Mercari vs Poshmark: Which Is More Lucrative?

If you have clothing, household items, or accessories lying around your house, you might want to make a little money off them. Two of the most popularly compared apps to do this are Mercari vs Poshmark.

Both apps offer a way to make money without being very time-consuming, and even the shipping rates fees are fair. They do, however, have some significant differences you should be aware of.

What Is Mercari?

Mercari is a lot like eBay. You can sell anything you want (that’s legal, of course), such as clothing, video games, household goods, and toys. Mercari has been in business since 2013, and it had over 1 million listings in its first year.

The name Mercari stands for ‘marketplace’ in Latin, and they have a much wider reach allowing you to sell a variety of items, unlike Poshmark. Their slogan is ‘if you can ship it, you can sell it.’ Designer clothes sell the best on this app, but so do many other products from other categories.

How Does Mercari Work?

Mercari is a free app you can download in the Apple or Google store. It’s free to list items and it takes only a few minutes to get your items in the marketplace.

Selling online with Mercari is easy. First, to list an item, you’ll need good photos of the products you’re selling, and you will create a detailed listing as well as choose the listing price. If you aren’t sure how to price something, look around at other similar items and the listing fee their seller chose, pricing your items accordingly. You should also show who will pay the shipping fees, you or the buyer.

The most common way to ship items is with a prepaid shipping label. Mercari will send you the label after the item sells. You should ship the item within three business days of receiving the order. You can also ship on your own (only for experienced sellers) or use Mercari Pack & Ship, bringing your items to UPS where they will handle the packing and shipping of the items for you.

Mercari gives buyers three days after receiving the package to open it and rate you as a seller. If they don’t rate you, Mercari gives you five stars, and your funds are released. Keep in mind that there is a 10% of the total sales price fee plus a 2.9% + $0.30 for payment processing fee that Mercari keeps, giving you the difference.

You can request an instant payout which has a $2 fee, or a direct deposit, which takes a couple of days but is free.

What Can You Sell on Mercari?

You can sell just about anything on the Mercari marketplace, including clothing, video games, DVDs, collectibles, household goods, and toys. As long as it’s legal and is in decent condition, you can sell it on Mercari.

Mercari Pros

• The app is free to download and use, including free listings
• You can sell just about anything in your house as long as you can ship it
• Low selling fees compared to Poshmark and other platforms
• Transparent views count, so you know how your listing is doing and if you should adjust the listing price or details
• You can set a limit for Mercari to automatically lower the price to boost your views and chances of selling an item
• You can create private discounts or public promotions to boost your sales
• You can send private messages to buyers and vice versa to talk about an item, communicate shipping delays or any other issues with sold items

Mercari Cons

• You don’t receive a payout until the buyer rates the sale or three days since receipt of the shipment has passed
• There’s no share option to share your listing on other platforms to make it sell faster
• The audience is typically looking for ‘deals’ and not interested in designer clothes or high prices
• How they calculate the shipping fee can be confusing and high, especially if you cover them yourself versus having the buyer pay them

Mercari Reviews

Most sellers on Trustpilot like Mercari and how to sell on Mercari. They have 61% 5-star ratings, 12% great, 7% average, 4% poor, and 16% bad, but this is a mixture of buyers and sellers.

Overall, sellers like the platform and how it works, but their largest complaint is the lack of customer service from Mercari or the lack of customer support backing up sellers. However, many sellers have zero complaints about Mercari and make plenty of money selling online.

Tips and Tricks for Successful Selling

Selling online or in a marketplace means competing against hundreds and sometimes even thousands of other sellers. Even if you have unique items to sell, there are ways to get more sales on Mercari.

The first trick to selling on Mercari is to take good photos. Ensure you have adequate lighting and that the photo reflects the product’s positive features. You can upload up to 12 photos on Mercari. However, the first picture is the one that’ll catch buyers’ eyes, so make it your best.

Your listing should be as detailed as possible too. For example, include details about the color and size, but most importantly, use the brand name in the description several times. This is how most people search for listings. Also, make sure to describe any flaws or issues with the product to be as honest as possible to ensure good reviews.

Pricing is important too. You’ll likely have a lot of competition so see what others sell the same product for and decide how yours differs. Will you price it slightly higher or lower than your competitors? You can set up Smart Pricing, too, which is an AI-driven program that gradually lowers your price to the ‘floor price’ you set to get more sales.

