabilized |
| March 2025 | 96,780 | $226.45 | $2.34 | Good month. Spring refresh helped traffic |
| April 2025 | 101,230 | $248.90 | $2.46 | Strongest performer so far for impressions |
| May 2025 | 88,450 | $201.34 | $2.28 | Slight dip but still solid |
| Total (9 months) | 753,850 | $1,621.14 | $2.15 | Average across all time |
So that’s the raw data. Over 9 months, I’ve made $1,621.14. That’s not going to make me quit my day job, but it’s real money that pays for my site hosting, domain renewal, and some tools I use. More importantly, it’s passive income that’s been stable and reliable, which was my main concern after getting nuked by my previous network.
The seasonal variations are real too. December killed it, January died, and things have been hovering around $200 a month since then. That’s actually pretty good for a mid-tier publisher site.
Payment Experience (Actually Smooth)
This was something I was paranoid about. I’ve heard horror stories about ad networks making it nearly impossible to actually withdraw money. Not with Rakuten though.
My first payment was due in November 2024 since my October earnings crossed the $100 minimum payout threshold. I requested the payment on November 3rd, and they processed it via wire transfer to my bank account. It hit my account on November 8th. No fees charged on their end, though my bank took a couple bucks for the international wire, but that’s not Rakuten’s fault.
Since then I’ve been getting monthly payments consistently. May’s payment came through on June 3rd, which is their standard schedule. No delays, no excuses, no suddenly telling me my account is under review.
| Payment Method | Processing Time | Fees | Minimum |
| Wire Transfer (International) | 3-5 business days | None from Rakuten (bank fees may apply) | $100 |
| Check (US Only) | 7-10 business days | None | $100 |
I’d love if they offered PayPal or a payment processor like Wise, but honestly the wire transfers have been fine. The process is straightforward – you log into your dashboard, request payment, and boom, money shows up in your account within a week. I haven’t had a single issue.
Is Rakuten Advertising Actually Legit? (Spoiler: Yes)
This is the question that matters most, right? Because there are some sketchy ad networks out there that will let you rack up thousands in earnings and then suddenly claim you committed fraud and zero out your account.
Rakuten is 100% legit. They’re a massive Japanese company – like, we’re talking a company with annual revenue in the billions. They’re not some startup that might disappear overnight. They have a real support team, real compliance processes, and real payments. I’ve never felt like my account was at risk or that they were going to suddenly disappear with my money.
They do have strict policies about content and traffic quality, which honestly is a good sign. They’re selective about who they work with because they care about advertiser quality. It means if you get approved, you’re in good standing. They’re not the network that approves everyone and then bans people randomly.
The dashboard is legitimate too – nothing sketchy about how they display stats. Everything matches up with my Google Analytics reasonably well, which gives me confidence that the numbers are real.
What Went Right (The Good Stuff)
Consistent Payments – This is huge. Every single payment has come through on time without drama. That’s not something I can say about every network.
Decent CPM Rates – For a network that actually approved me, the rates are solid. I’m getting 2-3 dollars per thousand impressions which is middle-of-the-road for ad networks, but combined with decent traffic volume, it actually adds up to real money.
Low Minimum Payout – A hundred dollars is reasonable. Some networks want $500 or more before they’ll pay you, which is annoying.
Fast Approval – I got approved in under a week. That was surprisingly fast and made me feel like they actually reviewed applications instead of just auto-approving everyone.
Good Support – The couple times I had questions, support actually responded within 24 hours. Not immediately, but the next day which is fine. They didn’t give me robotic copy-paste responses either.
Transparent Reporting – The dashboard shows you exactly what you’re earning, broken down by day, country, format, everything. No hidden stuff or confusing metrics.
What Sucked (The Bad Stuff)
Fill Rate Isn’t Always Great – Some days I’d see blank ad spaces where ads should be loading. It’s not constant, but it happens maybe 15-20% of the time. That means I’m missing out on potential impressions and money. Not a dealbreaker but annoying.
Limited Payment Methods – Wire transfer or check. That’s it. No PayPal, no Wise, no payment processor options. If you’re in a country where getting a wire transfer is expensive or difficult, this sucks.
No Native Mobile App – You have to access everything through their web dashboard. There’s no mobile app, so if you want to check earnings on your phone, you’re loading a website in a browser like it’s 2010. Minor complaint but it would be nice.
Traffic Minimum is Real – If you’re below 15k monthly pageviews, you probably won’t get approved. That’s kind of limiting if you’re trying to monetize a new site. You have to be established first.
CPMs Fluctuate Wildly – My CPM was $3.14 in September but dropped to $1.79 in October. A lot of that is based on traffic composition and time of year, but if you’re trying to predict earnings, it’s not super stable month-to-month.
Slow to Add New Features – Their interface hasn’t changed much since I started. They’re not super innovative compared to some other networks that are constantly rolling out new ad formats and tools.
Who Should Use Rakuten Advertising?
This network is perfect for you if:
You have 15k-100k monthly pageviews. You’re in the sweet spot where you’re too established to disappear but not so big that you have leverage with premium networks. Rakuten wants publishers like you.
Your traffic is primarily from English-speaking developed countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia). Your CPMs will be solid and you’ll actually make decent money.
