Selling On Mercari: A Complete Guide

Interested in selling on Mercari, but aren’t sure where to start? Mercari is one of the most popular apps for selling online. Their slogan seems to be “Sell or Buy. Almost anything.” So that gives you an idea of what you can sell on there, “almost anything”. But I’ll get into that further in a little bit.

Selling on Mercari is a great way to get rid of some stuff around the house, make extra money or supplement your income. My husband and I are full time resellers so when we have time we occasionally list a few items on Mercari. At this time have only listed a very small fraction of what we’re selling due to time restraints, but we’ve sold 96 items and made $2260 selling on Mercari.

Truth be told, it’s one of my favorite platforms to list on because it’s really simple to list items. There have been over 100 million downloads of the app worldwide so that gives you an idea of just how many people there are buying and selling on Mercari!

First I’d like to go over some simple pros and cons of selling on and then we’ll get into the details.

Would you rather watch a video?

Click here to subscribe to my channel & never miss a video!

Please note: This post may contain affiliate links that I may earn a commission from at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. You can find my affiliate disclosure at the bottom of page.

Pros of Selling on Mercari

Easy to list

Mercari is seriously one of the easiest platforms to list on. It’s very straightforward and quick.

Mercari fees are low

It’s a flat 10% fee on all sales which is great compared to some other platforms that are higher or fluctuating. You know if you sell something for $20, they’re taking $2. Easy.

Shipping is easy

There are several shipping options on Mercari, but if you’re a newbie to shipping they’re pretty easy to work with. I’ll explain further in the shipping section later in this post.

Cons of Selling on Mercari

High volume can be hard to manage

This is my main complaint. If you have a lot of items listed and want to remove one because it sold somewhere else or you want to resist it, it can be tedious to find that item just by scrolling through your listed items. There’s no easy way to search for an item you listed.

Lower selling prices (maybe)

Most people shopping on Mercari are looking for a great deal. I’ve heard a lot of people say that they have a hard time selling items over $15 or so, but I haven’t personally had that problem.

Waiting for rating to get paid

You don’t get paid until the item is received by the buyer and they leave a rating. Or if they don’t leave a rating within 3 days then your funds get released. So if you’re looking for somewhere you can access your money instantly this would be a negative.

No bundling feature

There’s no easy way for a buyer to buy several of the items you have listed. A work around would be that they can definitely contact you and you can create a special listing for them of the items they want.

Mercari Rating System

Mercari has a 5 star rating system. People can leave anywhere from 1 star to 5 stars along with a comment about their experience with you. If your customer doesn’t leave a rating, Mercari automatically gives you 5 stars 3 days after the item was delivered. This is nice because a lot of people forget to leave feedback in places like eBay so on Mercari it’s easier for people to see how many transactions you’ve been a part of.

Badges

The badges are shown on your profile page and the available badges are:

• Member since XXXX (how long you’ve been on Mercari)
• Quick shipper (you usually ship items within 24 hours, excluding holidays and weekends)
• Reliable (You deliver items as promised. Avoid cancellations.)
• Fast responder (You answer questions within an average of 12 hours)

How do you get paid on Mercari?

Typically, you get paid on Mercari after the item has been delivered to your buyer and they leave a review. If they don’t leave a review, then Mercari will wait for three days to pass and then release the funds to you.

When the funds are released into your balance, you’re able to request a direct deposit into your bank account. According to Mercari, this process can take about 5 days.

How does shipping on Mercari work?

Shipping is so easy on Mercari! You have a lot of options, but they’re all pretty self explanatory.

Who Pays for Shipping on Mercari?

On Mercari, you can decide whether you or your buyer will pay for shipping. In addition, if you decide to pay for shipping you can choose if you want to ship with a Mercari label or ship on your own.

The first thing you decide is if you want to have your buyer pay for shipping or if you want to offer them free shipping (you pay). If you want to offer free shipping you have the option of dealing with shipping on your own which is great if you think you can get better rates or if you use a website like PirateShip.com.

