I still remember my first week on Mercari back in 2018. I was migrating over from eBay, where I had spent a decade glued to my screen, watching auction timers count down from 10 seconds while my heart raced. I found a rare Nintendo GameCube bundle on Mercari listed for $100. My instinct kicked in—I looked for the "Place Bid" button. I wanted to start low, maybe at $60, and fight for it.
But the button wasn't there. Just a big "Buy Now" and a smaller "Make Offer." I felt lost. I stared at the screen, wondering if I was missing a hidden menu. I wasn't. I eventually realized that Mercari doesn't want the drama of a 7-day auction; they want the speed of a garage sale.
That GameCube sold to someone else while I was trying to figure out how to bid. That missed opportunity taught me that while Mercari doesn't have "bidding" in the traditional sense, it has a negotiation culture that is arguably more aggressive—and faster—than any auction site.
The "Make Offer" Button: The Silent Auction
Here is where it gets interesting. Even though you can't place a public bid, you are absolutely "bidding" against the seller's expectations and other hidden buyers. The "Make Offer" button is your paddle.
Unlike eBay, where everyone sees the current price rising, Mercari offers are private. Only the seller sees them.
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The Mechanic: You can offer roughly 20-25% below the asking price.
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The Commitment: Unlike a casual text message, a Mercari offer is binding. If the seller clicks "Accept," the money is pulled from your card instantly.
I once found a leather jacket listed for $200. I offered $160. The seller let it sit. Three hours later, I got a notification: "Item Sold." Someone else had likely offered $170, or maybe they just hit "Buy Now." I learned that in a private bidding war, you have no idea what your competition is doing. You are bidding blind.
The Confusion: Mercari US vs. Mercari Japan
A lot of the confusion around does mercari do bidding comes from the fact that Mercari is a Japanese company. In Japan, they rolled out an auction feature recently that mimics Yahoo! Auctions.
If you are reading forums or watching YouTube videos from 2025 or 2026, you might see people talking about "Mercari Auctions."
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Mercari US: Fixed Price + Offers.
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Mercari JP: Fixed Price + Auctions.
Unless you are using a proxy service to import anime figures from Tokyo, you are stuck with the US fixed-price system. Don't look for the timer; it’s not there.
Creating Your Own "Bidding War" as a Seller
As a seller, I actually prefer the lack of auctions because I can manufacture urgency myself. You don't need a timer to make buyers panic.
Here is a strategy I use that simulates a bidding war:
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List High: I list an item for $50.
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Accumulate "Watchers": On Mercari, these are "Likers."
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The "Price Drop" Signal: I lower the price to $45 using the "Promote" feature.
This sends a push notification to every single person who liked that item. It acts like a dinner bell. I have seen items sit for weeks, but the moment I drop the price by $5, I get three offers in ten minutes. It’s psychological. They see the price move and think, "Oh no, someone else is going to grab it."
I use Closo Demand Signals to time this. If Closo shows me that similar items are selling fast (high sell-through rate), I know I don't need to drop the price much. I can hold firm. If the demand is low, I know I need to manufacture that "bidding" excitement with a steeper discount.
The "Smart Offers" Automation
If you hate haggling, Mercari has a feature called "Smart Offers." You set a "floor price" (the lowest you will go), and the app negotiates for you.
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My Experience: I listed a pair of sneakers for $80 with a Smart Offer floor of $60.
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The Result: A buyer offered $55. The system auto-declined. A second buyer offered $65. The system auto-accepted.
It felt like magic. I woke up to a "Sold" notification without ever having to touch my phone. It’s not an auction, but it automates the "bidding" defense so you don't have to stare at your phone all day.
Why Offers Are Better Than Bids (Unpopular Opinion)
I will go out on a limb here: I prefer the Offer system to eBay's bidding system.
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Speed: Auctions take 7 days. Offers take seconds.
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Certainty: In an auction, the winner might not pay (non-paying bidders are a plague). On Mercari, an offer is a pre-authorized payment. The moment it's accepted, the money is yours.
