RS Components
RS Components holds place 9 of 12 in our electronic component distributors ranking. The catalogue describes it as: industrial supplier with 800,000 products, a credit account and scheduled orders.
Sebastiaan SmitsFounderCommercial relationships can affect which products appear and how prominently. The RS Components link is marked as every vendor link is, see disclosure.
Visit RS Components See it in the electronic component distributors ranking
Key facts about RS Components
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Pricing model | Prices set on the website and changeable without notice; credit account application; extra charge on small Extended Range orders |
| API | No API details for RS Components in our records |
| Deployment | Not stated in the material we reviewed |
| Free plan | Paid only, as far as we recorded |
| Best for | UK industrial buyers wanting a credit account and scheduled repeat orders |
What is RS Components?
RS Components is the UK-facing shop of an industrial supplier, run by RS Components Ltd from Corby in Northamptonshire. The UK homepage states more than 800,000 products, delivery options and technical support from its experts. The range reaches beyond electronic parts into automation and control, cables, enclosures and server racks, fuses and circuit breakers, HVAC and thermal management, relays and sensors, with Raspberry Pi and Arduino development tools alongside.
The country selector on rs-online.com calls the business an industrial solutions and product distributor in 32 countries and says customers of the former Distrelec international website are now served by RS Group. For a buyer this means a broad single catalogue with the usual account tools, but also a group structure rather than an independent shop, and a price model that is set by the website on the day.
RS Components key features
- Wide industrial catalogue. Over 800,000 products are stated on the UK site, grouped from automation and control to semiconductors and test and measurement. A maintenance buyer and an electronics designer can use one account, though the pages do not break the count down by category.
- Raspberry Pi and Arduino tools. Development tools for Raspberry Pi and Arduino sit in the homepage category list next to passives and connectors. That suits prototyping, although the pages we read do not name specific boards or stock levels.
- Credit account application. The footer links to an RS Credit Account application. Businesses can therefore ask to buy on account, but the pages read do not state credit limits, payment days or the checks applied.
- Scheduled orders and history. Order history and scheduled orders are linked from the footer, which helps repeat purchases of consumables. How a schedule is edited or cancelled is not described on the pages we read.
- Delivery options and calibration. Delivery options and calibration services are both listed in the footer. The terms mention an Extended Range shipping charge, but delivery speeds and calibration prices are not shown.
- Card payment. The homepage shows Amex, Mastercard and Visa logos. Other payment routes are not named on the pages read, so wire transfer or invoice terms would need to be asked about.
- Expert technical support. The homepage promises technical support from RS experts. Opening hours, channels and response times are not given on the page we read, so the promise cannot be measured.
Who RS Components suits
- A maintenance engineer ordering enclosures, fuses and relays. The category list covers enclosures, fuses and circuit breakers, relays and HVAC parts under one roof, so a single basket can cover a repair job, subject to the shipping charge on small Extended Range orders.
- A workshop that restocks cables and connectors regularly. Scheduled orders and order history are linked in the footer, which suits recurring purchases. A credit account application is also offered, though its terms are not published.
- A hobbyist or student building a Raspberry Pi project. Raspberry Pi and Arduino tools are listed beside sensors and passive components, and card payment is shown. Hobby buyers should check the shipping charge before ordering low-value baskets.
Getting started with RS Components
The pages we read describe the shop rather than a sign-up procedure, so this is what can be said from them. The UK site at uk.rs-online.com serves British buyers, and rs-online.com offers a country selector for the other markets in the group. Browsing the catalogue is shown on the homepage, and card payment logos for Amex, Mastercard and Visa indicate that a first order can be paid that way.
Businesses that want to buy on account can use the RS Credit Account application linked in the footer. Prices are those on the website at the time of order, and the terms of sale, dated February 2025, are worth reading before a first purchase because they set the Extended Range shipping charge and the right to change prices without notice.
What we make of RS Components
RS Components Limited of Corby sells over 800,000 products across automation, cables, enclosures, relays, sensors, semiconductors and development tools.
The terms say prices follow the website and may change without notice, and Extended Range orders below 100 pounds carry a shipping charge, currently 10 pounds. The rs-online.com selector speaks of RS Group and 32 countries, so this is one arm of a group rather than an independent shop.
The electronic component distributors list places RS Components 9 of 12: the products next to it are Distrelec above and Farnell below. No numeric score is attached; established products follow the challengers in their ranked order.
Europe is home to 5 of the 12 vendors, RS Components among them (the United Kingdom).
Strengths and limits of RS Components
- RS Components Limited of Corby sells over 800,000 products across automation, cables, enclosures, relays, sensors, semiconductors and development tools.
- Suits: UK industrial buyers wanting a credit account and scheduled repeat orders.
- RS Components is tagged Raspberry Pi and Arduino in our records.
- RS Components is tagged Credit account in our records.
- Marked in our records as scheduled orders.
- Extended Range orders under 100 pounds carry an extra shipping and handling charge.
- Not for: Buyers who want an independent supplier outside any group.
- Prices may change without prior notice under the terms of sale.
RS Components pros and cons in practice
- Over 800,000 products are stated, spread across industrial and electronic categories, so one account covers many purchase types.
- The legal entity, address, company number and VAT number are all given in the terms of sale.
- A credit account application and scheduled orders are offered for repeat business buyers.
- Raspberry Pi and Arduino tools are in the category list for prototyping.
- Prices may be changed without prior notice according to the terms, so a figure seen earlier is not binding.
- Extended Range orders under 100 pounds carry an extra charge, currently 10 pounds.
