How to Successfully Sell on Mercari: Tips & Tricks for Beginners

If you’re interested in selling your belongings online, Mercari is a great, beginner-friendly online marketplace to use. In this article, we’ll teach you all the steps on how to list and sell on Mercari, plus provide tips on how to successfully make a lot of sales. We’ll also explain the benefits and downsides of selling on Mercari, how much it costs to sell, and answer other common questions.

Quick Steps to Selling on Mercari

Create a Mercari account if you don’t already have one.
Take several well-lit photos of your item from all angles.
Describe the item, brand, and condition in detail in your header and description.
Price the item competitively compared to similar listings.
Carefully package and ship the item according to Mercari’s instructions.

Section 1 of 7:

How to Sell on Mercari

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If you don’t already have one, create an account on Mercari via their app or website. You’ll need to provide your full name, address, birthday, SSN/TIN, and a copy of a government-issued ID to sell on Mercari.^{[1]
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Take high-quality photos of the item you’re selling. Hit the “Sell” button on the app or “List an item” on desktop, then be prepared to upload photos of the item you want to list. Take several well-lit photos that show your item from every angle. Mercari allows up to 12 photos per listing, and it’s recommended to include as many as possible. In general, buyers are more likely to make a purchase when they have detailed images of the item.^{[2]
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- If possible, display the item against a white or neutral background with lots of natural or artificial light. Try not to have clutter in the background, as this may distract from the item, which should be the focal point.
- If the item has any flaws, be sure to include pictures of them so buyers don’t feel misled.
- Your first picture should be of the entire item.
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Describe the item in detail. Provide a detailed header and description of the item. Include the brand and product name, as well as the color and size or dimensions. Note any flaws or special features the item has, and refer the buyer to the relevant photo. Don’t use trending but irrelevant keywords just to get more views on your listing.^{[3]
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- Include relevant hashtags, as well. Mercari allows you to use 3 per listing, so choose keywords that are most relevant to your listing.
- If you’re not sure what keywords to include, look at similar listings to see how those sellers described their item.
- Learn the Mercari lingo, as well. For example, NIB stands for “new in box,” NWT stands for “new with tags,” and NWOT stands for “new without tag.”
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Price your item fairly and competitively. To increase your chances of making a sale, look at listings for items like yours to see how other sellers are pricing the item. Better yet, look at items that have already sold to see what buyers are willing to pay. Then, price your item accordingly.^{[4]
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- If you price your item far above the usual asking price, potential buyers are likely to look elsewhere. If you price it too low, however, you won’t earn a good profit.
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Package the item with care. Once your listing sells, Mercari will send you an email with a shipping label to print and attach to your package.^{[5]
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Research source} Package your item carefully so that it won’t get damaged in the mail. Some sellers like to include little thank-you notes or pieces of candy to show appreciation for their customers, but this isn’t necessary.
- If you’re not sure how to package your item, Mercari provides some tips in their Help Center.
- If you prefer, you can ship independently with your preferred shipping company, but it’s generally easier and more affordable to ship with Mercari.
Ship your item as quickly as possible; if you are unable to ship within 3 business days, reach out to the customer so they’re aware of the delay. Once you’ve shipped the item according to its instructions, confirm the shipment with a valid tracking number.^{[6]
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Confirm your shipment and wait for the buyer to receive it. Let Mercari know you’ve shipped the item, then wait for it to arrive at its destination. Mercari gives buyers 3 days to confirm that they’ve received the item and that it arrived as described. If it isn’t, they have the option of returning it.^{[7]
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- Buyers can only return the item if it isn’t as described. Mercari does not allow returns simply because the buyer no longer wants the item.
- If the buyer does not provide a rating within 3 days, Mercari will automatically give you a 5-star rating.
Once you’ve received your seller rating from the buyer, Mercari allows you to rate the buyer. Once both ratings have been received, the transaction is complete, and Mercari will transfer your earnings to your Mercari balance.
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Withdraw your earnings. When you have a balance from one or more sales, you have the option of withdrawing your funds via Instant Pay or direct deposit. Insta Pay allows you to receive your funds within 30 minutes, but requires a flat fee of $3. Direct deposit can take up to 5 business days and is free unless the deposit fails; then a $2 fee is required.^{[8]
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- To set up Instant Pay, you must verify your government ID and add your debit card to your account.
- To request a direct deposit into a checking account, enter your name as it appears on your checking account, as well as your routing number and account number. You’ll receive email confirmation once the transfer is complete.
- Note that direct deposits can only be made into checking accounts, and each Mercari account can only use one bank account.