However, there is a downside. The "Lowball Culture." Because there is no starting bid to anchor the price, buyers will shamelessly offer you $10 on a $50 item.
Honest Failure: The 24-Hour Trap
I need to share a failure so you don't repeat it. In late 2024, I received a decent offer on a vintage camera. It was listed for $150, and they offered $130. I was greedy. I thought, "If they offered $130, maybe they will pay $140."
I let the offer sit while I waited to see if anyone else would bite. The mistake: Mercari offers expire in 24 hours. I fell asleep. When I woke up, the offer had expired. I messaged the buyer: "Hey, sorry I missed this! Send it again and I'll accept." They replied: "Already bought another one."
I lost a $130 sale because I was treating it like an auction, hoping for a higher bid. On Mercari, speed is currency. If the offer is good, take it.
The "Bundle" Bid
One area where negotiation feels most like a deal is with Bundles. Mercari allows buyers to add multiple items to a cart and send one offer for the whole lot.
This is where I get aggressive. If someone bundles three of my shirts listed at $20 each (total $60), and they offer $45, I almost always take it. I save on shipping materials, I clear three items at once, and I get cash instantly.
This "bulk bidding" is unique. On auction sites, you usually have to win each item individually. Here, the buyer creates their own lot and names their price.
Managing the Chaos with Tools
When you have 300 items and offers are flying in, it gets chaotic. You need to know if an offer is good or if you are giving away the farm.
This is where Closo 100% Free Crosslister saves me. It’s not just for moving items between eBay and Poshmark; it helps me keep track of my inventory's value. When I get an offer on Mercari, I can quickly glance at my dashboard to see if I have that same item listed higher on eBay.
If I have a dress listed for $50 on eBay with 5 watchers, and someone on Mercari offers me $30, I decline. I know the demand is there. Without that centralized view, I might have panic-sold. Plus, Closo is free, so I’m not paying a monthly fee just to figure out if I should accept a $20 offer.
Comparison: eBay Bidding vs. Mercari Offers
People always ask me...
Can I retract an offer on Mercari?
Unlike eBay where you can retract a bid for specific reasons (like "wrong amount entered"), Mercari is stricter. You cannot just hit a "cancel" button on an offer. However, the offer expires in 24 hours. If you desperately need to cancel, you have to message the seller and beg them to decline it, or block the seller (which forcibly cancels the offer, though this is the "nuclear option" and I don't recommend it for your reputation).
Does Mercari have "Sniping"?
No. "Sniping" is placing a bid in the last 3 seconds of an auction. Since does mercari do bidding is a "no," there is no clock to snipe against. The closest equivalent is someone hitting "Buy Now" while you are busy negotiating a lower price. I’ve lost items this way. I was trying to save $5, and someone else just walked in and paid full price.
The "Message" Bid
Sometimes, the bidding happens in the DMs. You will get messages like: "What is your lowest?" or "Will you take $20?"
My advice: Never answer "What is your lowest?" It is a trap. If you say $20, they will offer $15. Instead, reply: "I'm open to reasonable offers! Feel free to use the offer button." This forces them to commit to a number. It turns a casual chatter into a serious buyer (or makes them go away).
Conclusion
So, does Mercari do bidding? Not with a gavel, a timer, and a "Going, Going, Gone!" chant. But make no mistake: it is a marketplace of constant, rapid-fire negotiation.
The "Make Offer" button is the modern version of bidding. It is faster, safer for sellers regarding payment, and simpler for buyers. If you are waiting for an auction feature to arrive in the US, you are leaving money on the table today.
The key to success is to price your items with enough "padding" to accept those offers, and to use data to know when to hold firm. I rely on Closo to give me that data and to ensure that when I do accept an offer on Mercari, the item is instantly removed from my other platforms so I don't double-sell.
Start cross-listing with Closo today—it’s the smartest way to manage your offers and keep your sales flowing.
