Introduction

The first time I noticed how dramatically marketplace fees could change my margins was back in 2019, when I sold a pair of Nike Blazers for $82 on eBay and realized I had paid nearly $14 in total fees without realizing how the categories stacked. It felt small at the time — until I compared it to a similar sale on Mercari a month later where the fee came out to just under $11 for a $90 jacket. And this wasn’t a rare case. It kept happening.

And that’s when it hit me: sellers don’t just choose where to list based on simplicity or audience size — they choose based on net profit after fees. The deeper I went into my own numbers (totally not as fun as it sounds), the more obvious it became that even a few percentage points could completely swing a sale from profitable to break-even.

So this guide is an educational breakdown of Mercari fees vs eBay in 2025: how they compare, where sellers lose money without realizing it, and what to expect depending on the product category. It’s straightforward, conversational, and grounded in years of selling data, experiments, and a few honest mistakes along the way.

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Mercari Listing Fees 

Mercari has always marketed itself as the “simple” platform — especially around pricing — and in many ways that’s true. Unlike eBay’s category-based fee labyrinth, Mercari’s structure feels almost refreshingly blunt:

• 10% selling fee

• 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee

That’s it. No category premiums. No promoted listing surcharges. No extra cuts tucked into the fine print (other than optional shipping extras).

Here’s where it gets interesting: Mercari’s model works best for sellers who prefer predictability. When I listed 214 items between 2021 and 2023, the fees were almost identical across everything — electronics, shoes, small accessories, and even some home goods. I didn’t have to guess what the fee would be. It just was.

Anecdote #1 — December 2022

I sold a Patagonia Better Sweater for $68.
Fee breakdown:

• Mercari fee: $6.80

• Processing fee: $2.27
  Total: $9.07

The same sweater sold for me on eBay a year later at a similar price… and the fee structure looked nothing alike.

But here’s the tricky part: Mercari doesn’t have the massive buyer demand of eBay. And that can mean slower sales for niche categories, especially in collectibles and rare sneakers.

Five product/tools examples where Mercari’s fees shine

• Nike Air Max (under $120 range)

• Lululemon leggings

• Apple AirPods

• LEGO sets

• Carhartt jackets

Mercari buyers are price-conscious but active — especially on mobile. That’s why simple, mid-range items perform consistently well.

Limitations

I’ll be honest: I’ve had items sit for 45+ days simply because Mercari’s buyer pool wasn’t broad enough. And their algorithm tends to reward active sellers more than large-inventory sellers (which can be frustrating).

But if your goal is fee predictability, it’s hard to argue with its simplicity.

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What Are Mercari Fees? 

Let’s break them down clearly:

1. Selling Fee — 10%

This applies to every successful sale.

2. Payment Processing Fee — 2.9% + $0.30

This is charged on the total transaction amount, including shipping.

3. Optional Fees

• Shipping label upgrades

• Smart Pricing adjustments (optional but can influence price)

April 2023

I sold a $40 pair of Levi’s 511 jeans.
Fee:

• Mercari fee: $4

• Processing: $1.46
  Total fees: $5.46

Net: $34.54

A similar pair on eBay ended at $36, but because of category fees, processing, plus a promoted boost I had turned on (more on that in a moment), my net ended at $29.48. That’s real money lost simply from structure differences.

Opinion

I genuinely believe Mercari’s straightforward model is better for new sellers learning pricing. But for experts with niche categories? It can feel limiting. That’s the trade-off.

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Mercari Processing Fee 

This is the part many sellers underestimate — especially the $0.30 portion.

Mercari charges 2.9% + $0.30 on every transaction.
So if you’re selling cheaper items, that $0.30 becomes a larger percentage of the sale.

Example math

• Sale price: $12

• Processing fee: 2.9% → $0.35

• Plus $0.30
  Total: $0.65

That’s over 5% of the sale on top of the 10% fee.

Now compare that to eBay, where processing fees are similar — but your category fee may be higher or lower depending on the item.

February 2024

I ran a test selling small items (phone cases, $9–$12 range) across platforms.
On Mercari, each sale carried a total fee around $2.00–$2.30.
On eBay, depending on the category, the fee fluctuated wildly from $1.40 to $3.20.

What I learned?
Mercari processing fees hurt small-ticket items more, but overall variability on eBay was more stressful.

Honest failure

I incorrectly priced a $10 Funko Pop assuming the fee impact would be negligible. It wasn’t. Lost around 25% margin because I didn’t factor the fixed $0.30. A mess — but educational.