- The business is part of RS Group, and the legal text read does not name a parent company, so ownership has to be pieced together from the country selector.
- No price list, delivery times or security certification are shown on the pages we read.
Paying for RS Components
In the catalogue: Prices set on the website and changeable without notice; credit account application; extra charge on small Extended Range orders.
No price list is published on the pages we read. The UK terms of sale state that prices are those set out on the RS website and that RS may change prices without prior notice at any time, so a quote or basket total is the only reliable figure. Orders containing Extended Range products worth less than 100 pounds carry an additional shipping and handling charge, stated in the terms as currently 10 pounds and subject to change. Payment by Amex, Mastercard or Visa is shown on the homepage, and an RS Credit Account application is linked in the footer for businesses. The pages read describe no entry-level plan or introductory offer, and no subscription fee is mentioned. Buyers comparing distributors should therefore compare basket totals including the shipping charge.
Read from uk.rs-online.com/web when Best Electronic Component Distributors in 2026 was last reviewed (13 November 2026).
Living with RS Components: setup and exit
The footer links to a credit account application, order history, scheduled orders, delivery options and calibration services.
Terms of sale dated February 2025 name RS Components Limited, registered number 1002091.
Amex, Mastercard and Visa logos appear on the homepage.
Personal information is deleted when RS no longer needs it, with a UK GDPR complaints address.
A group name sits on the country selector while the legal text names no parent.
RS Components: data and security
The privacy statement for RS Online names RS Components Ltd as the operator of the site and states that personal information is deleted when RS no longer needs it. It also gives a UK GDPR complaints address.
The terms of sale name RS Components Limited, Birchington Road, Weldon, Corby, Northamptonshire NN17 9RS, registered number 1002091, with VAT registration GB 243 1640 91. The pages we read name no security certification and no data hosting location, so those points would need to be asked of the vendor directly.
RS Components in numbers and labels
| Product | RS Components |
|---|---|
| Vendor website | uk.rs-online.com/web |
| Not in our data | uptime history and customer numbers |
| Catalogue tags | Credit account, Scheduled orders, Raspberry Pi and Arduino |
| Price visibility | Model recorded, no figure |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom (Europe) |
| Head-to-head pages | None yet |
| Alternatives page | Not written yet |
| Primary guide | Best Electronic Component Distributors in 2026 |
| Rank there | #9 of 12 |
Integrations and ecosystem
Integrations the vendor names (9):
- Raspberry Pi
- Arduino
- Amex
- Mastercard
- Visa
- RS Credit Account
- Scheduled orders
- Order history
- Calibration services
Where else RS Components is ranked
| Guide | Position |
|---|---|
| Best Electronic Component Distributors in 2026 | #9 of 12 |
Close alternatives to RS Components
Closest by traits, not by rank: 4 products from the same list that overlap most with RS Components.
- TME (#1 of 12): Polish distributor run in a family way, with EDI, Punchout and API. Suits: Industrial buyers who want EDI or Punchout links into their own purchasing system. (Poland)
- LCSC (#6 of 12): Suits: Prototype and small-batch buyers worldwide who prepay and want an API and BOM upload. (Hong Kong)
- Distrelec (#8 of 12): Not for: buyers wanting an independent supplier with its own terms. European technical-components distributor, now presented as part of RS Group.
- Digi-Key (#12 of 12): Not for: buyers who want a stated owner or a posted price list. Distributor with credit accounts, a cross reference and PCB Builder design tools. (United States)
RS Components: questions
8 answersIs RS Components one of the top electronic component distributors?
RS Components is #9 of 12 in our electronic component distributors ranking.
Is RS Components free, or what does it charge?
Prices set on the website and changeable without notice; credit account application; extra charge on small Extended Range orders is how we record the pricing of RS Components. On free access, we found no free tier.
Where is RS Components based?
RS Components is established in the United Kingdom, which our regional grouping counts as Europe. That is where the contracting company sits, not necessarily where your data is hosted.
Is RS Components the right fit for me?
UK industrial buyers wanting a credit account and scheduled repeat orders. It is a weaker match for the following: buyers who want an independent supplier outside any group.
Which tools compete with RS Components?
The nearest neighbours in our ranking are TME, LCSC, Distrelec and Digi-Key. All of them are reviewed in the same ranking.
Is RS Components still independent?
The rs-online.com selector refers to RS Group and says former Distrelec customers are served by it. The legal text we read does not name a parent, so we describe it as one arm of a group.
Is there a minimum order or a shipping fee?
The terms mention an additional charge, currently 10 pounds, on orders of Extended Range products worth less than 100 pounds. Other delivery rates are not stated on the pages read.
Can a business pay on account?
An RS Credit Account application is linked in the footer. Its limits and payment days are not published on the pages we read.
RS Components: sources
Read from the vendor’s own pages on 12 November 2026.
- uk.rs-online.com/web: 800,000 products, categories, card logos, no trial or free plan named
- rs-online.com: Country selector, 32 countries, RS Group and former Distrelec customers
- uk.rs-online.com/web/content/about-rs/articles/terms-and-conditions-of-sale-products: Price terms, 10 pound Extended Range charge, legal entity, credit account and order links
- uk.rs-online.com/web/content/about-rs: UK footer address
- uk.rs-online.com/web/content/about-rs/articles/privacy-policy: Privacy statement, deletion and UK GDPR complaints address
How we rank
We test for four things rather than for features: setup time, price in practice, exit and audience. That puts RS Components at #9 of 12. The editorial process sets out how facts are gathered and how commercial links are handled.