Is Mercari Legit & Worth Your Time? (+Pros & Cons) 2023

 

 

Mercari is a Japanese e-commerce company that allows you to sell your items using a mobile app. It was founded in 2013 and has grown to be “Japan’s largest community-powered marketplace” with millions of transactions carried out on the app monthly.

Pros

• Listing your items on the platform is free
• Mercari has a low commission of 10% on every item you sell
• Mercari provides a prepaid shipping label with insurance worth up to $200
• You’ll get paid quickly – within 3 days after the buyer has received your item

Cons

• Returns are highly encouraged and some buyers take advantage of this opportunity to rip off sellers
• The dashboard is not user-friendly

Jump to: Full Review

Compare to Other Sites to Sell Stuff

Decluttr

 

 

Over 3 million products sold in 12 months with a year-limited warranty

Sell smartphones, tablets, laptops books, watches, video games, and Lego

Get a free instant item valuation, ship your item for free, and get paid

Swappa

 

 

No fees for sellers – buyers pay no fees up to $50 for items. $5+ thereafter

Sell computers, home tech, cameras, phones, watches, laptops, and tablets

Sell your item directly to the buyer and get paid the next day via PayPal

eBay

 

 

180+ million buyers, easy listings and sell directly from the smartphone

List up to 200 items for free every month, and only pay when they sell

Global brand trust and seller protections in place from buyers scams

How Does Mercari Work?

Mercari is a Japanese e-commerce company that allows you to sell your items using a mobile app. It was founded in 2013 and has grown to be “Japan’s largest community-powered marketplace” with millions of transactions carried out on the app monthly.

Millions of people across Japan and the U.S., have embraced Mercari because it provides an opportunity for anyone to declutter their space and sell just about anything, including:

Mercari for Sellers

Mercari essentially allows you to;

• To describe your item, take a few pictures and list it
• Ship your item within three days
• Use instant pay to get paid the same day the buyer rates you

You need to upload clear pictures (up to 12) of the item you wish to sell on Mercari and when a buyer is interested in your item, you will get a notification.

Thereafter, you have 3 days to package your items properly and ship them to the buyer. Once they receive the item and rate it, Mercari automatically credits your account. Keep reading this Mercari review as I explain the step-by-step selling process later on.

Unlike some other e-commerce stores, listing your item on the Mercari website for sale is absolutely free. However, it is important to note that Mercari charges a payment processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 for every payment you receive from a buyer, and they clearly state this while listing the items.

Mercari for Buyers

As a buyer, you can go through the website and pay for anything you like, and they will be delivered to you at the convenience of your home. You also have an option of rating the item and getting a refund, in a case where the product is defective or does not match the description of the seller.

How Much You Can Earn With Mercari?

How much you can earn with Mercari basically depends on what you are selling and its condition. Here is a summary of the prices of a few items.

Who Is Mercari Best for?

Mercari is best for individuals who want to declutter their space by selling items such as clothes, shoes, electronics, and more. It’s also designed for those who want to make extra money selling their used household items. More so, the website caters to buyers looking for different items to buy.

What Can You Sell With Mercari?

 

 

While you aren’t limited to what you can sell on Mercari, some of the best-selling items include: 

• Trendy clothing
• Electronic devices
• Purses and bags
• Video games
• Sporting gear

If you are looking to become a seller on Mercari and you have any of these items lying around in your home, be assured that you will sell them off quickly because they are currently in high demand.

Items You Can’t Sell on Mercari

As much as you can sell anything on Mercari, they put some rules and guidelines in place to keep us in check to ensure good selling practices within their app.

With this in mind, here’s the list of some items that are prohibited for sale on Mercari:

• Digital items (including e-books and PDF files)
• Anything illegal
• Firearms
• Drugs
• FDA restricted items (such as food, vitamins, diet supplements, and homemade remedies)
• Alcohol
• Tobacco products (including e-cigarettes, e-hookahs, and vaporizing liquid without nicotine)
• Items that are not in your possession (including dropshipping, coupons, etc.)
• Financial products and services (including bonds, securities, etc.)
• Live animals or trafficked materials (such as ivory or shark fins)
• Humans, human body parts or organs, blood, body fluids, and human belongings, such as used underwear
• Sexually explicit items (sex toys and fetish items)

Mercari Benefits: What Does Mercari Offer?

Lower Seller Fees

Since Mercari has lower seller fees, you can expect to make more profits.

The low 10% fee plus various shipping options make it worth it to sell lower-priced items.

Wide Selection

You can sell more than clothes on Mercari. Even though the business is geared toward clothing, you can list household items you don’t use, such as blankets, tools, or unwanted gifts.

Easy and Low-Maintenance Listings

Listing items is very easy on Mercari. The best part is that you don’t have to pay anything to list your item.

Flexible Shipping Options

Mercari allows you to cover shipping for the buyer and offer free shipping. You can also calculate the shipping cost based on the weight and pass it to the buyer.

