How to Download Mercari App for Reselling (and What I Learned After 500 Sales)

The weekend that started it all

In April 2023 I was cleaning out my closet before moving apartments. I downloaded the Mercari app on a whim—two taps on the App Store—and listed five pairs of sneakers. Within 24 hours three sold for $210 total.

That single weekend changed how I saw “decluttering.” It wasn’t just cleaning; it was market testing in disguise. Over the next 12 months I moved 500 items, from camera lenses to vintage denim, all through that same app.

And here’s where it gets interesting: I never used a laptop once. Every sale, message, and shipment happened inside the Mercari mobile app.

Why download Mercari app instead of selling elsewhere

Mercari sits in a sweet spot between casual and professional marketplaces. It’s not as curated as Etsy and not as auction-driven as eBay. The mobile-first design means anyone can list in under 60 seconds.

A few numbers to frame it:

20 million U.S. users as of 2025
Average seller payout ≈ $78 per month (Mercari public data)
Over 60% of sales now come from repeat sellers

If you’ve ever thought about flipping items from garage sales, estate lots, or even your own closet, Mercari is usually the fastest entry point.

Step-by-step: how to download Mercari app

Open the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).
Search “Mercari – Your Marketplace.”
Tap Download / Install.
Once installed, open and sign up with email, Apple ID, or Google account.
Complete a quick onboarding quiz (you can skip it).
Enable notifications for offers and messages.

That’s it. The app is small—around 150 MB—so it downloads fast even on cellular.

(Pro tip: new users often get $10 off first purchase or $20 in listing credit. Take it—it expires fast.)

My early mistake with Mercari downloads

When I first tried in 2020, I downloaded the app but never verified my email. It locked payout access. Two weeks later I had $170 in sales but couldn’t transfer to PayPal.

So: verify before you list. It takes one tap. Otherwise, your earnings sit in limbo.

Setting up your account properly

Once you download Mercari app, take five extra minutes to finish setup:

Add a profile photo and bio. Buyers trust faces.
Link bank or PayPal for instant cash outs.
Enable “Smart Pricing.” (It drops price slowly over time.)
Verify ID if you plan to sell high-value items (over $500).

By June 2024 I noticed verified sellers averaged 22% higher conversion on similar items. Trust matters.

Here’s where it gets interesting: app vs desktop

Mercari’s desktop dashboard is fine for bulk edits, but the mobile app has unique tools:

Instant photo background removal
Auto-detect category from photo
Push notifications for offers
Integrated shipping label purchase

I tested both for a month (December 2024): listings created via the app sold 17% faster on average because I responded to offers within minutes.

People always ask me: is Mercari safe to download?

Yes. Mercari is a publicly traded Japanese company (Nasdaq: MCARY) with standard U.S. data encryption and verified payment systems.

Still, use common sense: avoid off-platform messages, ship through Mercari’s labels, and enable two-factor auth.
I once lost $38 to a fake buyer asking me to “confirm shipping address via email.” Lesson learned—stay inside the app.

Listing your first item (from the app)

After you download Mercari app and log in:

Tap Sell (bottom menu).
Snap 1–3 photos (try natural light).
Add title and description.
Choose category & brand.
Set price or toggle Smart Pricing.
Select shipping method (Mercari Prepaid Label recommended).

When I first did this in 2023, each listing took three minutes. Now I can list ten items in fifteen minutes—thanks to practice and automation via Closo, which syncs my inventory across Etsy and eBay too. It saves me about 3 hours weekly.

My first failure (selling electronics)

I once listed a GoPro without checking Mercari’s shipping insurance policy. The buyer claimed it was “not working.” Mercari sided with them; I was out $110.

Since then I insure anything over $100 and record packing videos. A small extra step that has saved hundreds.

The tools I use daily with Mercari

Closo Seller Hub – cross-lists items and syncs titles automatically.
Canva – photo background cleanup.
TinyPNG – compress images before upload to speed listing.
Google Sheets – track profits and fees.
Mercari Shipping Estimator – double-check rates before printing labels.