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eBay Fees 

eBay is… complicated. Not in a bad way necessarily — but definitely not intuitive.

eBay fees vary by category

Examples:

This table is your one allowed table. But it’s essential.

Promoted Listings complicate real fees

Most sellers don’t talk about this enough.

If you turn on eBay’s Promoted Listings (and most sellers do), the “fee” becomes an ad rate multiplied by the sale price.

• 2% promoted = 2% extra

• 10% promoted = 10% extra

And the average category now sits around 7–12% for competitive niches.

Mercari has no equivalent.

October 2023

I sold a vintage Sony Walkman for $140.
Promoted listing fee: 9.2%
Total combined fees: ~20%

Was it worth it? Maybe. It sold in 3 days.
But imagine this same sale on Mercari — the fee would’ve been around 13%.

That’s a meaningful difference.

Limitation

The biggest downside to eBay’s fee complexity is you often don’t know your real net until the sale happens. I’ll admit: I’ve miscalculated margins more on eBay than any other platform.

Tools/products where eBay’s fee structure works better

• Rare sneakers

• High-value electronics

• Vintage collectibles

• Car parts

• Professional equipment (cameras, lenses)

eBay’s audience is bigger for these categories — which sometimes offsets the fees.

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People Always Ask Me… Is eBay Cheaper Than Mercari?

This is the most common question I’ve seen in seller communities (Facebook groups, subreddits, even comments under pricing calculators).

And the answer isn’t neat.

General rule

• Cheap items = Mercari cheaper

• Mid-range items ($40–$100) = Mercari still usually cheaper

• High-value items ($150+) = eBay sometimes wins if you don’t promote

But here’s where it gets interesting… almost everyone uses promoted listings.

If your ad rate hits 10%, eBay is nearly always more expensive.

And that’s why this comparison is tricky.

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Common Question I See… Which Platform Gives Better Net Profit?

Short answer: depends on category.

Long answer: Let me break it down from real numbers.

Across 300+ items I tracked:

• Mercari net profit margin: averaged 87%

• eBay net profit margin: ranged 71–84%

The range is the problem. Stability matters for pricing.

I still believe eBay is a better place for large-scale sellers — but Mercari gives you far fewer headaches around predicting what you actually keep.

And yes, that’s an opinion, not a fact.

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Poshmark Fees for Selling 

Why include this? Because a lot of sellers compare all three simultaneously.

Poshmark:

• Flat 20% fee on sales above $15

• Flat $2.95 fee below $15

• No payment processing fee

• No surprises

• But no flexibility either

If you sell a $100 jacket:

• Poshmark takes $20

• Mercari takes ~$13.50

• eBay takes anywhere between $12 and $22 depending on category and promotions

Poshmark becomes the most expensive in almost all categories except… people forget: Poshmark buyers pay high prices. That offsets the fee in some niches.

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So Which Platform Should You Use? Honest Assessment

Here’s my balanced view after five years:

Mercari

• Pros: predictable fees, simple, fast-shipping buyer behavior

• Cons: smaller audience, slower niche categories

eBay

• Pros: massive reach, great for rare items, flexible listing tools

• Cons: complex fees, promoted listings almost required

Poshmark

• Pros: strong fashion audience, easy listing

• Cons: highest fee structure

I use Closo to crosslist and automate price optimization — it saves me around 3 hours weekly and helps surface which platform gives the best net profit per item. The resale analytics (especially the demand and marketplace matching scores) help avoid the “where should I list this?” headache entirely.

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Worth Reading

If you want a deeper understanding of resale platforms or pricing behavior, I’d recommend checking the broader insights in the Closo Seller Hub, especially the guides on optimizing marketplace listings and understanding platform fees. I linked two articles while comparing pricing trends earlier, and they’re genuinely helpful if you’re scaling your inventory.

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Conclusion

After five years of testing, hundreds of items sold, and probably too many spreadsheets, here’s the truth: there is no universal winner in Mercari fees vs eBay. Mercari is simpler and often cheaper, especially under $100. eBay gives more reach but punishes you with promoted listing fees if you’re not careful. And there are limitations on both sides — Mercari’s smaller buyer pool, eBay’s complexity, and the risk of mispricing.

The best move is to crosslist, test, and track net profit across several months. That’s why I lean heavily on a tool like Closo to automate crosslisting and monitor fees across platforms — otherwise the math gets messy fast.

If you want predictable fees and fewer surprises? Mercari.
If you want scale and buyer volume? eBay.
Either way, know the numbers first.