Mercari Fees: How Much Does It Cost to Use Mercari?

There are several fees Mercari would charge you. For example, Mercari charges an upfront 10% fee, as a commission for every item you sell on their website or app, and a payment processing fee of $2.9 + $0.30 for every payment you receive from a buyer.

Also, Mercari will charge you a processing fee of $2 for direct deposits below  $10, and if your bank rejects a direct deposit, this also attracts an extra $2 fee.

Additionally, if you cancel your order or cannot fulfill an order, Mercari will charge you a cancellation fee of 5% of the price of your item (or $25 max). It’s important to note that frequent cancellations could cause the removal of your listings, and they could limit your account.

Mercari & Shipping Charges

One of the wonderful things about Mercari is the fact that they offer you an option to ship your items to your buyers for free. Yes, you read right, shipping is FREE and is done at no extra cost.

Mercari provides you with a Prepaid Shipping Label of $200 Mercari shipping Protection via USPS or FedEx, for items weighing up to 150 lbs (68kg), provided that the longest side doesn’t exceed 45”.

There is also an option for you to ship the items by yourself if you do not want to use the Mercari Prepaid Shipping Label.

Let’s sum up all the Mercari fees in the table below:

Mercari Requirements?

• Be at latest 18 years and above
• Have items to sell especially cloths
• Clear photos of what you want to sell
• Be ready to negotiate the price with the buyer
• A Smartphone

Mercari Payout Terms and Options

When a buyer successfully purchases an item from you and gives you a rating, Mercari deducts their $10 commission and deposits the rest into your Mercari account.

You can use the money in your Mercari account to purchase items from other sellers, or you can withdraw your money in 2 ways:

1. The first option is a direct deposit into your bank account, which attracts a fee of $2 if you are withdrawing funds of less than $10, and an additional $2 fee if your bank rejects the payment. This process takes about 2-5 business days.
2. The second option is the “Instant pay” option, which deposits the money instantly to your debit card within minutes. This option comes with a charge of $2 and you can cash out up to $500 monthly.

Mercari Reviews: Is Mercari Legit?

Yes, it is. Mercari is legit and secure, with policies guiding the practices that can take place in the app or website. Having a rating of 3.5 on Trustpilot, 4.6 on Google Play Store, and 4.8 on the App Store, most users have described the platform as an easy-to-use website that lets you list anything.

Customer support’s timely response to complaints and the manner with which they resolve most issues are also some of the things that users like.

Although there have been a few complaints by sellers who claimed to have been ripped off by buyers who lied about what they received, Mercari tries to reduce the occurrence of such situations by enforcing strict policies.

What Are the Mercari Pros & Cons?

 

 

Mercari Pros

• Listing your items on the platform is free
• Mercari has a low commission of 10% on every item you sell
• Mercari provides a prepaid shipping label with insurance worth up to $200
• You’ll get paid quickly – within 3 days after the buyer has received your item

Mercari Cons

• Returns are highly encouraged and some buyers take advantage of this opportunity to rip off sellers
• The dashboard is not user-friendly

How Good Is Mercari Support?

Mercari offers a reliable support base and a help center that you can visit if you have any questions regarding the site. You can also contact the company by calling them at (888)325-2168 or report your case directly to law enforcement. Its support base can therefore be considered good.

Although there used to be complaints of delayed response to issues, lately Mercari has improved their customer service, and now responds quickly to messages and inquiries.

Mercari Review Verdict: Is Mercari Worth It?

Mercari is a reliable website that allows you to sell your used items, including electronics, clothes, shoes, and more. If you’re looking for a way to declutter your home and make a few extra bucks, you can’t go wrong by using Mercari.

With near-complete buyer protection and reasonable seller protections, Mercari is an attractive platform with a powerful array of features that connect buyers.

If your items are in good condition, you can make up to $20,000 per year. The best thing to do is take clear photos and list items in good condition.

How Do You Sell on Mercari?

 

 

Selling on Mercari is made easy and available to everyone, all you need to do is follow the simple steps below.

Step 1: Create a Mercari Account

First, you have to log on to the Mercari website or download the mobile app (on iPhone or Android) to sign up and create your account.

Step 2: Verify Your Account

After signing up, you will need to verify your account with your active email address and set up your profile with all the required details. The details you’ll be required to fill in include:

• Your basic personal information (full name, date of birth, location)
• Contact information (email, phone number)

Step 3: Set Up Your Listing

Once you verify your account, you’ll be able to set up your listing filling out all the information about your item. The list below shows what you need to set up a listing:

• Name of the item
• A proper description of the item you’re selling
• Clear images that are compelling to buyers
• Condition of the item

Step 4: Wait for a Buyer to Show Interest in Your Item

All you’ve left to do after your listing goes live is to wait for a buyer to show interest in your item and purchase it.

You will get notified via email once a buyer shows interest in your item and wants to purchase it.

