Rakuten Shopping Marathon: The Complete Guide to Shopping Around Without Losing Points
A complete walkthrough of Rakuten Ichiba's biggest sale — from entry and the shop-hopping cap to stacking extra points. Rakuten items listed on TokuColle follow the same shopping-around rules during the event.
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10/24, 20:00 – 10/27, 09:59 · RakutenRead article
Enter Before You Buy — Always
Only purchases made after you tap the entry button on the campaign page count toward the Shopping Marathon. Anything bought before entering counts for nothing — neither the shop count nor the points multiplier — no matter how much you spend. Make entry the very first thing you do when the event opens.
- After tapping entry, confirm the completion message on screen
- If you buy with a different family account, that account must enter separately
- You can enter any time during the event, but earlier purchases never count retroactively
It Starts at 20:00 — The First Two Hours Matter Most
The Marathon typically kicks off at 20:00 on the first day. Time- and quantity-limited coupons cluster in the opening hours, and popular items sell through fast. If you already know what you want, save it to your favorites beforehand so you can grab coupons and check out the moment it starts.
- Limited coupons are mostly first-come, so claim them right at the start
- Each coupon has conditions such as a minimum spend or eligible shops — read them first
- Traffic spikes at the opening; once you reach payment, don't leave the screen
How the Shop Count Works: ¥1,000+ Per Shop, Tax Included
A shop counts only when you spend at least ¥1,000 (tax included) there. Buying ten items in one shop still counts as one shop, while a small qualifying order counts in full. Up to 10 shops count: the more shops, the higher the bonus multiplier, reaching 10x in total with the base 1x included — the shopping-around portion adds up to +9x.
- Shipping may not count toward the ¥1,000 threshold — let the goods alone clear it
- The threshold is judged after coupon discounts, so don't let a coupon pull you under ¥1,000
- Low-priced staples like food and daily goods raise your shop count easily when split across shops
The Bonus Is Capped at 7,000 Points — and They Expire
The shopping-around bonus is capped at 7,000 points in a regular round. Spending beyond the cap earns no extra bonus, so big-ticket buying loses efficiency once you hit the ceiling. The bonus is also paid in limited-time points with their own expiry, so use them before they lapse. Points are credited later in a lump, not at checkout.
- For expensive items, work out in advance roughly what spend fills the 7,000-point cap
- Limited-time points expire quickly; spend them on everyday items soon after they land
- Always check the credit date and expiry on that round's campaign page
Stack SPU and the 5-and-0 Days on Top
The Marathon bonus stacks with SPU, Rakuten's always-on points program, and with the 5-and-0-days campaign, where paying by Rakuten Card on days ending in 5 or 0 — the 5th, 10th, 15th, and so on — boosts your points further. A Marathon round that includes a 5-or-0 day is the one to target. The more layers you stack, the bigger the gap, so non-urgent purchases are worth holding until such a day.
- The 5-and-0 campaign usually needs its own entry — check and enter first
- Even without a Rakuten Card, the shopping-around bonus alone is worthwhile
- SPU adds multipliers per Rakuten service you use, such as Rakuten Mobile or Rakuten Bank
Prepare Your Cart and Wishlist Before It Starts
Popular items move the moment the sale opens, so starting your search on the day wrecks any shop-count plan. List what you need the day before, save it to favorites, and load your carts. Deciding in advance which items combine to clear ¥1,000 at each shop lets you focus on coupons and checkout when it starts.
- Keep a per-shop note so you don't miscount your shop total
- Prepare one backup candidate per item in case of sellouts
- Register your payment method and delivery address in advance
Common Mistakes — and How to Avoid Them
The most common failures are forgetting to enter and misreading the end time: the Marathon almost always ends at 9:59 in the morning on the final day, not at midnight. Another is piling everything into one shop so the shop count — and your multiplier — stalls. And since bonus points arrive later in one batch, don't panic when they don't appear right after purchase.
- Put 'ends 9:59 AM' in your calendar for the final day
- Before paying, re-check your shop count and each shop's total
- If points don't arrive, first verify your entry and the item exclusion rules