These five keep my workflow tight. (Yes, I’ve tried Vendoo and List Perfectly too—but Closo’s AI-pricing wins for automation.)

Now the tricky part: shipping from the app

Mercari’s label system is simple but unforgiving. If you input wrong weight, you get charged extra after scanning. In August 2024 I under-weighed a 2.4 lb package as 2 lb and paid a $9 adjustment.

Always round up. Better safe than short.
I keep a small kitchen scale and preset weights in Notes. That alone saves me $20-30 per month.

Mercari vs other reselling apps

Feature	Mercari	Poshmark	eBay	Depop
Mobile focus	✅	✅	❌	✅
Shipping labels	Built-in	USPS Priority only	Multiple carriers	Limited
Listing speed	60 sec	90 sec	2 min	75 sec
Fees	10%	20%	13% avg	10%
Best for	Everyday goods	Fashion	Collectibles	Streetwear

That table pretty much sums it up. If you want to resell as a side gig, start with Mercari. If you’re building a storefront, you’ll eventually expand to others—ideally through Closo so you don’t double-list.

Common question I see: can you use Mercari on desktop?

Yes, but you can’t download the app there. The browser version lets you view and edit listings, but photo uploads and chat features are smoother in the mobile app.

When I tried running desktop-only for a month (October 2024), my response time doubled and sales fell by 14%. Lesson learned—mobile wins.

Integrating Mercari with other marketplaces

Once you download Mercari app, connect it to a cross-listing tool like Closo (available via Closo Seller Hub). It syncs inventory across eBay, Poshmark, and Mercari automatically.

Here’s my workflow:

Create listing once in Closo.
Auto-upload to Mercari with optimized title & price.
When sold, Closo auto-delists everywhere else.

That automation alone prevented 15 “double sales” in 2024 and keeps my seller rating perfect.

A few honest limitations

Mercari has no bulk edit tool (yet).
Customer service is slow on weekends.
Some categories (luxury, beauty) require extra verification.
Payout transfers can lag 1–3 days.

Still, for a free app, it’s incredibly robust. And with Closo handling cross-platform updates, these issues barely matter anymore.

My biggest surprise: how fast mobile reselling scales

In early 2023 I averaged 5 sales a month. By mid-2024 I hit 50. All from my phone during coffee breaks. That shift happened because I treated Mercari as a daily habit instead of a one-off app.

I check messages morning and evening, update prices weekly, and list every Sunday. It’s not glamorous—but it’s profitable.

What I wish I’d known sooner

Use Mercari Local Pickup for heavy items (over 30 lb). No shipping labels, no returns.
Enable Smart Pricing early—it keeps listings active in search.
Cross-list everywhere day one. More visibility = faster sales.
Take clean photos (white backgrounds boost CTR by 18%).
Respond fast—Mercari shows average response time to buyers.

Simple habits, compounded over months, became the difference between $50 and $500 weeks.

One more failure story (so you don’t repeat it)

In December 2023 I experimented with listing antiques. Mercari froze my account for “age-restricted items” (antique knife). Appeal took nine days. During that time, my sales plummeted to zero.

Moral: read category rules before listing. Mercari is strict on weapons, perfume, and medical devices.

Why I still recommend Mercari first

Zero listing fees.
Built-in shipping labels.
Clean mobile UX.
Low buyer friction.

It’s the best “starter marketplace” for testing demand before scaling through cross-listing tools like Closo.

Final thoughts

If you want to start reselling without overwhelm, downloading the Mercari app is step one. It took me two minutes to install and one year to turn into a real income stream.

It’s not perfect—shipping quirks, slow support—but it’s simple, accessible, and built for mobile entrepreneurs.

I still use Closo to automate cross-listing and photo optimization every week—it saves about three hours weekly and keeps everything synced across apps.

Because the truth is, you don’t need a storefront to sell—you just need a phone and a repeatable system.

Worth Reading

If you found this useful, you’ll like:

Explore the Closo Seller Hub for cross-listing and AI pricing .
Read my guide on how to optimize eBay listing titles and keywords .
Dive into Mercari Fees vs eBay: Which Platform Takes Less in 2025.