How to Sell on Mercari (2025 Guide: Steps, Fees & Tips)

Mercari has surpassed 50 million US app downloads and now lists 3 billion+ items, making it one of the busiest resale marketplaces online. 

Between that user scale and a simple 10% flat seller fee—not to mention free Automated Clearing House (ACH) payouts—the platform offers one of the lowest-risk ways to turn both used and unused goods into cash.

This guide walks you through the six key steps top brands follow to succeed on Mercari—from setting up your account and pricing with Smart Offers, to selecting the right shipping option, whether that’s prepaid labels, Pack & Ship, or same-day Mercari Local.

Use the jump links below to move straight to the section you need and start earning today.

What is Mercari?

Before diving into the step-by-step process, let’s take a quick look at what sets Mercari apart as a marketplace—and why so many brands are turning to it to drive revenue, hassle-free.

Mercari is a peer-to-peer online marketplace where anyone can list items for sale—from vintage sneakers to gaming consoles to kitchen gadgets.

Mercari offers massive buyer reach without the overhead of managing your own store or website. Unlike eBay or Facebook Marketplace, Mercari simplifies the process by handling payments, shipping, and even price negotiations.

The platform also includes buyer protections, optional Authenticate services for luxury goods, and a Smart Offers tool to automate discounts or counteroffers.

Whether you’re an individual seller decluttering your home or a mid-market retailer testing new channels, Mercari makes it easy to list, ship, and get paid—all in one platform.

How to get started with Mercari

1. Set Up Your Mercari Seller Account

Sign Up and Verify

Start by downloading the Mercari app or visiting Mercari.com. Tap “Sign Up,” then create an account using a valid U.S. mobile number (VoIP or international numbers aren’t accepted). You’ll choose a username, set a password, and verify your phone number.

Important: Mercari only allows one seller account per person, so pick a username and photo you’re happy to stick with.

Build Your Profile

Once registered, take a minute to personalize your seller profile. A clear profile picture and short bio can increase buyer trust and improve your seller rating over time. You can update your profile anytime in the Settings menu.

Set Up Payment

To receive earnings, link a bank account or debit card under Settings > Payment Methods. You can choose:

• ACH Deposit (free, 1–3 days)
• Instant Pay to debit card (immediate, $3 flat fee)

Verify Identity (If Needed)

Phone verification is enough to start selling. But if you list high-value items (e.g., handbags over $500), Mercari may prompt you to upload ID for extra protection.

Understand Seller Rules

Before listing, review Mercari’s Prohibited Items and community guidelines. This helps avoid getting flagged or suspended due to accidental violations.

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2. List Your First Item

Choose the Right Category and Title

Tap “Sell” in the app. Enter a clear title using terms buyers might search for (e.g., “Nike Air Max 90 Men’s Size 9”). Mercari allows hashtags in titles—limit yourself to three relevant ones.

Add High-Quality Photos

You can upload up to 12 photos per listing. The first photo becomes the thumbnail, so make it count. Use natural light and capture every angle—including flaws.

Write an Honest Description

Include brand name, item condition, dimensions, color, materials, and any damage. Use buyer-friendly language and add keywords that mirror how shoppers search.

Set Your Listing Price

Check sold listings for similar items to estimate what your item might sell for. Factor in:

• 10% Mercari seller fee
• Buyer pays a separate 3.6% protection fee
• Shipping method (buyer or seller paid)

Want to let Mercari handle price drops? Turn on Smart Pricing and set a floor price—Mercari will automatically reduce your price over time until it sells.

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3. Choose the Best Shipping Option

Mercari offers several ways to ship items:

Research each method and pick the one that best fits your needs.

☝️ Shipping Best Practices: Follow these quick tips to avoid delays, disputes, and unexpected fees: • Weigh and measure your package with the actual box and padding before choosing a shipping option • Use Mercari’s shipping calculator to estimate shipping cost and pick the right shipping rate • Always use a Mercari shipping label to ensure built-in tracking and insurance • Ship within 3 business days to avoid late penalties and boost your seller rating • If you ship on your own, upload tracking—but remember, it voids Mercari’s buyer protection. 📝 Pro Tip: Lower, accurate shipping rates help your listings stand out—especially when buyers compare similar items.

4. Promote and Optimize Your Listings

Once your item is live, use these tools to attract Mercari buyers:

• Promote: Drops the price slightly to boost visibility
• Offer to Likers: Send private discounts to people who favorited your item
• Smart Offers: Auto-accept or auto-counter offers within a price range you define

💡Pro Tip: Listings posted on Sunday evenings or Friday nights tend to perform better due to peak buyer activity. Relist older items regularly to reset visibility.

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5. Ship Quickly and Get Rated

After a sale, Mercari gives you three business days to ship your item.

