Ruten tracking

What is Ruten?

Ruten, 露天市集, is Taiwan's largest online shopping marketplace, functioning as both a C2C, consumer-to-consumer, and B2C, business-to-consumer, platform where individual sellers and businesses list products under auction-style and fixed-price formats alike. The platform's self-described positioning translates as "Taiwan's Largest Online Shopping Marketplace," a designation it has maintained for years against domestic and regional competitors. Ruten hosts over 100 million product listings and processes more than 2 million completed transactions per month, and was the first marketplace-type platform in Taiwan to exceed NTD 100 billion in cumulative gross merchandise value.

Ruten was established through a joint venture announced on June 5, 2006, when eBay Inc. and Taiwan's PChome Online Inc. declared their intention to form a combined auction platform for the Taiwanese market. The legal entity, PChome eBay Co., Ltd., was designed to consolidate both companies' existing Taiwan operations into a single platform. Member recruitment began on September 25, 2006, under the original Chinese name 露天拍賣, meaning Ruten Auction. Growth in the early years was substantial, with the platform starting at approximately 60,000 listed items and reaching over 30 million listings by its fifth anniversary in June 2011, supported by over NT$100 million in website infrastructure investment during that period.

• Founded: September 2006, as a joint venture between eBay Inc. and PChome Online Inc., announced June 5, 2006
• Legal entity: PChome eBay Co., Ltd.
• Chinese brand name (current): 露天市集 (Ruten Market), adopted September 2022
• Chinese brand name (historical): 露天拍賣 (Ruten Auction), used from 2006 to 2022
• Parent companies: PChome Online Inc. (65% ownership) and eBay Inc. (35% ownership)
• Headquarters: Taipei, Taiwan
• Registered members: Over 11 to 14 million
• Active sellers: More than 2 million
• Product listings: Over 100 million
• Monthly transactions: More than 2 million completed per month
• AI lab: Rutopia AI E-commerce Lab, established 2017

By 2017, Ruten had surpassed 14 million registered members and more than 2 million active sellers. That year marked the creation of the Rutopia AI E-commerce Lab, reflecting the platform's move toward artificial intelligence and big data to improve product matching and user experience. In April 2019, Ruten launched cross-border integration with the American eBay marketplace, giving Taiwan-based sellers direct exposure to international buyers. A similar integration with Japanese Rakuten followed in July 2019. In September 2022, the platform formally retired the Ruten Auction name in favor of Ruten Market acknowledging its evolution from a primarily auction-based model into a broader multi-format shopping destination covering fixed-price sales, pre-orders, and standard inventory listings.

Which countries does Ruten deliver to?

Ruten operates primarily as a domestic Taiwan marketplace. Its logistics infrastructure, seller base, payment systems, and customer service are all built around transactions within Taiwan. The platform integrates with over 10,600 convenience store locations across four major chains, providing near-universal domestic coverage across the island's urban and rural areas. Account registration requires a Taiwanese national identification number, which creates a structural barrier for foreign buyers wishing to purchase directly through the standard registration process.

International reach has been built incrementally through formal partnerships rather than native platform expansion. In April 2019, Ruten launched cross-border integration with the American eBay marketplace, allowing Taiwan-based sellers to reach eBay's global buyer base. A comparable program with Japanese Rakuten was introduced in July 2019. Through additional cooperation with South Korea's Gmarket select sellers have been able to ship to South Korean buyers. These integrations route orders through each partner platform's own international logistics channels rather than through Ruten's domestic infrastructure.

For international buyers who wish to purchase from Ruten outside of these official integration programs, a well-established proxy shopping and package forwarding sector has developed to fill the gap. Services based in Singapore and other countries receive packages in Taiwan on behalf of overseas buyers and then forward them to the final destination. This approach is widely used among Ruten's international following, particularly in Southeast Asia, Japan, and Hong Kong, and the forwarding service handles logistics and documentation between Taiwan and the destination country.

• Taiwan (domestic): Full coverage of the island including urban centers and rural areas, via home delivery carriers and over 10,600 integrated convenience store locations
• United States: Accessible via eBay cross-border integration launched April 2019, through eBay's international logistics infrastructure
• Japan: Accessible via Rakuten cross-border integration launched July 2019
• South Korea: Accessible for select sellers via cross-border cooperation with Gmarket
• Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and other destinations: Accessible to international buyers through third-party proxy shopping and package forwarding services, primarily based in Singapore

What are the Ruten services and delivery times?

