Wondering how to sell on Mercari? I’m going to show you exactly how to get started so you can hopefully be on your way to making money with Mercari. Mercari is like Poshmark and a lot of other selling marketplaces. The process to get set up if easier than you might think. It’s a fun way to make money on the side and some sellers can even potentially earn a full-time living selling on Mercari.
Keep reading to learn about how Mercari works, how to get started, how to sell on Mercari, how much money you can make, and more.
Let’s go!
What is Mercari?
Mercari is a Japanese e-commerce company that operates a marketplace app for buying and selling new and used goods, including clothing, accessories, and home goods.
It was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Mercari has grown to become one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Japan and has expanded internationally, with operations in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The company has a focus on mobile commerce, with users able to buy and sell items through the Mercari app on their smartphones.
Selling on Mercari offers a couple of benefits:
- Convenience: Mercari is a mobile-based marketplace, which means you can list and sell items from your phone.
- Large audience: Mercari has a large user base, which means you have the potential to reach a lot of buyers.
- Easy to use: Mercari’s app is user-friendly, making it easy for you to list and sell items.
- Low fees: Mercari charges a 10% fee on each sale, which is lower than the fees charged by some other online marketplaces.
- Secure payments: Mercari handles all payments, so you don’t have to worry about handling financial transactions yourself.
- Customer support: Mercari has a customer support team available to help you with any issues that may arise.
- Trustworthiness: Mercari has a reputation for being a safe and reliable place to buy and sell items, which can increase buyer confidence.
It’s a win-win for you. Declutter your space and sell your stuff for money.
How to sell on Mercari
To sell on Mercari, you can follow these steps:
- Download the Mercari app from the App Store or Google Play (you can also visit the website, Mercari.com).
- Create an account by entering your email address and creating a password.
- Take photos of the items you want to sell using the Mercari app.
- Add a title, description, and price for each item.
- Choose the appropriate category for each item.
- Select the shipping options for each item (e.g. free shipping, flat rate, etc.).
- Review and confirm the details of your listing.
- When your item sells, you will receive a notification from Mercari with the buyer’s shipping information.
- Ship the item to the buyer using the shipping method you selected when creating the listing.
- Once the buyer receives the item and confirms that it is as described, the sale is complete and Mercari will release the payment to you.
The process is pretty intuitive, despite the multiple steps you see above for getting set up. You should be up and running within a few minutes.
What kinds of items can you sell on Mercari?
You can sell a wide range of items on Mercari, including clothing, accessories, beauty products, home goods, electronics, and more. Some examples of items that may be suitable for sale on Mercari include:
- Clothing and shoes for men, women, and children
- Handbags and wallets
- Jewelry and watches
- Beauty and skincare products
- Home decor and furnishings
- Kitchen and dining items
- Books, DVDs, and CDs
- Electronics such as phones, tablets, and laptops
- Toys and games
- Sports equipment and outdoor gear
Keep in mind that Mercari has policies in place to ensure that only safe and legal items are sold on the platform. This means that you cannot sell certain types of items, such as weapons or controlled substances.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with Mercari’s policies before listing any items for sale.
Taking good photos
Taking good photos is an important part of selling your stuff on Mercari. You want to display all the features of the products you sell and make sure that photos are clear, high-quality, and truly show off your products in the best light.
- Showcase all the features, including flaws
- Take photos in good light (natural light is best)
- Take photos showing every side of the item
- Show the label, tag, fabric make-up, etc.
- Take clear, bright photos
Title your product
Use a keyword-optimized title. If you’re not a marketer then you might not know what I’m talking about. This basically means to make sure your title has words that people are searching for.
For example, if you have a yellow Kenneth Cole handbag including a dustbag, use keywords like the brand name, Kenneth Cole, and descriptors like handbag because people online are searching for Kenneth Cole handbags. And, when you use these keywords, you’re attracting the people who are searching for your product, to your product listing, which is what you want!
How does Mercari shipping work?
The buyer pays shipping or the seller pays to ship. These are the two options.
When you sell an item on Mercari, you have the option to offer either free shipping or a flat rate shipping fee to the buyer. If you choose to offer free shipping, you will be responsible for paying the shipping costs.
If you choose to charge a flat rate shipping fee, the buyer will pay the fee when they purchase the item, and you will be responsible for paying the shipping costs up to the amount of the fee.
