Among the hundreds of emerging ecommerce marketplaces on the internet today, Mercari is perhaps one of the most notable, known for the countless options for buying and selling that the platform offers, and for the rapid global growth of a sales page that originally operated only in Japan.

If you’re thinking about starting a new business, or expanding your existing operations, Mercari can be an excellent option. And in this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know to start selling on the marketplace.

Interested? Keep reading and learn how to sell on Mercari.

What is Mercari?

mercari

Mercari is a Japanese peer-to-peer ecommerce marketplace launched in 2013.

Initially operating only in Japan, Mercari quickly became the country's largest online shopping website, soon expanding to the United States in 2014, and the UK in 2016. Mercari has since racked up over 100 million downloads worldwide and become (according to Business Insider) the first Japanese company to achieve unicorn status, surpassing $1 billion in value.

The platform is known for offering the purchase and sale of a wide variety of products, including exclusive brands from Japan and other Asian countries. Despite that, some of the top product categories on Mercari are:

  • Gaming: Games, consoles, accessories.
  • Figures: Action figures, minis, accessories
  • Trading cards: Booster packs, single cards, boxes
  • Electronics: Cell phones, tablets, laptops
  • Toys: Plushies, building blocks, dolls
  • Beauty: Fragrance, makeup, accessories
  • Handbags: Authentic, designer, trend items
  • Athletic apparel: Brands like Lululemon, Alo, Vuori, and more
  • Sneakers: Brands like Nike, Jordan, adidas, and more
  • Clothing: For women, men, and kids
  • Home: Decor, appliances, and more 

Why should I sell on Mercari?

mercari banner

Mercari has a number of advantages that make it an excellent option for both experienced sellers and those looking to start their first ecommerce business, as well as individual sellers who want to get rid of used items that are still in good condition.

It’s a platform that works primarily on a peer-to-peer model, meaning that the seller and buyer agree on the delivery details of the products sold, although Mercari also offers a shipping service in the form of pre-paid labels.

That being said, let's take a look at some of the main reasons why you should sell on Mercari.

It’s a user-friendly platform

Mercari is an extremely simple platform to use, created to serve even the least experienced users. Despite having a website, the marketplace is heavily focused on mobile use, so you can do anything from listing products to other operations from your mobile device.

It has low barriers to entry

Like said before, to sell on Mercari you don't need to be an experienced seller, and you don’t even need large inventory. Whether you’re decluttering or starting a small business, Mercari it’s accessible for beginners and casual sellers.

Offers a simple fee structure

Mercari charges a flat 10% commission on completed sales, with no listing fees. Mercari is competing directly with platforms like Amazon and eBay, who usually charge different fees based on product category, so Mercari presents itself as a simpler affordable option in terms of fees.

Has safety features for transactions

Mercari offers strong buyer protection features and aims to make every transaction made on the platform is 100% secure, both for the online buyer and the seller. The marketplace also has strong customer service and a strict return policy.

One thing to note is that sellers should be aware of Mercari's return policies to avoid any problems. For example, an item can be returned when:

  • It was damaged during shipment
  • The buyer received the wrong item
  • The item significantly doesn’t match the photo, description or item condition

On the other hand, Mercari doesn’t accept returns when: 

  • The item (that being clothes or other wearable accessories) doesn't fit
  • The item smells or is not clean
  • The buyer, for some reason, changed it’s mind after the transaction
  • When a similar item is purchased on another platform

How to sell on Mercari

Starting to sell on Mercari is a simple process that takes just a few minutes from creating your account to listing your products. Let’s take a look at the steps involved in selling on Mercari:

1. Sign up and set up your profile

mercari

The first thing you need to do is create an account on Mercari. You can do this either through the platform's website on desktop or through mobile by downloading the Mercari app.

When creating your account, you’ll need to provide basic information such as your full name, address, birthday, SSN/TIN, and a copy of your government-issued ID. As with any other shopping platform, Mercari will review your profile before approving it, and this can take a few hours, depending on the situation.

2. Create your listings

On Mercari, you can create up to 12 product listings for free and you can sell almost anything from new to used.

According to Mercari, over 350,000 new and used items are listed every day. The platform accepts multiple makes and models (which are listed on the help page), but it is important to note that not every type of product is accepted for sale on the marketplace.

Some of the products that cannot be sold on Mercari include:

  • Drugs: Narcotics, prescription medicines, and other types of products, tools, or services offered or intended to be used to create or use drugs
  • FDA restricted items: Such as food, homemade food, food supplements, vitamins, diet products, muscle enhancers, home remedies and homemade cosmetics
  • Weapons: Including firearms and firearm parts (including airsoft and bb guns), ammunition and ammunition components, knives, and explosives
  • Alcohol: Or products related
  • Tobacco products: Like cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and other vaporizing instruments that contain nicotine or are associated with tobacco or nicotine usage
  • Digital items: Like ebooks, files in any format, user generated content (UGC), or items for online games
  • Age restricted products: Adult movies, books, comics, or any type of item considered obscene or sexual related

3. Take high-quality photos of your products

mercari listing

When making your product listings, one of the most important aspects is the photos of the item you’re selling. Mercari allows you to upload up to 12 photos, so take as many as you need to show all angles of your item.

Make sure the photos are high-quality, well-lit, and show all the details, especially if it’s a used item, as online shoppers will want to assess the condition of the item before making a purchase.

4. Write an optimized title and detailed descriptions

mercari description

A basic rule of thumb for selling on any marketplace is to include accurate details in the product title. A title like "GUCCI Men's Screener Sneaker Size 10 US" is much more likely to be noticed on the platform than a simplistic and uninformative title like "GUCCI sneaker."