Ruten is a marketplace platform, not a carrier or logistics operator. It does not own delivery vehicles or sorting infrastructure. Sellers on the platform independently select from a range of third-party carriers and logistics services to fulfill their orders, and delivery times vary depending on which carrier the seller has used. Buyers can generally see the shipping method and estimated delivery timeframe on the product listing before completing a purchase.

T-Cat, 黑貓宅急便, is the most widely used home delivery service among Ruten sellers. It is operated by a subsidiary of Japan's Yamato Transport and provides door-to-door parcel delivery across Taiwan, typically completing delivery within one to two business days for most locations on the island. Convenience store pickup via 7-Eleven is another widely used choice, with packages typically arriving within one to three business days. The 7-Eleven service carries a published maximum weight of 5 kg per package for standard items, with a separate pricing tier applied to frozen food shipments.

Taiwan's national postal service, Chunghwa Post, 中華郵政, is used by some sellers as a lower-cost option, especially for lighter or smaller items. Standard domestic parcel delivery through Chunghwa Post generally takes two to five business days depending on destination and seasonal volume. President Transnet 統一速達, affiliated with the 7-Eleven corporate group, also provides home delivery services as part of the platform's fulfillment options. For buyers accessing Ruten through proxy forwarding services or the eBay and Rakuten cross-border integrations, total delivery time depends on the forwarding service, the destination country, and customs processing at the point of arrival.

• T-Cat (黑貓宅急便): Door-to-door home delivery operated by Yamato Transport's Taiwan subsidiary; typical delivery time 1 to 2 business days
• 7-Eleven store-to-store: Buyer selects a preferred 7-Eleven pickup location at checkout; typical arrival 1 to 3 business days; maximum 5 kg per package for standard items
• FamilyMart pickup: Store pickup comparable to the 7-Eleven model, using FamilyMart locations across Taiwan
• Hi-Life and OK Mart: Two additional convenience store chains integrated into the platform as pickup options
• Chunghwa Post (中華郵政): Taiwan's national postal service, used for lower-cost shipping of lighter items; domestic delivery typically 2 to 5 business days
• President Transnet (統一速達): Home delivery service affiliated with the 7-Eleven corporate group
• Pre-order sub-platform: A dedicated section for pre-orders, widely used for limited-edition products, collectibles, and high-demand electronics not yet in stock

What are the Ruten rates and maximum dimensions accepted?

Ruten does not set uniform shipping rates across the platform. Each seller independently determines shipping charges, which may reflect actual carrier costs, be bundled into the listed product price, or be offered as free shipping at the seller's discretion. Buyers can see the applicable shipping cost displayed at checkout before completing a purchase. For convenience store shipments via 7-Eleven, a flat fee per package applies up to the 5 kg weight limit, with a higher flat fee for frozen food items handled under a separate pricing tier.

Home delivery rates via T-Cat are calculated based on package weight and dimensional size, following the rate structure set by Yamato Transport's Taiwan subsidiary, with larger or heavier packages incurring higher charges. The platform supports installment payment plans spanning 12 or 24 months for qualifying purchases, which affects the total transaction cost but does not change the carrier shipping fee itself. Package weight and size limits are carrier-specific and follow each carrier's published policies rather than any platform-wide restriction set by Ruten centrally.

• Platform shipping fee: None set by Ruten; rates are determined individually by each seller
• 7-Eleven store-to-store rate: Flat fee per package for items up to 5 kg; separate higher flat fee for frozen food items
• T-Cat home delivery rate: Weight- and dimension-based pricing per Yamato Transport Taiwan's published schedule
• Maximum weight (7-Eleven): 5 kg per package for standard items
• Frozen food shipments: Separate higher pricing tier applies for perishable items shipped via 7-Eleven
• Installment payment: Available in 12 or 24-month plans for eligible transactions, configured at the seller level

What are the Ruten delivery options?

Buyers on Ruten have two primary package reception methods, determined by the shipping option chosen by the seller at the time of listing. The first is home delivery, where carriers such as T-Cat and President Transnet deliver directly to the buyer's registered address. If the recipient is not home at the time of the delivery attempt, the carrier leaves a notice and may attempt redelivery or hold the package at a nearby service point for a limited period. Redelivery and redirection policies are set at the individual carrier level and are not standardized across the Ruten platform.