Finally, consider offering free shipping services or to cover the shipping fee for your buyers. If you can’t budget to cover the shipping costs, keep shipping costs as low as possible by using Mercari’s prepaid shipping labels.

How to Get Started Selling on Mercari

It’s easy to start selling on Mercari. You just have to download the free app, create an account and start listing your products. You can upload up to 12 images and have a title with up to 80 characters and a description with 1,000 characters. Use your keywords and add up to 3 hashtags and you’re set to sell on Mercari and let your buyers enjoy Mercari shopping.

Sites Like Mercari

Mercari is a site where you can sell just about anything, but there are other sites like this. For example, Letgo is a popular app for selling your items locally. However, most sellers sell their items for low prices on Letgo, so don’t expect to make big bucks using it.

OfferUp is another one of the local online marketplaces. It’s similar to a garage sale, except you buy individual items locally rather than seeing many things for sale in one place.

Of course, eBay is one of Mercari’s largest competitors. You can sell just about anything online on eBay, either charging the buyer for the shipping cost or covering it yourself. On eBay, though, you can sell both brand new or used items, and even set them up as an auction versus a fixed price to get a higher sales price.

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What Is Poshmark?

Poshmark is an app where you can sell clothing, especially designer items. It’s a secondhand marketplace for men’s, women’s, and kid’s clothing. You’ll also find a wide selection of accessories, home goods, and even pet items.

Poshmark shopping is like shopping in a friend’s closet. They have 80 million community members and over 200 million items for sale.

How Does Poshmark Work?

It takes less than a minute to list items for sale on Poshmark. Just download the app, snap pictures of your items, add a description, choose a price, and your listing is live. If you have multiple items to sell you can open a ‘closet’ where you have all of your listings in one place.

When your item sells, Poshmark sends you a prepaid shipping label. Put it on the box and take it to your nearest USPS to send it USPS priority mail. You can also schedule a free pickup at your home.

You get paid as soon as the order is complete.

What Can You Sell on Poshmark?

Poshmark has strict categories to follow, unlike Mercari. In general, you can sell new and used clothing, accessories, personal care products, pet items, and household goods, but these items are limited.

You must make sure any secondhand clothing or accessories are in excellent condition and clean. The description must also clearly describe the items and any flaws or issues they have.

Poshmark Pros

• The app is free to download and use
• Shipping is a flat rate that buyers pay
• You can drop off your shipments at USPS or have them picked up at your home
• You can send offers to people that like your listing and even offer free shipping (but you must cover the cost)
• Buyers can’t return products once shipped unless they are defective or not as promised in the listing
• You can easily share your listing on multiple social media platforms

Poshmark Cons

• Poshmark selling fees are slightly high – $2.95 for products $15 or less or 20% of the price of items over $15
• It’s like another social media platform that you have to monitor and maintain to keep your listings active
• The shipping costs are high for buyers and shippers don’t have a say in the shipping method
• Customer support is lacking

Poshmark Reviews

The reviews on Trustpilot aren’t in favor of Poshmark. With 82% bad reviews, sellers mostly complain about not getting their money or a few even complained about Poshmark leaking their password so their account got hacked.

Of course, there are two sides to every story. A lot of the reviews on Trustpilot are from buyers who felt duped by sellers, which doesn’t necessarily reflect the reputation of Poshmark itself.

Tips and Tricks for Successful Selling

The key to making money on Poshmark is taking attractive pictures and providing an excellent description with plenty of keywords. Your listing will likely consist of Poshmark clothing, so make sure to showcase it in a flattering way and show all aspects of the item to help people decide.

Looking at Poshmark vs Mercari, though, success on Poshmark relies on you sharing your listings across your social media pages. The more likes and shares it has, the more people it will get in front of because it’s like a social media platform for fashion and accessories.

Like Mercari, make sure you’re pricing your items competitively and see how much others are selling clothes on Poshmark for—pricing your items slightly higher or lower than others may get them the attention it deserves. Just make sure not to make anyone feel ‘ripped off’ with excessive pricing, as some people tend to do on Poshmark. You can even run promotions that offer free or discounted shipping for orders that meet a certain dollar amount.

Another great way to boost sales is to host virtual parties on Poshmark. These are called Posh Parties, and they are virtual parties in real-time that allow you to host your friends at a virtual party to buy and sell items amongst one another.

