I still remember the feeling of absolute confusion in early 2019 when I first downloaded Mercari. I had been selling on eBay for years, comfortable with its auction style and rigid rules. But then I listed a half-used bottle of cologne (yes,really) on Mercari just to test the waters. It sold in 15 minutes.
That sale broke every rule I thought I knew about e-commerce. Who buys used cologne? On eBay, that listing might have been flagged or ignored. On Mercari, it was just another Tuesday.
That was my introduction to the Wild West of resale apps. It isn't polished like Amazon, and it isn't as curated as Poshmark. It is a digital garage sale in the truest sense, where one person’s trash—sometimes literally—is another person’s treasure.
Mercari What Is It? The Basics
If you ask a loyal user "Mercari what is it?", they will likely describe it as the easiest way to declutter a house. Originating in Japan, Mercari launched in the US with a simple premise: make selling as easy as taking a photo.
Unlike other platforms that force you into specific categories, Mercari is a generalist marketplace. You can list a Gucci bag right next to a used toaster. This chaotic variety is actually its strength.
Here represents a fundamental shift in how we look at stuff. I used to look at a drawer full of old charging cables and see junk. Now, I see a "lot of 10 cables" listed for $12. And people buy them.
The Platform Experience: What Is Mercari Website vs. App?
While the mobile app is the primary driver, the what is mercari website question is valid because the desktop experience has improved significantly.
Initially, Mercari was app-only. You couldn't even list from a computer. Now, the website offers a robust selling dashboard. I actually prefer listing on the website because typing descriptions on a real keyboard is infinitely faster than thumb-typing on a phone.
However, the "buying" culture is distinctly mobile. Most buyers are scrolling through the app while waiting for the bus or lying in bed. This means your photos need to pop on a small screen. I learned this the hard way when I uploaded wide,landscape photos of a pair of sneakers. On the app feed, they looked tiny and unappealing. I re-uploaded them as square,zoomed-in shots, and they sold the next day.
Is Mercari Legit?
The internet is full of horror stories, leading many to search: is mercari legit?
Short answer: Yes, it is a legitimate publicly traded company. It isn't a scam site. However, because it is peer-to-peer, you are dealing with regular people, not a warehouse. And regular people can be... unpredictable.
My Experience with Legitimacy: I have completed over 300 transactions on Mercari.
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Successful: 295
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Issues: 5
That is a 98% success rate. The issues I faced were mostly minor—a buyer claiming an item smelled like smoke (it didn't), or a seller taking a week to ship.
However, there is a dark side. Mercari reviews are often polarized because when things go wrong, Mercari’s support team is notoriously robotic. They rely heavily on automated responses.
(Parenthetical aside: I once had a buyer claim a ceramic mug arrived broken. They sent a photo of a completely different mug—blue instead of red—smashed on the floor. Mercari’s bot initially approved the return. I had to fight tooth and nail,sending five emails with proof of my packaging, to get a human to reverse the decision.)
So, is mercari legit? Yes. Is it perfect? Absolutely not.
The Financial Shift: What Is Mercari Service Fee?
Here is where it gets interesting... and where seasoned sellers are currently losing their minds.
In March 2024, Mercari completely flipped their business model. For years, sellers paid a 10% fee on every sale. If you sold a $100 item, Mercari took $10. Simple.
Then, they announced a radical change: 0% selling fees.
Now, if you sell an item for $100, you keep $100. (Minus a small payment processing fee if you don't keep the money as credits).
But Mercari still needs to make money. So, they introduced a Service Fee charged to the buyer.
What is mercari service fee for buyers? It is a variable fee that appears at checkout. It typically ranges from 5% to 15% depending on the item category, price, and other algorithmic factors.
What is buyer protection fee on mercari? This is often bundled or listed separately at checkout, ensuring the buyer can return the item if it's not as described.
This shift has changed the psychology of pricing.
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Old Strategy: Price items higher to cover the 10% seller fee.
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New Strategy: Price items lower, knowing the buyer will get hit with extra fees at checkout.
My Honest Failure: When this change happened, I forgot to lower my prices. I had a vintage Nintendo 64 listed for $120. It sat for weeks. I couldn't figure out why. Then I realized that for a buyer, that $120 console was actually costing them nearly $150 after the new service fees, tax, and shipping were added. I dropped the price to $100, and it moved immediately. You have to account for the "sticker shock" the buyer sees in their cart.
Good Selling Apps: Where Does Mercari Fit?
If you are looking for good selling apps, you have the "Big Three": eBay, Poshmark, and Mercari.
I use Closo to automate cross-listing my inventory to Poshmark and eBay – saves me about 3 hours weekly. I used to manually copy-paste my Mercari listings to Poshmark, which was a soul-sucking waste of time. Now, Closo just pushes the data for me.