Step 5: Ship Your Item

Once you have closed the deal with the buyer, Mercari requires you to print out your shipping label, carefully pack the said item, and ship within 3 days.

You can either utilize the free shipping option by Mercari, or you can ship the item on your own and confirm the shipment on the app.

Step 6: The Buyer Receives the Item

When the buyer receives your item in the condition described in your listing, they will make payment and give you a rating.

Step 7: You Receive Your Money

Your account will be credited as soon as the buyer pays. It’s as easy as that.

Although there used to be complaints of delayed response to issues, lately Mercari has improved their customer service, and now responds quickly to messages and inquiries.

How to Sign Up With Mercari?

To get started with Mercari you need to;

• Download the mobile app (on iPhone or Android)
• Click sign up and enter your full name, date of birth, location, email, phone number
• Accept the terms and conditions
• Verify your email address
• Start listing your items

Sites Like Mercari

Mercari vs. Swappa

 

 

Swappa Summary

• No fees to list and sell your products
• Optional featured listing for just $5
• 2 days to ship the item after getting paid
• Instant payments via PayPal

Swappa is a platform specifically meant for buying or selling electronic items such as cameras, cellphones, tablet video games, and more. While both platforms are marketplaces for selling stuff, Swappa is free, while Mercari charges a 10% commission.

Swappa also focuses on electronic stuff compared to Mercari, which mostly deals in clothes. More so, Swappa does not provide free shipping compared to Mercari, which offers. Overall, both Swappa and Mercari are some of the best online-selling platforms.

Mercari vs. Decluttr

 

 

Decluttr Summary

• Next-day payment upon delivery of goods
• Get the best prices for your used tech
• 2 different payment options are available
• Get extra cash if you are a student

Decluttr is a platform offering an easy way to sell your used media such as video games, CDs, and DVDs. Like Mercari, Decluttr provides free shipping. While both websites let you sell your used items, Decluttr is free to use compared to Mercari, which requires you to pay a commission of 10%.

Decluttr is also best for selling your used media compared to Mercari, which allows you to sell anything from shoes to clothes to other household items. That said, the two websites are the best marketplaces to sell anything.

Mercari vs. eBay

 

 

eBay Summary

• High user traffic – over 187 million users
• No listing fees for small-scale sellers
• Promote your listing from as little as 1%
• Quick processing time for payouts

eBay is an online market palace that connects sellers to buyers. Since both platforms allow you to sell anything, they are quite similar. They are also available on mobile devices, allowing you to reach a larger customer base. In addition, they both charge a service fee of 10%. But, unlike Mercari, eBay charges you an “insertion” fee when you create your listing. The cost varies according to the type of listing.

While Mercari is limited to the United States and Japan. However, eBay is available worldwide in over 100+ countries. That said, both websites are legit platforms that let you sell things online.

Mercari vs. Poshmark

Poshmark is also an online marketplace that provides an opportunity for you to sell your items online. Compared to Mercari, where you have a wide range of categories of items to sell, PoshMark mainly focuses on Clothing and Fashion items. This limits the kind of items you can list for sale on the platform.

Mercari vs. OfferUp

 

 

OfferUp Summary

• List and sell your items for free
• Promote your listing from just $1.99
• A low service fee of just 12.9% or $1.99
• You have up to 3 days to ship your item

OfferUp is a sales platform just like Mercari, the difference is that you can only sell items locally, and in most cases, you may have to meet the Buyers one-on-one to deliver the item to them unless you opt-in for shipping. Most people find this inconvenient and unsafe, as they would rather close up deals online and ship to the Buyer.

Other Sites Like Mercari

Mercari FAQ

What Is Mercari?

Basically, Mercari is an online marketplace where you can list used items for sale from the comfort of your home. On the other hand, people seeking the items you have can buy from you from anywhere in the world.

And what’s best, you don’t have to stress about getting these items to the buyers yourself or meeting up with strangers before you can sell off your merchandise, because the company handles it all.

Today, the app has been downloaded more than 100 million times and does over $100,000,000 transactions each month.

As long as your items are functional and not defective, you can sell them easily with Mercari.

Apart from a website, Mercari is currently available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Do taxes apply to my Mercari earnings?

As a seller, they do not require you to pay taxes on the earnings you got from Mercari. The platform calculates and remits applicable taxes to the state’s taxing authority on behalf of its sellers.

Does Mercari pay you via PayPal?

No, it doesn’t. The two major methods of receiving payments from Mercari are through direct bank deposit or instant pay into your debit card.

Why is Mercari shipping so cheap?

It is cheap because Mercari offers you a Prepaid Shipping Label with insurance of up to $200 for shipping via USPS or FedEx.

Is Mercari a trustworthy website?

Mercari is a completely legitimate and reliable marketplace where both sellers and buyers are real people. 

Who owns Mercari?

Mercari is owned by  Shintaro Yamada who founded the online used-goods marketplace in 2013.