multi-level marketing; MLM; network marketing; pyramid selling
Formal term used in legal and business contexts. Often associated with pyramid schemes, though the term itself is neutral. Compare マルチ商法, which is more colloquial and often carries a negative connotation.
See also: マルチ商法
Multi-level marketing is regulated by the Specified Commercial Transactions Act.
彼は連鎖販売取引の仕組みを説明した。
He explained the mechanism of multi-level marketing.
More colloquial term for multi-level marketing, often with a negative nuance implying a pyramid scheme.
Compound of 連鎖 (chain), 販売 (sales), and 取引 (transaction). A direct translation of the English 'chain sales transaction', reflecting the structure of multi-level marketing.