• Use the prepaid Mercari shipping label
• Pack the item securely
• Drop it off at your selected carrier or schedule pickup

Once the buyer receives the item, they’ll have three days to inspect it and leave a rating. Funds are released once they rate you or the period expires.

💡Pro Tip: Consistently high ratings boost your visibility in search results and can help you build a solid base of repeat buyers.

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6. Cash Out and Track Your Performance

Once rated, your earnings are available in your balance.

• Standard ACH: Free, takes 1–3 days
• Instant Pay: $3 per transaction, hits your debit card in minutesƒ

You can track your earnings, current balance, and sales performance under the “My Page” or “Selling” tab in the Mercari app.

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Fees & Payouts on Mercari

Understanding Mercari’s fee structure is crucial for maximizing your earnings. At the time of writing, Mercari has implemented a straightforward fee system for both sellers and buyers.

Seller Fees

• 10% Selling Fee: Sellers are charged a flat 10% fee on the total of the item price plus any buyer-paid shipping.
  
  Example: If you sell an item for $50 with $5 buyer-paid shipping, the selling fee would be $5.50.
  
• No Payment Processing Fee: Mercari has eliminated the separate payment processing fee for sellers. ​
  

Buyer Fees

• 3.6% Buyer Protection Fee: Buyers pay a 3.6% fee on the total of the item price plus any buyer-paid shipping.
  
• No Additional Processing Fees: There are no extra payment processing fees for buyers.​

Payout Options

Once your item is delivered and rated by the buyer, your earnings become available for withdrawal. 

Mercari offers two payout methods:

1. Direct Deposit (ACH)

• Fee: Free for successful transfers. ​
• Processing Time: Typically 5–7 business days.​
• Limitations: One ACH transfer per day.​
• Note: A $2 fee applies only if a withdrawal fails due to incorrect bank information.​
  

2. Instant Pay

• Fee: $3 per transaction.​
• Processing Time: Funds are available within minutes (up to 30 minutes in some cases).​
• Limitations: Available once per day, with a monthly limit of $600.​
• Requirements: Valid government-issued ID and an eligible debit card (Visa or Mastercard).​
  

Fee Summary Table

Fee	Amount	When/ Who Pays
Selling Fee	10% of the item price + shipping	Deducted from your sale after the item sells (seller pays)
Payment Processing	$0 (no additional processing fee)	Deducted from your sale after the item sells (seller pays)
Buyer Protection Fee	3.6% of item price + shipping	Deducted from your sale after the item sells (seller pays)
Direct Deposit (ACH)	Free for one daily withdrawal	Mercari no longer charges the $2 ACH fee (as of Jan 2025)
Instant Pay (optional)	$3 per cash-out	If you use Instant Pay to get paid immediately (deducted from your balance)

Source: Mercari help center 

By understanding these fees and choosing the payout method that best suits your needs, you can optimize your selling experience on the platform.

How to Create Listings That Sell on Mercari

By now, your seller account is set up, your first items are ready to go, and you’ve got a handle on shipping and fees. But listing your items well is what separates casual sellers from consistent earners.

This section dives deeper into how to choose the right products, write listings that attract serious Mercari buyers, and use built-in tools like Smart Pricing, Offers to Likers, and Promote to boost visibility and convert more browsers into buyers.

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How to select the right items to sell on Mercari

Choosing the right items to sell is key to ensuring they fly off your virtual shelf. Here’s how to do it:

• Explore trending categories to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s hot and what’s not.
• Look into niche markets that might have less competition but still attract passionate buyers.
• Gauge competition, profitability, and demand by looking at the number of other listings, average selling prices, and buyer engagement.

Tips for creating effective listings on Mercari

You can’t master the art of how to sell on Mercari without first honing your listing prowess.

Writing compelling titles and descriptions

Grab buyers’ attention with catchy titles and detailed descriptions highlighting key features, benefits, and unique selling points. Be honest and transparent in disclosing any flaws or imperfections, and avoid misleading or exaggerated language.

Capturing high-quality photos

A picture is worth a thousand words, so make sure yours are top-notch! Use natural light, clean backgrounds, and multiple angles to showcase your items. Oh, and don’t skimp on resolution – the clearer, the better.

Setting competitive prices

Pricing can make or break a sale, so careful research is required to ensure you’re offering competitive prices that attract buyers without undercutting your profits. Consider factors like item condition, market demand, and competitor pricing.

How to optimize your listings on Mercari

While the Marcari platform is super easy to use – and particularly well suited to sellers looking to get rid of excess stuff quickly – it’s not quite as simple as throwing up a few photos and crossing your fingers. You’ll need to actively work on optimizing your listing to stand out in the marketplace.