Once an item sells on Mercari, you will receive a notification with the buyer’s shipping information.
You will then need to package the item and ship it.
- Pick a shipping carrier
- Print out a prepaid shipping label from Mercari
- Save up to 63% on retail postage rates
Going with Mercari’s prepaid label shipping is not the only option, though. You can ship on your own or do Mercari pack and ship.
How does shipping on your own work?
- Choose your shipping service
- Recommended for large items over 150lbs and longer than 45 inches
How does Mercari Pack and Ship work?
You’ll go to a UPS location and they will pack and ship your order. It comes with $200 in shipping insurance and you’ll get a professionally packed shipment sent to your buyer. You get flat-rate shipping to all 50 U.S. states. This is a good option for fragile items, bulky items, or very large items.
After you have shipped the item, you will need to confirm the shipment on Mercari. This will trigger the release of the payment from Mercari to you. The buyer will also be able to track the shipment of their item through the Mercari app or website.
Learn more about Mercari shipping.
My personal experience with Mercari
I tried Mercari in the past and I was successful in selling one item. It was a Guess peacoat. I looked into Mercari selling because I heard it was like Poshmark and I had some success with Poshmark. It doesn’t have that social element that Poshmark does, at least not on their level but, it’s a cool way to sell stuff online.
The app is user-friendly and you can set up your profile and start listing your stuff pretty fast. I didn’t understand the fee structure as well with Mercari so I didn’t end up making much money on the sale of my designer peacoat. Around $5 to $10, if I remember correctly.
My mess up was with the shipping. If you pursue selling on Mercari, I’d make sure to fully understand how that works. I ended up paying a lot for shipping because I had a heavier-duty item. My experience would have been different if I was selling and shipping a lightweight item like a t-shirt or piece of jewelry.
The shipping is actually probably one of the easiest parts of the process. They provide you with a prepaid shipping label but, in order to get the right label, when setting up your listing, you want to make sure you account for your item weight, size, etc. so you get enough postage from the buyer.
This doesn’t make me give up on the platform, I’d just be smarter when diving in, selling on Mercari and similar platforms.
Mercari seller reviews
We pulled reviews from several sources around the web and here’s what we found for Mercari seller and Mercari buyer reviews.
Sitejabber – 1,900+ reviews
1.35 out of 5 stars, which is one of the lowest ratings I’ve seen on any website rated. The Sitejabber reviews are from Mercari buyers and Mercari sellers. The lowest rating was on service.
What Mercari users are saying on Sitejabber…
“Any issues with purchases have been resolved promptly by customer service”
“They did nothing to show me that the post office charged an additional amount for shipping they just took my money.”
Trustpilot – 18,000+ reviews
2.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot for Mercari reviews which Trustpilot considers average. Customer service seems to have received the lowest mars from Trustpilot reviewers. This is for Mercari sellers and Mercari buyers, as well.
Here’s what Mercari users are saying on Trustpilot…
”customer service is horrible…”
“Go somewhere else”
“Never had an issue…”
Mercari vs Poshmark
Let’s compare. Mercari or Poshmark? Both marketplaces have a lot in common. There are also differences. I’ve personally tried both and I’ll share my personal opinion on them and which platform I prefer.
First, Mercari is an app and website. It has a user-friendly setup for buyers and sellers. Buyers can easily browse through the listing to look at product categories and products they’re interested in buying. The product page looks like this for buyers…
You get product photos, a description, shipping details, info about the seller including seller badges, and an option to pay. It’s similarly set up to eBay. The listing also allows you to buy on the spot or make an offer, as well as contact the seller for questions.
Once buyers purchase on Mercari, all they have to do is sit back and wait for the item to be shipped to them.
For sellers, the process is just as easy. You can easily set up your products on the platform, add images, set pricing, set up your shipping options, and more. Then publish your listing.
As you get offers for your products, you can accept, reject, or counteroffer.
Next, Poshmark. Poshmark is also a website and app. They have a streamlined process to join the platform, for buyers and sellers.
Poshmark product pages look like this…
It has a lot of the same info as the Mercari product page but it looks like there’s less information on the page. There just seems to be more product info on the Mercari product page but, both product pages from Mercari and Poshmark are organized, neat, and don’t feel cluttered.
Of the two product page setups from desktop, I prefer Mercari.