But even with automation, you need to know where Mercari shines.
The Comparison Table
Mercari is the king of "stuff." Poshmark is great for clothes, but try selling a used blender there. It feels weird. eBay is great for rare items, but listing takes forever. Mercari is the middle ground: fast listing, decent reach, and it accepts almost any category.
Navigating the "Wild West": Mercari Scams
We have to talk about mercari scams. Because the barrier to entry is so low (you just need an email address), bad actors do exist.
The "Text Me" Scam This is the most common one I see. You list an item, and within seconds, you get a message:"Hi, I'm interested! Can you text me at 555-0199 for more photos? The images aren't loading here."
DO NOT TEXT THEM. As soon as you take communication off the app, you lose all protection. They will try to get your phone number or email to send a fake "Payment Received" email, hoping you ship the item without checking the app.
The "Change Address" Scam A buyer purchases an item, then messages you: "Hey, I moved! Can you ship it to my mom's house instead?" If you change the label manually, you void your seller protection. If they claim "Item Not Received," Mercari will look at the tracking, see it went to a different zip code than the one on file, and refund the buyer from your funds.
(Parenthetical aside: I learned to be strict about this. If a buyer asks to change the address, I cancel the order and tell them to repurchase with the correct address. Honest buyers never mind. Scammers ghost immediately.)
How to Find a Seller on Mercari
Unlike eBay, where you can easily search for a store name, figuring out how to find a seller on mercari is surprisingly difficult. The search bar is designed for products, not people.
If you bought from a seller you liked and want to find them again, you have to dig through your own purchase history.
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Go to "My Purchases."
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Click the item.
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Click the seller's profile picture.
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Hit "Follow."
There is no "Search for User" function on the main page. This makes building a brand on Mercari harder than on Instagram or Depop. You are selling commodities, not a lifestyle.
Shipping on Mercari: The QR Code Revolution
One thing Mercari does better than almost anyone is shipping. When you make a sale, they email you a QR code.
You take your package to UPS or the Post Office, show them the code on your phone, and they print the label for you.
For a casual seller who doesn't own a thermal printer (like a Rollo or Dymo), this is a game changer. You don't need printer ink. You don't need tape for the label. You just need the box.
However, be careful with weight. Mercari is strict. If you select the "1 lb" label and your package weighs 1 lb 2 oz, the carrier might charge Mercari, and Mercari will deduct that overage from your earnings.
Tools I Use:
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Accuteck Scale: Essential. Don't guess the weight.
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Goo Gone: For removing price stickers from thrifted items before listing.
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Closo: For moving listings to other platforms if they don't sell on Mercari in 30 days.
People Always Ask Me...
Why are my items not selling?
Mercari's algorithm favors "freshness." An item listed 3 months ago is buried deep in the search results.Common question I see... "Should I delete and relist?" Yes. Absolutely. If an item hasn't sold in 30 days, I delete the listing and create a new one. It pushes it back to the top of the "Just In" feed. It’s annoying, but it works.
Can you sell broken electronics?
Yes! This is one of my favorite categories. There is a massive community of tinkerers on Mercari who look for "for parts" items. I sold a water-damaged Nintendo Switch Lite for $60. I was honest in the description ("Does not turn on, dropped in pool"). It sold in an hour. Just be incredibly descriptive about the flaws so you don't get a return.
The Withdrawal Fee: The Hidden Cost
Now the tricky part... getting your money out. Along with the 0% selling fees came a new annoyance: a $2 fee for direct deposit.
If you transfer $500 to your bank, it costs $2. If you transfer $10 to your bank, it costs $2.
This encourages sellers to wait and accumulate a large balance before cashing out. But I advise against this. Never treat a selling app as a bank. If your account gets suspended (which can happen by mistake), your money is frozen. I pay the $2 fee every Friday to clear my balance. It’s the cost of doing business.
Conclusion
So, what is mercari in the grand scheme of the resale economy? It is the messy, vibrant, unpredictable middle child. It lacks the polish of Poshmark and the history of eBay, but it makes up for it with sheer ease of use and variety.
It is the best place to sell the random things in your life—the Funko Pop you regret buying, the coffee maker you replaced, the jacket that doesn't fit.
For me, it’s been a reliable source of side income, even with the confusing fee changes and the occasional difficult buyer.The key is to protect yourself: describe items accurately, ship quickly, and never take communication off the app.
If you are ready to start listing, you might want to look at how to maximize your profit by selling on multiple platforms at once. My guide on Cross-listing dives deep into the strategy of being everywhere at once.
And if you are more fashion-focused and wondering if the grass is greener elsewhere, check out my breakdown of Poshmark Fees to see how the other half lives.