But for the majority of people, the Mercari shipping labels work great and are easy. You simply select the weight class of the item and then select the shipping options you want to offer. You can choose between USPS, Fedex and UPS. It’ll show you how much each option will cost according to the weight class you selected.

The UPS option is Mercari’s new “Mercari pack and ship” option and the way it works is you simple take your item to a UPS location and they’ll pack and ship it for you with that label. This option is always much more expensive because it includes the packing service, but it can be a great option for some people.

Mercari Shipping Boxes

What kind of boxes can you use to ship on Mercari?

You can use basically any box to ship on Mercari. Any blank box will work for any of the carriers. However, if your Mercari package is going out via USPS Priority Mail you can utilize the free Priority Mail Boxes for those packages and save some money.

Mercari Shipping Tips

• Decide if you want to have your buyers pay for shipping or if you want to offer free shipping
• If you offer free shipping, decide if you want to use the Mercari label or print your own
• If shipping via USPS Priority Mail, use the free Priority Mail boxes the USPS provides
• Always ship as quickly as possible. The next day is usually best, but always within their 3 day window.
• Clothing and lightweight items that don’t need protection can be shipped in a polymailer to save on weight.

What do you need to sell on Mercari?

You really don’t need much to sell on Mercari, but here is what I recommend:

• Postage scale: I use this one that’s under $20. This is important because you want to be able to weigh your items in order to select the correct shipping label in Mercari.
• Printer: I use the HP Envy 4520 which is wireless and pretty affordable. You just need a normal printer, nothing fancy. With this printer you can even print off your phone if you don’t have a computer.
• Half Sheet Labels: These are great because you can just peel and stick the label on your package, but it’s definitely not necessary.
• Mailing Envelopes: I like to use these recycled and recyclable poly mailers. They’re really cheap, at least a little bit eco-friendly and fit most clothing and small items I want to ship.
• Free USPS Priority Supplies: I use their boxes for anything heavier that I ship via USPS Priority Mail. My favorite boxes are the Shoe Box and this square box but there are so many options! Just make sure you don’t order a flat rate box as those need a special flat rate label.

Related post: Click here to see all of my favorite tools and resources for reselling.

What you can sell on Mercari?

You can sell almost anything on Mercari! Most of the prohibited items are pretty obvious like illegal items, weapons, drugs, etc. But there are a few things to note:

• You cannot drop ship on Mercari, all items must be in your possession.
• You can’t sell digital items such as downloads, ebooks, etc.
• You can’t sell “mystery boxes” or anything where the items included aren’t disclosed.

You can find the full prohibited items list here if you’re interested in finding out more.

Making Sales

There are some keys to making sales on Mercari. You need to make your items desirable for others so that they want to buy them. It’s also important that the people who are searching for items like your are able to find your items.

Taking Photos for Mercari

Photos are front and center in Mercari. In fact when you’re scrolling through the app it doesn’t even show titles. It simply shows a photo and a price. So it’s really important to have clear photos of an item in good condition.

My best tips for good photos

Clean Background: a clear floor or wall with a hook is best. Doesn’t have to be a fancy background or set up. Just clean and clear.

Good lighting: If you can set up somewhere with good natural light, like near a window, that would be ideal. If not you can use a bright room or even purchase some photography lights if you want to.

Include a lot of photos: Mercari allows you to add 8 photos and I encourage you to provide as many as possible! The more photos, the more confident your buyer will be in the item they’re buying.

I like to include the following photos:

• Front
• Back
• Sides
• Any/all tags
• Close up of details
• Close up of fabric/texture
• Close up of any flaws

It’s pretty easy to get at least 4-5 photos on even the most basic item. Just take them from different angles if you’re out of ideas.

Searchable Titles & Keywords

Good photos are great, but it’s really important to make sure that people are able to find your item when they’re searching. When you’re writing the title and description of your item make sure you’re using words that you would use to search for the item if you were looking.

Some examples of how to come up with keywords:

• Brand
• Style
• Who is it for? (men, women, kids, pets, dogs, etc)
• Season
• Occasion
• What is it used for?
• What is it made of?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mercari?