Selling on Poshmark is similar to what you’d experience on Mercari. You join the platform, list your items, add photos, set pricing and shipping, and publish.
Here are the main differences between Mercari and Poshmark
Mercari has the “What’s selling” section I’ve mentioned in this article a few times. This is huge and incredibly beneficial for sellers. It can be great info for buyers too who may want to spy on what people are buying. Other platforms don’t always show trending items that are popular and selling, though I think they should. It’s well-liked by buyers and sellers, I think.
Poshmark has a more social element to it. You can have followers, and follow others, they have “parties” where they set up an online event that’s themed and have Poshmar users host and invite others to join. They can be an excellent buying opportunity.
I’ve tried Mercari and Poshmark. While I like the website’s product listing process and overall look and feel more with Mercari, I sell far more on Poshmark. I think the social element helps with that a lot and it’s not hard to get followers. The more you’re active on the platform, the more you can grow your Poshmark following. As a result, you can sell more.
Who wins, Mercari or Poshmark?
Tough one but, based on my personal experience, Poshmark wins. Though I really love Mercari and like the setup and overall feel of the website and app much more. The “what’s selling” page which Poshmark doesn’t is a big draw, as well.
Pros and Cons of selling on Mercari
Let’s break down to advantages and disadvantages of Mercari selling.
Pros of selling on Mercari
- Free to join
- Easy to list products
- Less competition
- Multiple shipping options
- See what’s selling
Free to join
Mercari is free to join for buyers and sellers. Buyers only pay Mercari when they make a purchase. Sellers only pay Mercari when they make a sale.
Easy to list products
For Mercari sellers, the product listing process is incredibly easy. You can list a product from start to finish in just a few minutes. You will want to be prepared with the product listing title, description, images, and a shipping option in mind.
Less competition
Mercari is a competitive marketplace but, less so than big players like Ebay and Amazon. So, if you want to sell on a platform that isn’t super saturated, giving you a good chance to sell your stuff, Mercari fits the bill.
Multiple shipping options
Mutliple shipping options make the shipping for sellers flexible. You aren’t tied to a specific shipping method and you can switch your shipping option easily based on the products you sell.
For example, bulky products you may want to be packed and shipped while for lightweight, smaller items you may request a prepaid shipping label from Mercari. There are several shipping options for Mercari sellers, which you’ll like.
See what’s selling page
One of my favorite features of Mercari is the “What’s selling” section of the site. This helps sellers get valuable insight on what products are performing the best, in terms of sales.
Cons of selling on Mercari
- Restrictions on what you can sell
- Fees
Product selling restrictions
Like many marketplace platforms for selling, you can’t sell anything want. There are restrictions. This is common. To learn about what items are restricted, visit this page.
Fees
Fees enable a platform like Mercari to exist. Because they have costs, it makes sense they would charge users for certain things. Sellers incur the fees here. When a Mercari seller sells an item, they pay a 10% fee plus a processing fee, based on the sold price.
Common questions about how to sell on Mercari
Here are the most common questions you might have about Mercari.
1. Is it worth selling on Mercari?
Yes, it’s worth selling on Mercari. What makes Mercari different from other marketplaces or platforms to sell on is the “See What’s Selling” section. It’s on Mercari’s homepage and it looks like this…
2. How much does it cost to sell items on Mercari?
It’s free to join Mercari and list items. When your item sells you incur a 2.9% + $0.50 processing fee, based on the price sold. There’s also a 10% selling fee you incur and both charges are when the transaction is complete. You do not get charged these fees if your item sells and it’s canceled or an item is returned.
3. What is the trick to selling on Mercari?
The “See What’s Selling” section is game-changing. It’s something I haven’t seen on other selling platforms. This is really useful for sellers, especially full-time sellers looking to earn a living from Mercari.
When you go to “See What’s Selling,” you can see what items are trending, popular and actually selling. This clues you into what kind of products to stock up on and sell because buyers are purchasing those kinds of items.
You can find “See What’s Selling” right on the homepage of Mercari or you can click here.
Is Mercari legit?
Yes, Mercari is legit. I can vouch for them because I’ve personally used the Mercari website as a seller and have successfully sold stuff on their platform.
Overall, I think selling on Mercari is a great option for people looking to clear out the unwanted stuff from their home and profit from it.