Convenience store pickup is the most widely used reception method among Taiwan buyers. When a seller ships via 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life, or OK Mart, the buyer selects a preferred store location at checkout and the package is routed to that location. The package is held at the store for collection, typically within a window of several days before it is returned to the sender. Many convenience stores in Taiwan operate around the clock, which makes this method particularly practical for buyers who cannot receive packages during standard daytime delivery hours.

Some transactions on Ruten support cash-on-delivery at the convenience store pickup point, allowing buyers to pay in cash when they collect their order rather than paying online in advance. No information has been published by Ruten regarding locker delivery systems, time-slot selection for home delivery, or signature-required delivery policies at the platform level. These details, where applicable, are determined and communicated by the individual carrier handling the specific shipment.

• Home delivery: Door-to-door delivery to the buyer's registered address via T-Cat or President Transnet; carrier leaves a notice if the recipient is unavailable
• 7-Eleven pickup: Package delivered to the buyer's chosen 7-Eleven store; held for collection, typically within a window of several days before return
• FamilyMart pickup: Package delivered to the buyer's chosen FamilyMart store; collection method comparable to the 7-Eleven model
• Hi-Life and OK Mart pickup: Store pickup options available through two additional convenience store chains
• Cash-on-delivery: Available for select transactions; buyer pays in cash at the convenience store upon collection
• Integrated store network: Over 10,600 convenience store locations across four chains available as pickup points nationwide

What should I do if my Ruten parcel is lost or damaged?

Disputes between buyers and sellers on Ruten are handled through the platform's internal member system. Specific claims deadlines, refund timeframes, and compensation structures for lost or damaged packages are not set centrally by Ruten. These matters are resolved between the buyer, the seller, and the carrier used for the specific shipment. Seller performance is tracked and publicly visible, and sellers pursuing Ruten Select Seller status must maintain order cancellation rates below 10%, with metrics updated weekly in the seller dashboard. This accountability structure gives buyers a degree of protection when choosing between sellers on the platform.

Ruten's customer service team can be reached by phone at 02-55589168, Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM Taiwan Standard Time. Online chat support is available through the platform during those same business hours. During public holidays such as Peace Memorial Day, phone and chat support is suspended entirely, and payment processing and withdrawal requests submitted during holiday periods are delayed by one business day. For intellectual property infringement reports, Ruten operates a formal reporting process aligned with eBay Inc.'s global IP protection policies, reflecting the 35% ownership stake held by eBay in the joint venture.

• Dispute process: Handled through the Ruten member system between the buyer, the seller, and the applicable carrier
• Customer service phone: 02-55589168
• Business hours: Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM Taiwan Standard Time
• Online support: Chat support available through the platform during business hours
• Holiday suspension: Phone and chat support suspended during public holidays; payment processing delayed by one business day
• Seller performance standard: Order cancellation rate must remain below 10% for Ruten Select Seller status; metrics updated weekly as of February 2026
• IP infringement reports: Formal reporting process aligned with eBay's global intellectual property protection policies

Does Ruten handle international shipments and customs formalities?

International shipping is not a native feature of the Ruten platform. The marketplace was built around domestic Taiwan transactions, and the large majority of sellers do not offer overseas shipping options. The cross-border integrations with American eBay, launched in April 2019, and Japanese Rakuten, launched in July 2019, operate through each partner platform's own established international logistics channels, including their respective customs documentation and import declaration processes. Ruten itself does not manage customs forms or duties for these transactions.

For buyers using proxy shopping or package forwarding services to purchase from Ruten, the forwarding service takes on responsibility for customs documentation, import declarations, and applicable duties and taxes on behalf of the buyer. The specific requirements depend on the destination country's import regulations. Ruten enforces restrictions on certain product categories that cannot be listed or shipped through the platform. These prohibitions include electronic cigarettes and vaping devices of all types, meat products originating from regions affected by African swine fever, and Chinese animal meat and processed meat products, all of which align with Taiwan's own import and export control regulations and food safety standards.

• Native international shipping: Not supported; the platform is built around domestic Taiwan transactions
• eBay cross-border program: Launched April 2019; select sellers can reach US buyers through eBay's international logistics channels
• Rakuten cross-border program: Launched July 2019; select sellers can reach Japanese buyers through Rakuten's logistics channels
• Gmarket cooperation: Cross-border access to South Korean buyers available for select sellers
• Proxy forwarding: Third-party forwarding services handle customs documentation and international shipping for buyers not covered by the above integration programs
• Prohibited items: Electronic cigarettes and vaping devices of all types; meat products from African swine fever-affected regions; Chinese animal meat and processed meat products