Opening an Online Shop and Points｜How Cashback Works and Choosing a Service Without Losing Out

Opening an Online Shop and Points｜How Cashback Works and Choosing a Service Without Losing Out

Opening an online shop to sell handmade or original products is a category where store openings on BASE, STORES, Shopify, Color Me Shop, and the like are sometimes cashback offers on point sites. The service invests advertising money to recruit new sellers, and part of it comes back as a performance reward to users who open via a point site. On top of that, you can earn cashback on the supplies and packaging you need to start, and on stock and monthly payments.

That said, an online shop isn't done at opening — it's a business you grow by selling. It isn't something to contract a paid plan or unnecessary tools for by cashback size. This guide organizes, as a judgment axis for not losing out, the difference between "earned on free opening" and "earned on paid contract", comparing services by total cost of fees, the break-even between free (fee) type and monthly type, the trends of major services, the steps to not miss routing/cashback at opening, and preparation as a business owner including business registration and tax filing. For flea-market apps, see the Flea-Market App Guide; for business-owner procedures, the Freelance & Sole Proprietor Guide; and for expense management, the Accounting Software Guide.

Telling "Earned on Free Opening" from "Earned on Paid Contract"

The first thing to check on an online-shop offer is the cashback condition. It splits broadly into two types, with differing difficulty.

With "earned on free opening" offers, simply opening a shop for free can earn cashback. With services you can start free of initial and monthly fees, like BASE or STORES, the merit is earning with a "let's just try building one" feel. With "earned on paid contract" offers, cashback only lands when you contract a paid plan; the amount is higher, but the monthly payment is the condition. Always check on the offer page whether "free opening alone is enough" or "a paid contract is required" before routing. Contracting a paid plan you don't need for the cashback defeats the purpose.

The knack for not failing at this distinction is to think separately about "whether a contract is truly necessary for you" and "the offer's reward conditions." Since this is a genre where most can start for free, the unstrained order is to first try free-open offers, and only consider paid-contract offers anew once your business grows and you truly need a paid plan's features. Conversely, signing a paid plan from the start because the cashback is high, then paying only the monthly fee without making use of it, is backwards. On the routing side too, each offer differs in "whether opening alone is the reward," "whether there are added conditions like a paid contract or a first sale," and "when it is granted," so always read the reward conditions before routing. In particular, with a paid-contract type, the reward can be voided depending on the cancellation timing, or a minimum usage period may be a condition. Reward conditions, fees, and plan contents may be revised, so confirm the latest with each service's official site and Pointnavi right before applying.

Compare Services by "Total Cost"

An online-shop building service can't be judged by cheap initial or monthly fees alone. Comparing by total cost including the fees charged each time something sells is the basis.

Even with free initial/monthly fees, high payment or sales fees mean a bigger burden as sales grow. Conversely, a service with a monthly fee but low fees can be cheaper by total cost once sales pass a certain point. The transfer fee and minimum on proceeds quietly add up too, so choose what fits your sales volume by total cost including all of initial, monthly, and the various fees.

What is easy to overlook when comparing by total cost is that fees are charged both "when something sells" and "when you receive the money." Payment fees and sales fees are deducted each time a sale occurs, and on top of that the transfer fee when you move sales to your own account, and the limits on that transfer's minimum and frequency, quietly add up. So rather than jumping at the label "free initial cost and monthly fee," it is surer to plug in your assumed monthly sales and number of sales, and line up how much each service leaves on a take-home basis. While sales are small, the fee-based type leaves more in hand, and as sales grow, the monthly-plan type carries a lighter fee burden—that crossover point depends on your own sales volume, so rather than the general "which is cheapest," it matters to compare for your own case. Note that fee rates and plan conditions differ by service and are also revised, so do not lock in—always confirm the latest prices and fees on each service's official site before contracting.

The Break-Even Between Free (Fee) Type and Monthly Type

Which service pays off changes with sales scale. Choosing by considering which stage you're at now avoids wasted costs.