How to Get Started Selling on Poshmark

All you need are items to sell, a smartphone, a camera, and the ability to type a description to start selling on Poshmark. Once you download the app, click ‘sell’ and follow the instructions.

Once you list an item and it sells, you’ll be paid within three days as buyers have three days to accept the shipment. Otherwise, Poshmark automatically marks it complete and releases the funds to your account.

Sites Like Poshmark

Poshmark is the designer version of most online marketplaces. Comparable sites include Etsy, ThredUp, and even eBay. On Etsy, you’ll find vintage and designer items, but not typically secondhand items – they are almost always new or even handmade. ThredUp is like Poshmark in that you can sell clothing online for men, women, or kids and eBay is the king of all online marketplaces, allowing you to list just about any items you want to sell.

Related Article: 24 Craigslist Alternative Options For Selling Your Stuff

Mercari vs Poshmark: Side By Side Comparison

Selling Process

The selling process is similar when comparing Mercari vs Poshmark. First, you download the free app and upload pictures of the item you want to sell. Then, you add a description, hashtags, price the items, and you are ready to go.

Both apps require a short window for buyers to receive the product before they release funds, but they both have a maximum time that buyers have to review or accept the shipment before funds are automatically released.

Buying Process

Buyers on both Mercari and Poshmark can buy bundles and save on shipping. However, on Poshmark, if the bundle gets too large, the seller can increase the shipping cost. Poshmark also allows sellers to offer discounts on a Poshmark bundle, making their items easier to sell.

Both platforms allow buyers to make offers. The process works the same – buyers make an offer and send it privately to the seller, who can accept, reject, or counteroffer the bid.

Features

Poshmark is much more feature-rich than Mercari, but it’s also harder to keep up with. Because Poshmark is like a social media site, it’s easier to share your listings and get more followers. You can also have various discounts and host parties.

Mercari allows you to discount purchases or accept offers, but everything is done privately, and they don’t have the social media aspect that Poshmark has. In fact, it’s not possible to share your Mercari listing on any other platform.

User Experience

Looking at user experience with Mercari vs Poshmark, they are both about the same. It’s easy to list items and manage them, and it’s just as easy to buy on both apps. The difference comes down to what you’re looking for, whether it’s designer clothing or something off the wall that you’d find on Mercari and not Poshmark since their categories are limited.

Shipping

Shipping costs are generally the buyer’s responsibility on both platforms unless the seller decides otherwise.

Poshmark shipping is much easier than Mercari because they require flat rate shipping and send prepaid shipping labels as soon as the buyer pays. All Poshmark shipping costs are the same unless you have a large bundle. You can drop the package off at the USPS or have it picked up. Offering Poshmark free shipping is possible, too, if you want to cover the cost for your buyers.

Mercari shipping isn’t complicated, but you must first decide who will pay it – the buyer or the seller. Usually, the buyer covers it, but you may offer free shipping if you’re trying to boost your listing and sell your items faster.

Mercari also sends a prepaid shipping label that saves sellers up to 63% off retail prices for shipping, or you can choose to ship on your own if the item is large. If you have a little room in your profit margin, you can also take it to your local UPS store and use the Mercari Pack and Ship program, where UPS packs and ships the item for you.

Return Policy

The Poshmark and Mercari return policy are almost identical. They both protect buyers by allowing them to request a return if the item is defective, not as described, or is incorrect. If an item is not fitting or it just isn’t what the buyer expected, both apps will typically side with the seller unless they suspect something was intentional on the seller’s part. This does not fall within either the Mercari or Poshmark return policy.

Fees

It’s important to understand Mercari and Poshmark fees as both apps charge sellers money for using their platform. However, both apps are free, and you can list items without paying anything.

Once an item sells, though, is when the Poshmark and Mercari fees begin.

The Mercari selling fee is 10% of the final sales price plus 2.9% + $0.30 per item sold. There are also withdrawal fees of $2 to get paid. Poshmark charges $2.95 per item if priced under $15 or 20% of the final sales price for anything over $15.

Payment Terms

Both Mercari and Poshmark pay sellers quickly. They give buyers three days to rate/review the items and to request any returns if the items are defective or not as promised. If the buyer doesn’t complete the sale within three days of receiving it, Poshmark and Mercari automatically close the sale and pay the seller.

