Rakuten Magazine Sign-Up, Free Trial & Cancellation Guide: 31 Free Days Without Getting Caught Out
Sign-up takes minutes; cancelling is a few taps in My Page. But 'access ends right when you cancel' and other traps can cost you. We ran the whole cycle and logged the steps and gotchas.
MagazinesRakuten Magazine is free for the first 31 days. Sign-up and cancellation both complete online with just a Rakuten ID — but people trip over 'I only want the free trial,' 'what's the difference between leaving and cancelling?' and 'can I still read after cancelling?'
We ran the full cycle — sign-up, free trial, cancellation — and logged each step and its gotchas. The platform itself is in our main Rakuten Magazine note.
Start the free trial
First 31 days free
¥572/mo or ¥5,500/yr (≈¥458/mo); ¥0 if canceled during the trial
* All prices include tax and reflect each store's listing when this article's data was retrieved. Always confirm the latest price and shipping on the linked store page.
* Product links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission on purchases.
Sign-up: done in minutes
The steps we followed. With a Rakuten ID it takes just minutes.
- 1. Open the Rakuten Magazine site/app
- 2. Log in with a Rakuten ID (create one free if needed)
- 3. Pick a plan (monthly is fine; switch to annual later if you continue)
- 4. Set payment (credit card, Rakuten points, etc.)
- 5. Done — install the app and start reading
Ending the free trial at ¥0
The trial is 31 days; cancel in time and pay nothing. Our recommended routine to avoid accidental charges:
- Right after signing up, note a 'cancel-by date' (around day 30) in your calendar
- Check remaining trial days in My Page
- Do nothing and it auto-converts to paid (switch to annual for a cheaper rate)
- '31 days' is for first-time users; a Rakuten ID that used it before may not qualify
Cancellation: steps and gotchas
Cancel anytime from My Page — no phone call. But note that cancelling ends access right away.
- No guarantee of reading to term — finish reading, then cancel
- Always confirm completion via the email / My Page after cancelling
| Check | Detail | Our note |
|---|---|---|
| Where to cancel | My Page → subscription → cancel | Online, no phone call |
| Reading after cancel | Generally ends immediately | Cancel just before billing |
| Stopping charges | Cancel stops auto-renewal | ¥0 during the free trial |
| Mid-term annual cancel | Refunds per the terms | Check conditions before subscribing |
Cancel vs withdraw
Easy to confuse, but very different. To end just the free trial, you want 'cancel.'
- Cancel: stop Rakuten Magazine's subscription. You stay a Rakuten member and keep points
- Withdraw: quit your Rakuten ID entirely — you lose access to Ichiba etc. and forfeit points
- To end the trial or just stop charges, 'cancel' is all you need
- Withdrawing affects other Rakuten services, so it's usually unnecessary
Payment, device changes and login snags
- Payment: credit card, Rakuten points, etc.; a Rakuten Card earns points
- Device change: log in with the same Rakuten ID to keep reading (up to 5 devices)
- Can't log in: it's your Rakuten ID — recover via Rakuten's ID/password reset (no magazine-only ID)
- Hit the 5-device cap: de-register an unused device, then add the new one
Pros (what we liked)
- Sign-up and cancellation complete online in minutes
- 31-day free trial makes it risk-free
- Runs on a Rakuten ID — no separate account
- Registers up to 5 devices; easy on phone changes
- Pay with Rakuten points; earn points via Rakuten Card
Cons (what to watch)
- Cancelling generally ends access immediately (check the billing date)
- The trial is first-time only; prior-use IDs may not qualify
- Cancel and withdraw are easy to confuse
- Mid-term annual refunds depend on the terms
Testing records (we actually measured)
Every photo is a record taken in our home testing space.
| Item | Claimed | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | First 31 days | ¥0 if canceled in time |
| Sign-up | Fully online | Done in minutes |
| Cancel | From My Page | No phone; immediate |
| Reading after cancel | — | Generally ends at once |
| Registered devices | Up to 5 | Register/de-register confirmed |
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Rakuten Magazine free trial?
31 days for first-time users. Cancel in time and you pay nothing. A Rakuten ID that has used the trial before may not qualify.
Can I cancel after just the free trial?
Yes. Cancel during the 31-day trial and it's ¥0. To avoid accidental charges, note a cancel-by date in your calendar right after signing up.
Can I still read after cancelling?
Generally no. There's no guarantee of reading to the end of the term, so finish reading and cancel just before the billing date.
What's the difference between cancel and withdraw?
Cancel stops the Rakuten Magazine subscription while keeping your Rakuten membership and points. Withdraw quits your Rakuten ID entirely, cutting off other Rakuten services and forfeiting points. For just the free trial, choose cancel.
Can I keep reading after changing phones?
Yes. Log in with the same Rakuten ID on the new device. One account registers up to 5 devices; at the cap, de-register an unused one to add another.
What payment methods work?
Credit cards, Rakuten points and more. A Rakuten Card earns points more easily, and you can apply limited-time points to the fee.
Related notes
Magazines
3 Months of Rakuten Magazine: How Much Our Paper Magazine Bill Shrank
4.4Magazines
Rakuten Magazine vs dmagazine & Kindle Unlimited: Which Magazine Subscription to Pick
4.3eBooks
Rakuten Kobo vs Kindle, 3 Months Side by Side: We Price-Checked the Same Books Weekly
4.1Credit Card
One Full Year on the Rakuten Card: Every Point Earned — and the Traps
4.5
💴 Based on the full cycle — sign-up, free trial, cancellation — run and paid for by our editorial team in 2026.