Understanding Mercari’s search algorithm

Ever wondered what makes certain listings pop up at the top of search results? It all comes down to the mysterious beast known as the search algorithm.

At its core, Mercari’s search algorithm is designed to connect buyers with the listings most relevant to their search queries based on:

• Relevance
• Engagement
• Seller Performance
• Listing Details

Utilizing keywords effectively in your listings

About that relevance factor we mentioned above…

Keywords are the bread and butter of an online search. However, there’s a bit more to it than stuffing your listings with every keyword you can think of and hoping for the best. Here’s a list of best practices for nailing how to sell on Mercari with listing descriptions that convert.

1. Brainstorm a list of relevant keywords that describe your item.
2. Put yourself in a buyer’s shoes and think about the terms they might use to search for your product.
3. Look at similar listings and see what keywords they’re using.
4. Strategically sprinkle the keywords you identified in the steps above into your title and the first few sentences of your description.
5. Avoid using the same keywords over and over again in your listings. Instead, mix it up using various terms to capture different search queries.

Strategies for improving item visibility and ranking

With the fundamentals of how to sell on Mercari covered, it’s time to put your newfound knowledge into action – preferably alongside these additional proven strategies used by top sellers:

• Use hashtags — Hashtags make your listings more searchable. But remember, you only get three per listing – so use them wisely!
• Sell branded items – Popular brands tend to have a stronger following, which boosts engagement and ranking.
• Target peak times – Set up a schedule to reach people at times when they are most engaged – like during lunch breaks and commutes.
• Keep relisting – Old listings lose their rankings over time. Relisting helps you get back in position and increase sales.

Managing sales and orders effectively on Mercari

Let’s dive into some best practices to help you manage transactions like a seasoned captain:

• Develop a streamlined process for packaging, shipping, and tracking orders to ensure timely delivery and customer satisfaction.
• Keep a close eye on your inventory to avoid overselling or running out of stock.
• Stay organized by setting aside dedicated time each day to process orders, respond to inquiries, and update tracking information.
• Take advantage of automation tools and integrations to streamline repetitive tasks like printing shipping labels or sending order confirmations.

How to provide excellent customer service on Mercari

Of course, learning how to sell on Mercari isn’t all about your listings. There’s also a significant human element to consider. So, let’s move on to look at the holy grail of ecommerce success: providing top-notch customer service.

Remember, happy buyers make for repeat customers and positive reviews, so you want every interaction to leave people singing your praises.

The TLDR version: Treat every buyer interaction as an opportunity to shine and build a stellar seller reputation. For the longer version, we’ve whipped together a quick list of top tips for you:

• Set clear expectations from the get-go with transparent info about products, policies, and shipping times.
• Keep the lines of communication open and respond promptly to inquiries, concerns, and feedback.
• Personalize shopping experiences by addressing buyers by their names and tailoring your responses to their specific questions or concerns.
• Follow up with buyers after they’ve received their order to ensure everything arrived as expected and to thank them for their purchase.
• When issues arise, handle them with grace, professionalism, empathy, and problem-solving prowess.

Top tips for selling success on Mercari

Finally, we’re at the final stretch. But before we wrap up, we have a few last expert tips to share with you.

Consistency is key

Maintaining active listings and regularly updating inventory are the cornerstones of success. But there’s a little more to it than that. Top sellers also:

• Get down with the lingo – Using the correct terminology like “NIB” (New in box), “NWT” (New with tags), or “NWOT” (New without tag) helps shoppers decide whether your items are right for them.
• Use vacay mode — Temporarily deactivating when you take a break protects you against missing a sale or shipment deadline.
• Pack carefully — Treat your items like the precious cargo they are using appropriate packaging materials to ensure they arrive at their destination safe and sound.
• Ship promptly – Speedy delivery helps keep buyers happy and maintains your tip-top seller reputation.

Stay informed

It goes without saying that staying in the know about Mercari’s latest updates and features is key to long-term selling success.

The biggest update in early 2025? The return of the 10% flat seller fee, alongside a simplified fee structure that makes it easier to plan your pricing and payouts. 

While some sellers were initially concerned about the change, Mercari has offset the impact with perks like free ACH deposits, no payment processing fees, and a more transparent buyer protection fee of 3.6%.

These changes make it easier for you to price with confidence, knowing exactly what you’ll earn after a sale—no hidden fees or surprise deductions.

Ready to Sell, Sell, Sell?

Armed with these insights and strategies, you’re well-equipped to conquer the world of selling on Mercari.

But why stop there when you can expand your horizons to even more online marketplaces?

Linnworks offers seamless integration with hundreds of leading ecommerce platforms, including eBay, Refurbed, Wish, and more. Request a demo today to learn more and unlock new growth opportunities.