Section 2 of 7:

Tips for Selling Successfully on Mercari

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Offer discounts and promotions. Mercari provides two promotional tools for sellers: Offers to Likers and Promote. When you promote an item with Offers to Likers, Mercari requires you to lower your listing price by at least 10%, and then they’ll send a notification of the price drop to the last 50 buyers who liked your item. For the Promote option, lower your price by at least 5% and Mercari will boost your listing in buyer search rankings.^{[9]
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- Note that with Promote, you will not be able to raise the price above the discounted amount again.
- Be willing to offer free shipping on occasions or to negotiate prices with potential buyers.
If you have a decent social media following, promoting your listings on social media is a great way to boost engagement and sales. Alternatively, consider partnering with an influencer to promote your Mercari store.
Mercari wants their sellers to succeed because it’s better business for them, so they provide a variety of tools and resources to help sellers. Check Mercari’s help center for guides on how to successfully use the platform, and read their blog for tips on how to boost sales.
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Stay active and engaged on the platform. Aim to check your Mercari store daily so you don’t miss any sales. Respond to messages from potential buyers as quickly as possible, preferably within 24 hours. Provide good customer service by following up with buyers after they’ve received their order to make sure everything arrived as expected and to thank them for their purchase.^{[10]
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- If you know you won’t be active for a while, turn on vacay mode to temporarily deactivate your store. This will prevent you from missing a sale or shipment deadline.
Keep potential buyers interested by regularly adding new listings to your shop. Depending on how much you want to sell, add new items daily or weekly. Additionally, relist items that haven’t sold, as old items lose their ranking over time. Relisting helps get you back in position and can boost sales.^{[11]
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Popular brands often have a strong following, which boosts engagement and ranking, so you’re more likely to make a sale if you list trendy brands and items. Alternatively, focus on a specific niche market, as these often have less competition and can increase your chances of having repeat buyers.^{[12]
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Section 3 of 7:

Benefits of Selling on Mercari

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While Mercari used to charge selling fees, in early 2024, they announced they would no longer charge selling or listing fees. This gives sellers an incentive to list on Mercari rather than other online marketplaces. While Mercari still charges shipping and transaction fees, users do not have to pay upfront to list their items for sale.^{[13]
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Mercari provides shipping protection for items up to $200, as long as the item is shipped with a Mercari shipping label. This means that if the package is lost or damaged, neither the buyer nor the seller is responsible for the cost. Buyers receive a full refund while sellers are reimbursed for their item.^{[14]
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While buyers are able to file a claim and return items if they do not arrive as described, Mercari’s return policy helps protect sellers because they do not allow buyers to return items simply because they no longer want them.^{[15]
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Most Mercari sellers agree that the platform is beginner-friendly. Mercari walks you through each step of listing and shipping items, as well as how to withdraw your earnings.^{[16]
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Section 4 of 7:

Downsides of Selling on Mercari

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If you want to sell high value items, Mercari might not be the best platform for you. While they offer shipping protection, this does not include items that cost over $200.^{[17]
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Research source} Therefore, if a valuable item is lost or broken before delivery, the seller will not be reimbursed for the cost.
Mercari offers several different shipping options, which some sellers may find confusing if they’re new to selling online. The site offers shipping through Mercari, local meetups, and independent shipping through other carriers such as FedEx and USPS.^{[18]
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Research source} It may take sellers some time to find the option with the best shipping costs.
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Users may abuse the return policy. While Mercari does not allow buyers to return items simply because they no longer want them, some buyers are able to get around this policy by claiming the item did not arrive as described, meaning the seller will lose their earnings. This is an issue with most, if not all, online marketplaces, though, and isn’t specific to Mercari.
- Some users on forums like Reddit also claim that Mercari does not provide good customer service if something goes wrong with an order.