When selling on Mercari, or any other platform really, the more information the better. When listing a product, the description section allows you to write up to 1,000 characters. Make sure to use this limit to the fullest by accurately and precisely describing all the details about your item, especially those that may not have been included in the title such as size, measurements, and additional colors, prints, or textures. 

Even if you’ve included information in the title, repeat it in the description if possible to make everything as clear as possible. In the case of used items, specify that they are used and whether they have any defects or wear.

5. Choose your shipping options

Despite being known as a peer-to-peer platform, like Facebook Marketplace or Poshmark, where sellers can set up product delivery themselves, Mercari also offers an efficient shipping service through pre-paid labels.

If you choose to ship with a Mercari’s prepaid label, you’ll need to select whether you want to cover the shipping yourself (the cost of the label will be deducted from your sales profit) or if you’ll set for the buyer to pay for shipping (the cost of the label will be added at buyer checkout).

When a buyer purchases your item, a Mercari prepaid label will be automatically created and sent to your email address. Mercari offers full security through Mercari Shipping Protection. 

But if you choose to ship an item by yourself through third party service providers, or any other method, you’ll need to provide a valid tracking number to help the platform confirm the item’s delivery and to make sure you get paid on time.

it’s important to notice that when you ship on your own, the package doesn't qualify for Mercari Shipping Protection. So any shipping problems, such as delays, lost items and other irregularities, will be at your expense.

6. Get paid

Once you complete a sale, you can request a cash out by way of Instant Pay or a direct deposit. 

With Instant Pay you can withdraw up to $600 per month immediately on eligible debit cards once per day. Despite that, there’s a $3 flat fee per withdrawal to use this service.

With the direct deposit model you can have free ACH direct deposit withdrawals. ACH direct deposits are limited to one per day and the income is typically received within 5-7 business days after the procedure.

7. Keep an eye on your ratings

mercari profile

Much like Amazon, once a sale is made and the product is delivered, Mercari asks buyers to rate the product and the seller (from one to five stars, plus comments) within three days of the confirmed delivery date.

These ratings are vital to build trust and credibility for your business within Mercari. One unique thing about the platform is that it will also ask you to review the buyer, which can be a great opportunity to build a good relationship with your customer base and build loyalty.

Useful tips for selling on Mercari

Now that you know how to sell on Mercari, you need to be aware that having a good product listing doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have high conversion rates. As with many sales platforms, good planning and specific strategies are vital to getting your product listings found and making sales.

Here are some good tips to help you sell well on Mercari:

Optimize your product titles and descriptions with keywords and SEO

We’ve talked about the importance of detailed product titles and descriptions, but you can go further to ensure that your product listings are optimized for easy discovery on Mercari’s search engine.

Research the best keywords for the product you want to sell. Platforms like Semush, Ahrefs, and Google Trends can help you find the best keywords to include in your product titles and descriptions to make your listings much easier to find on Mercari.

Semrush vs Ahrefs: Which is the best SEO platform?

Respond to your customers as quickly as possible

On the sales page for each product, there’s a button that online buyers can use to make counteroffers, as well as add comments with questions, suggestions and possible complaints about your products and service.

Always respond to comments as quickly as possible to build credibility and show that you’re always ready to provide customer service. When a buyer makes an offer, it’s also an excellent opportunity to build loyalty among your possible customers. And you can complement this with the following tip.

Set competitive prices

Remember that prices that are too high can scare away potential buyers, while prices that are too low can reduce your profit margin. So adjust your prices so that they are competitive and still profitable.

The best way to do this is to evaluate your competition and how much similar products to yours are selling for on Mercari and other platforms. Also, always be ready to accept offers from potential customers by clicking the "make an offer" button. By negotiating appropriately with customers who make offers for your products, you can build customer loyalty.

Ecommerce pricing strategies used by the experts

Promote your listings

Mercari allows you to promote your product listings in the form of special discounts that will boost your products within the platform. This comes in the form of the "Promote" and "Offer to likers" functions that you can access from the app or the website.

To use Promote, you need to lower the price of your products by 5%, and the platform will then boost them for all users who visit Mercari, appearing as recommendations on the homepage. Promote can be used for up to 10 items in your Mercari shop every 24h period.

With Offers to Likers, your products will be discounted by 10% and all users who have liked these products will receive a direct message about the offer within 24 hours. This discount is not permanent and will only be active during the period in which the Offers to Likers offer is in effect, making it an excellent way to increase your conversion rates by targeting buyers who have already shown interest in your products.

Learn reselling from the best in the game

Reselling is an increasingly popular side-hustle, and one that can easily become your full-time gig. But how do you scale from make ten dollars a month to ten thousands dollars a month?

If you want to learn how to make significant money as a reseller, then you're in the right place. Whop is home to hundreds of reselling groups (aka whops) led by the best in the game. These expert resellers share their strategies for success inside close-knit communities.

Instead of going it alone, learn from those who have already mastered the art of reselling. Head to Whop and find a community for you.


How to sell on Mercari FAQs

The most frequently asked questions about selling on Mercari.

What can I sell on Mercari?

You can sell almost anything, from clothing and electronics to home goods and collectibles, as long as it complies with Mercari’s prohibited items policy. Digital products cannot be sold on Mercari.

How much does it cost to sell on Mercari?

Mercari charges a flat 10% selling fee on the final sale price while listing items is free. There may be shipping fees if you decide to cover the prepaid shipping label costs when setting up your selling account.