There’s a $2 fee for instant cash out on Mercari and another $2 fee if the cash out is for less than $10, even if you don’t take the instant cash out.

Seller Protection

When comparing Mercari vs Poshmark seller protection, Poshmark wins. They both protect the seller, but Poshmark protects at a higher value. If you use Poshmark shipping, which is USPS, buyers cannot request a refund for items not received because Poshmark can

Bundles

Bundles are easiest on Poshmark. Either the buyer or seller can arrange for a bundle, and the buyer pays the flat rate shipping unless the weight exceeds a certain amount, then the seller must increase the shipping costs.

Mercari bundles aren’t as easy. For a buyer to get a bundle, they must message the seller to ask about a discount or for discounted shipping to buy the bundle. It takes more back and forth than a Poshmark bundle takes.

Customer Service

Unfortunately, when it comes to customer service, both Mercari and Poshmark leave much to be desired. They both have lacking customer service options, only offering the opportunity to email customer service and wait as long as two days for a response.

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Poshmark vs Mercari FAQ

Is Mercari vs Poshmark Best for Sellers?

Mercari and Poshmark are great options for selling items, but Poshmark focuses primarily on clothing and accessories, whereas Mercari is more eBay-like, where you can buy anything. Both have fixed prices and fixed shipping charges. What’s best for you depends on what you’re selling and how social you want to be, as Poshmark is a more social site than Mercari.

Do Things Sell Faster on Mercari or Poshmark?

In general, items on Mercari sell fast, sometimes as quickly as a couple of days. Since Poshmark is more of a designer brands marketplace, the items cost more and can take slightly longer to sell. Although, when there are trends, the items can sell quite fast too.

Is Poshmark Cheaper Than Mercari?

If you are selling an item for more than $15, Poshmark is more expensive than Mercari as they charge 20% versus Mercari’s 15% plus 2.9% + $0.30. The answer to this question depends on the size of the order, as any item selling for less than $15 only costs sellers $2.95.

Do Poshmark and Mercari Have Anything in Common?

Poshmark and Mercari are both online flea market-type apps. You list items, usually secondhand, and try to sell them. You can upload pictures, descriptions, and hashtags. On both platforms, you are also in charge of pricing.

Do You Have to Pay Taxes on Earnings from Poshmark or Mercari?

You should report any earnings you make on Mercari or Poshmark, claiming them on your tax returns and paying the appropriate taxes.

Does Poshmark or Mercari Have a Listing Limit?

Poshmark and Mercari don’t have a listing limit, but on Poshmark especially, it’s recommended that you list consistently rather than listing large groups at once. Like on social media, you should list up to 3 items a day rather than listing 100 items at one time.

Is Mercari Legit?

Mercari is legit and it protects its sellers (buyers too). Parties on both ends are ‘real people.’ Mercari acts as the middleman, helping you sell items you no longer want. They help with shipping and provide the platform to communicate with buyers to sell your items.

Is Poshmark Legit?

Poshmark is a legit way to share your closet and sell the designer clothes you no longer wear. Poshmark backs its buyers and sellers and makes shipping incredibly easy for sellers. They pay sellers quickly and ensure that the transactions are safe.

Is Mercari Safe?

Like any platform, scammers are always looking for an opportunity, but Mercari is safe for buyers and sellers alike. So it’s safe to list your items and share your account for payment information. It is always a good practice with any platform, though, to keep your passwords private and not log into your account on a public network.

Is Poshmark Safe?

Poshmark is entirely safe, but like Mercari, there is always the risk of running into scammers. So keep your ID and password safe, and don’t log in to do business on public internet services.

Is It Worth It to Sell On Mercari vs Poshmark?

If you have anything except trending designer clothes or accessories, it makes more sense to sell on Mercari vs Poshmark. If you have trending clothes or accessories, though, you’ll make more money on Poshmark.

What Percentage Does Poshmark Take

Poshmark charges 20% of items over $15 or a flat $2.95 for items selling for under $15.

What Percentage Does Mercari Take?

Mercari charges 10% plus 2.9% + $0.30 per item sold.

Final Verdict: Which Is Right For You?

Which app is right for you between Mercari vs Poshmark depends on what you’re selling and how active you want to be with your listing. Poshmark is more social and time-consuming, catering to sellers with designer clothing and high-end household items. In contrast, Mercari sells anything that can ship and is in good condition with much less work involved.