Section 5 of 7:

How much does it cost to sell on Mercari?

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Like most online marketplaces, Mercari does not charge sellers for listing items to sell on their site, meaning you can list items without paying any money upfront. Similarly, Mercari does not charge a selling fee.^{[19]
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Mercari charges transaction fees based on the transaction total. A payment processing fee, or transaction fee, is the fee sellers must pay Mercari for handling the buyer’s payment and payment protections. The fee 2.9% + $0.50 of the entire transaction amount, meaning the sale price plus shipping. For example, if an item sold for a total of $50, expect to pay $1.95 in transaction fees.^{[20]
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- This fee, and others, will come out of the total amount you receive from selling your listing. You will not pay directly out of pocket.
When you make a sale, you have the option of shipping with Mercari or independently. In general, shipping with Mercari is the cheaper option, though you will have to pay for the shipping label, which serves as your shipping fee. The price depends on the item you’re shipping, its dimensions, and its weight.^{[21]
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Research source} This price is usually about 40% of what you’d pay if you ship independently, but this is not guaranteed.
Because Mercari is mainly focused on secondhand items, the company provides sellers the option to purchase an authentication service called Mercari Authenticate to increase trust with buyers, as it assures them the item listed is authentic. Sellers pay a flat fee of $5 when listing the item, then an additional $10 when the item sells to get a digital authentication certificate.^{[22]
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When you sell items, your earnings go into your Mercari Balance, and depending on how you want to receive them, you may be required to pay a fee. It costs $3 to withdraw using Instant Pay, while it is usually free to request a direct deposit. If your bank rejects the deposit, however, you’ll be required to pa a $2 fee.^{[23]
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This fee is capped at $25, however. Cancellation fees are also levied at Mercari’s discretion, and you will likely receive a warning before Mercari begins charging cancellation fees or imposing additional sanctions on your account due to cancellations.^{[24]
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Section 6 of 7:

What is Mercari?

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Mercari is an online marketplace for selling new and used items. It is a Japanese e-commerce site that allows users in Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan to sell secondhand (or new) items with the goal of reducing waste. Users can sell a variety of items (including clothes and household items), and the site is generally considered beginner-friendly.^{[25]
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- Unlike marketplaces like Walmart and Amazon, Mercari does not list or sell products on its own platform, instead providing a platform for listing, selling, and shipping items between users.

Section 7 of 7:

Selling on Mercari FAQs

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Mercari allows users to sell most household items or anything that can be reasonably packaged and shipped. This includes items such as clothing, toys, home goods, electronics, beauty products, and more.^{[26]
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Research source} As with other online marketplaces, users cannot sell items like live animals, drugs, tobacco products, alcohol, or firearms.
The amount you make by selling on Mercari depends on several factors, including the types of items you sell, their condition, your asking prices, and how frequently you list items. The more items you list and the more you work to develop a following, the more money you’ll make.
It depends on how often you want to sell and what you’re looking to get out of the experience. If you frequently list items and make sales regularly, selling on Mercari can be a great side hustle. However, if you only want to sell one or two cheap items, it may not be worth it because of transaction and shipping fees. Plus, if you only earn a few dollars, you’ll still have to pay that flat withdrawal fee to access your earnings.
If you plan on selling on Mercari regularly, it’s a good idea to have a streamlined process for packaging, shipping, and tracking orders so that you can deliver them on time. Keep an eye on your inventory to avoid overselling or running out of stock and set aside a bit of time each day to process orders, respond to messages, and update tracking information.

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Don’t give up if it takes a while for you to sell an item. Building a business takes time, even if that business is simply selling secondhand items.

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