• While sales are small: A fee type with free initial/monthly that charges only when it sells (BASE, STORES, etc.) is easy. No fixed cost means low risk.
• As sales grow: A monthly type with low payment/sales fees can be cheaper by total cost even with a monthly fee. Pinpoint the break-even where the fee gap exceeds the fixed cost.
• For serious expansion: Highly extensible, feature-rich services like Shopify gain value as scale grows. Choose by needs like payments, inventory, and overseas support.
• Try free first: Rather than jumping to paid, using a free type to gauge sales before moving to paid/another service is a hand.

Trends Among Major Online-Shop Building Services

Each major service has its own strengths and suited stage. Because fee and feature details are subject to change, always check the latest on each service's official site before choosing based on the tendency that fits your stage and needs.

When just starting or while sales are small, go with services easy to start for free; as sales grow, a monthly type with lower fees; for serious expansion, a highly extensible service; for a highly customized operation, an established veteran — the best fit changes by stage. Choose not by service name or popularity, but by your own sales volume, needed features, and total cost. Fees and features change, so don't lock in — always check the latest from the official site, and don't forget to route when signing up.

Steps to Not Miss Routing/Cashback at Opening

1. ① Route the store openingRoute via the point site before opening on BASE, STORES, Shopify, Color Me Shop, etc. Check the offer on Pointnavi. With "earned on free opening," opening alone may earn it.
2. ② Compare several services by total costCompare by total cost including initial, monthly, payment fee, sales fee, and transfer fee. Consider the free-vs-monthly break-even (sales scale) and choose what fits your volume.
3. ③ Route purchases of supplies/packagingRoute bulk buys of supplies and packaging — boxes, envelopes, cushioning, label printers — via mail order. The shipping tips in the Flea-Market App Guide help too.
4. ④ Pay stock/bills with a cashback methodPay stock, monthly fees, and tools with a cashback method. Manage expenses with accounting software. Accounting Software Guide, Tap Payment Guide, Expiry Prevention Guide.

What is easy to miss in this procedure is ①'s "routing for the opening" and ④'s "procedures as a business operator." For ①'s routing, the iron rule is to pass through the point site right before proceeding to the shop-opening application form; proceeding from a direct link in another tab, or a dropped session, tends to void the cashback. Since opening an online shop involves many screen transitions, watch that routing has not dropped midway. And what is easy to overlook is ④ onward—the routing cashback for opening and the payment cashback for supplies and wholesale are, after all, "alongside the opening," while the business itself is selling and growing products. If you sell continuously, a business notification or a tax return may be required, and tax judgments change with individual circumstances, so confirm necessity and procedures with the National Tax Agency or a tax office. Recording sales and expenses (opening costs, supplies, wholesale, monthly fees, etc.) in accounting software from the start makes the later filing easier. See also Freelance & Sole Proprietor Guide and Accounting Software Guide.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• "Contracted a paid plan for cashback and paid the monthly fee without using it": Many services start free. Choose what fits your volume and don't take unnecessary paid contracts.
• "Chose by a cheap monthly fee, and high sales fees lost out on the total": Compare by total cost including payment/sales fees, not just initial/monthly.
• "Thought a paid-contract offer paid on free opening": Misreading the condition means zero cashback. Confirm whether it's free-opening or paid-contract type before routing.
• "Forgot business registration and tax filing": A continuing business needs the procedures. Manage expenses with accounting software.
• "Forgot to route and got zero on the opening": Make re-entering from the point site right before the opening form a habit.

What to Prepare Before Opening

A little sorting beforehand makes it easier to choose a service that fits and prevents gaps in business-owner procedures.

• Estimate your products and volume: What and how much you expect to sell. Volume changes whether free or monthly type is optimal.
• List the features you need: List needs like payment methods, inventory, SNS linkage, and overseas sales, then compare services.
• Prepare supplies/packaging: Boxes, envelopes, cushioning, label printers — route bulk buys via mail order.
• Confirm business procedures: Check whether business registration and tax filing are needed, and consider accounting software for expenses. Freelance & Sole Proprietor Guide.
• Open after routing: Finally confirm you routed through the point site right before the opening. No routing means no cashback.

Mini Glossary for Online-Shop Opening Points

Key terms that appear in offers and this guide. Fees and features are subject to change — always check the latest on each service's official site.

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