You want set it and forget it ad monetization. You’re not trying to optimize every little thing – you just want reliable passive income without constantly tweaking things.
You had a bad experience with another network and need a backup that won’t screw you over. Rakuten is stable enough to be a good backup plan.
You’re a mid-tier publisher who doesn’t qualify for premium networks like Mediavine or AdThrive yet. This is a solid stepping stone.
Who Should NOT Use Rakuten Advertising?
Avoid this if:
You’re just starting out with less than 15k monthly views. You won’t get approved. Try alternatives like Google AdSense first.
Your traffic is mostly from developing countries. The CPM rates are so low that you won’t make meaningful money even with decent volume.
You need premium ad network features and direct advertiser relationships. Rakuten is more hands-off, which is good and bad.
You want payment flexibility through modern payment methods. If wire transfers aren’t convenient for you, this is a pain.
You have a controversial or borderline content site. Their approval process is selective and their content policies are strict. If you’re in gray areas, you might not qualify or might get flagged later.
Questions My Readers Keep Asking Me
Question 1: Is this better than Google AdSense?
It’s different. AdSense has wider approval (you can get approved with less traffic) but Rakuten has better CPM rates if you have decent traffic volume. AdSense is like $1-2 CPM for most people, Rakuten is $2-4. So if you qualify for both, Rakuten makes more money. But AdSense is easier to get approved for initially.
Question 2: Can you use Rakuten and other ad networks at the same time?
Yes, absolutely. I actually run Rakuten alongside Google AdSense on different sections of my site. Just make sure you’re not putting competing ads in the same spot. Stagger them or use different placements. Most networks are cool with this.
Question 3: How long before you see real earnings?
Depends on your traffic. With 25k monthly views, I was making $170 a month pretty quickly. If you have 50k views, you’d probably make $300-400 a month. If you have 15k views (the minimum), expect maybe $50-100 monthly. It scales with traffic.
Question 4: Have you ever had account issues or suspicions they might ban you?
Nope. I’ve been clean and clear about all my traffic sources, I’m not using bots or click fraud, and I haven’t had a single warning or email about account violations. They seem way more reasonable than my previous network. That said, I don’t push boundaries – I follow their policies.
Question 5: What if you get rejected by Rakuten?
If they reject your application, they usually give a reason. Common reasons are traffic too low, traffic source concerns, or content issues. You can apply again in 30 days, or you can try other networks like Mediavine, AdThrive (if you qualify), Sovrn, or even stay with Google AdSense while you grow.
Question 6: Can you contact them if there are problems?
Yes, they have support. I’ve emailed them twice with questions – once about a dashboard bug and once about a payment. Got responses within 24 hours both times. They’re not the fastest support ever but they’re responsive and helpful.
Question 7: Does your site type matter for approval?
It does somewhat. I write about tech and productivity, which is a good niche for advertisers. Sites about controversial topics, politics, or very niche stuff might have harder times. But honestly if your content is clean and you have real traffic, you have a decent shot.
Question 8: What about ad blockers – how much do they affect earnings?
That’s the thing – I don’t really know what my ad blocker rate is because Rakuten doesn’t break that out in their dashboard. But I’d guess around 10-15% of my visitors have ad blockers enabled. That’s baked into my earnings already, so don’t expect Rakuten to somehow bypass ad blockers or anything. They won’t.
Question 9: Is the dashboard easy to understand?
Very much so. It shows you daily earnings, impressions, clicks, CPM, breakdown by country, breakdown by device type, everything. You can filter by date range. It’s straightforward. No learning curve needed.
Question 10: Do they have a referral program?
They do, but honestly I don’t think about it much. The referral fees aren’t huge and I wouldn’t recommend them just to get a kickback. I’m recommending them because they actually work well for me.
The Honest Final Take
Rakuten Advertising saved me when I desperately needed an alternative after getting banned from my previous network. They approved me quickly, they pay reliably, and they’ve given me back a stable revenue stream. That’s huge.
Are they perfect? No. The fill rates could be better, the payment methods are limited, and the CPM fluctuations can be annoying to plan around. But they’re solid, they’re legit, and they actually deliver on what they promise.
For a mid-tier publisher in the 15k-100k monthly view range with decent traffic from developed countries, this network is genuinely a good choice. You won’t get rich, but you’ll make real supplemental income that actually gets paid to your bank account every month.
The real win though? I have peace of mind now. I’m not dependent on a single ad network that can pull the rug out from under me whenever they feel like it. Having Rakuten as my primary network with AdSense as a backup means I’m protected. That’s worth a lot more than just the money.
My Rating: 7.5 / 10
I’m giving Rakuten a 7.5 out of 10 because:
Pros: Legitimate company, reliable payments, decent CPM rates for mid-tier publishers, straightforward approval process, decent support, low payout minimum.
Cons: Fill rate issues, limited payment methods, traffic minimum, CPM fluctuations, limited innovation, no mobile app.
It’s not the perfect ad network, but it’s solid and dependable. For what I needed – a trustworthy backup after a painful experience – it delivered. Would I recommend it? Absolutely, if you fit their criteria.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, meaning I could earn a small commission if you sign up through them. This doesn’t affect the price you pay – it’s just how I can monetize links. My goal was to give you an honest review based on my actual experience, and that’s what I did. All the numbers and experiences shared here are real and unexaggerated.