Mercari is a selling app and website. You can buy and sell almost anything on Mercari.

Is Mercari Legit? Is Mercari Safe?

I would say for the most part, yes! There is always a chance of something happening when you sell items online no matter what the platform, but for the most part Mercari is safe to sell on.

Is Selling on Mercari Worth it?

Mercari is a great platform if you’re short on time and just need to list things quickly. If you’re selling items that are highly sought after, Mercari can be a great place to list them. Their fees are some of the lowest compared to other marketplaces while listing and shipping on Mercari is pretty simple.

How Much Does It Cost to Sell on Mercari?

To list something to sell on Mercari is free. There is no listing fee. You pay 10% of the price of the item on Mercari. There is no fee to list, you only get charged that 10% fee once an item sells and they simply deduct it from the amount the buyer pays.

When it comes time to get paid from Mercari there is no fee as long as you get paid via direct deposit for amounts over $10. If you want to cash out less than $10 or you want a check instead then there is a $2 fee.

Mercari also has a new feature called Instant Pay where you can link a debit card and get paid instantly instead of waiting for a direct deposit. There is a $2 fee for this as well.

I simply do a regular direct deposit when my balance is over $10 so I don’t have to pay any extra fees.

What Sells Well on Mercari?

Some of the best sellers on Mercari are clothes, shoes, electronics, and kids toys. The items that sell well on Mercari are items that also sell well on other platforms so that’s something to keep in mind too.

Can You Make Money Selling on Mercari?

You can definitely make money selling on Mercari! If you sell the right items, you can pay your fees and come out with a profit. The key is to find which items are selling by paying attention to what other people are selling along with the prices they’re selling at. Once you start selling items too, you can make note of what sells well for you.

Is It Better to Sell on Ebay or Mercari?

Honestly, there are pros and cons to both. Mercari is a much simpler marketplace to sell on. It’s easier to list and the backend isn’t as confusing. However, Ebay has a lot more buyers and sells a lot more in volume. Both are good for their own purposes.

When is the best time to post on Mercari?

If you are listing good items that people are searching for then it truly doesn’t matter that much when you post. However, if you want to get your items in front of more eyes then in the evening or on weekends tend to be the best time to post to Mercari.

How can I contact Mercari customer service?

If you need to contact Mercari customer service you can click here.

The phone number for Mercar is 888-325-2168

Tips for selling on Mercari

Add a Photo & Bio

People want to know who they’re dealing with. Add a good photo of yourself along with a small blurb about you.

When to upload

In my opinion, one of the best ways to give your items a good chance of selling is to list them at the right time. Consider when the person looking for your item might be on Mercari shopping. I figure most people are shopping in the evening after work or their weekend activities. So I personally try to list around 6-9pm.

Low prices win

Mercari is really full of people trying to get a good deal. So consider that when pricing your items. I’m not saying give them away, but be aware of what your item is worth and that most people are going to want to feel like they got a good deal. Pricing high on Mercari usually results in that item never selling, in my experience.

Consider offers

Being flexible on Mercari is a great way to make sales! You will likely get lots of offers for lower than what you’re asking, but I love getting offers. It gives me an idea of what people are willing to pay. I always either counter or accept their offer. More often than not an offer ends in a sale.

Promote Button

This button allows you to put the item on sale. You can either choose a public sale (publicly drop your price and it’ll show the price drop on your item) or you can choose a private sale where it offers a lower price for the people who have liked (clicked the heart) your item. Keep in mind with the private sale that once you offer a price you can’t offer that price or higher next time, it always has to be lower than the previous price you offered.

Bonus tip: How to see what’s selling

One thing I love to do when I have a little free time is to check what is selling on Mercari. If you scroll through you’ll likely see a “Sold in the last 10 minutes” section. I like to click into this section and scroll through to see what is selling.

Depending on what you’re looking for, you can filter this search differently. Mercari automatically only includes items that were sold for $30+ in certain categories so use the search in the way that works best for you.