How to sell on Mercari (Beginners Guide)

You’ve probably thought of selling on Mercari to make extra money online but are worried about how to get started. Ponder no more because I’ll show you how to go about it.

Mercari is one of the best online marketplaces to sell household goods, like clothes, shoes, and jewelry. The good news is that various items sell faster on Mercari.

A plausible reason for high sales on Mercari is the constantly rising number of monthly active users on the platform. That has hastened its growth and profit potential.

According to Statista’s report, Mercari currently hosts over 19 million monthly active users, a sharp increase from around eight million active users in 2017.

Source: Statista

As an aspiring seller on Mercari, don’t worry about making sales since there’s a ready market for your items. Besides, I’ll show you what to do to boost sales.

Here are the other things you’ll learn about selling things on Mercari.

• What Mercari is and How it Works
• Step-by-step Guide on How to Sell on Mercari
• Safety and Legitimacy of Mercari
• Tips on How to Sell on Mercari
• Pros of Selling on Mercari
• Cons of Selling Things on Mercari

That said, let’s dive straight into what selling on Mercari entails.

What is Mercari?

Just like Poshmark, eBay, and Etsy, Mercari is an online marketplace that allows users to sell and buy various products on the platform.

The eCommerce business started operating in 2013 as a second-hand marketplace where sellers can list items through their smartphones.

You can sell almost anything on Mercari as the marketplace allows various items and categories, including collectibles, electronics, household goods, and clothing items.

For that reason, sellers have the opportunity to list and sell a wider variety of products than other online marketplaces that focus on specific categories, such as Depop.

The good news is that listing products on Mercari is a straightforward process. It has fewer boxes to fill out when listing an item, making it less stressful.

How to Sell on Mercari (Step-by-Step)

You can quickly sell on Mercari when you understand how the platform works. The good news is that their selling process is streamlined.

To sell anything on Mercari, you must download the Mercari App on Google Play or Apple Store. You may also access Mercari on your desktop through its official website.

Here are the steps to follow to start selling products on Mercari.

Step 1: Create an Account on Mercari

Now that you’ve downloaded the app on your phone, you can set up a new Mercari account. You can also create an account on Mercari’s website.

The good news is that signing up on Mercari can take a few minutes and not hours.

Here are the steps to follow when signing up.

a). Click the “Sign-Up” button on the top right corner of Mercari’s homepage.

b). Add your account information, including your email address, username, and password. Agree to the Mercari Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then sign up.

c). Add your phone number and verify it through SMS. Use the code sent to you to verify your phone. Next, verify your email using the link sent to your inbox.

d). Add your bio and profile picture to improve your credibility, which can boost sales. Click on the “View Profile” button and then on “Edit Profile.”

Congratulations on setting up an account! You can now start selling things on Mercari.

Step 2: Pick the Items to Sell in Your Store

Mercari allows members to sell items in various categories, including clothing, toys, shoes, and electronics. However, clothes are one of the most listed items because they sell faster.

Here are the other best-selling items on Mercari other than clothes.

• Camera Gear: Camera bags, lenses, lights, and cameras
• Card Games: Baseball, basketball, and Pokemon cards
• Small Electronics: Headphones, smartphones, and speakers
• Jewelry: Bracelets, necklaces, finger rings, nose rings, and toe rings
• Purses/Bags: Book bags, laptop bags, and designer bags
• Shoes: Everyday shoes, collectible shoes, and incomplete pairs
• Sports Gear: Golf clubs, tennis rackets, and baseball bats
• Toys: Board games, Nerf items, Lego items, dolls, and vintage toys
• Video Games: Vintage games sell faster on Mercari
• Watches: Traditional watches and smartwatches

Now that you know some of the best-selling items on Mercari, look for items that you no longer use in your home but are in good condition.

Get some clothes in your closet and list them on Mercari to start making money online. You can also flip items by buying and reselling them at a higher price for profits.

Step 3: Take Great Photos of the Product You Plan to Sell

Once you’ve selected the item you want to sell on Mercari, it’s time to take great photos that show every angle. Note that you can upload up to 12 photos per listing.

Start by taking a wide shot, moving the camera closer to show the item’s details. It gives a potential buyer a deeper insight into what they are about to purchase.

The following tips will help you capture good photos of your products.

• Excellent Lighting Source: You need good lighting to take quality pictures. So, allow enough natural light in the photography room due to its warm and balanced effect.
• Clutter-Free Background: Remove any clutter from the background to prevent buyers from getting distracted away from your product.
• Clean the Product: Despite having good lighting and great background, clean the product to remove any dirt, dust, or hair before taking pictures.
• Show Key Details: Ensure that some pictures showcase key details, including brand tags and fabric content labels.
• Change the Photo’s Aspect Ratio: When uploading pictures to your Mercari store, ensure you edit them by changing the ratio to 1:1 square photos.

Step 4: List the Product on Your Mercari Store

Listing a product on Mercari is straightforward as it involves a few steps. The good news is that you already have the photos, making it even simpler.

You can list the product through the Mercari app or web, but the steps are still the same.

Here are the steps to follow when listing a product on Mercari.

a). Log in to your new account and click on the profile icon on the top right side of the page. From the dropdown menu, select the “Sell” option.

b). Drag and drop the product photos on the listing page to start the listing process. Note that you can upload multiple photos at a go.

c). Add a clear and concise title that briefly describes the product. You can mention the model name, brand, color, and size. Try to use up to 40 characters in the title.

d). Describe the product in the description text box. You can write not less than five words and up to 1,000 characters. You may also add up to three hashtags.

e). Mention the product’s category, size, and brand. Next, select the item’s condition as New, Like New, Good, Fair, or Poor. It helps a potential buyer decide.

f). Specify the city you’ll ship the product from by entering your ZIP code. Next, check if you want to offer buyers free shipping or not.

g). If you check the “No” option, select the item’s shipping weight to find what the buyer will pay for shipping and the days the carrier will take to ship the product.

h). Set the product’s price to get what Mercari charges as a selling fee and the amount of money selling the item. Click the “List” button to finish listing.

i). Congratulations! You’ve listed your first product on Mercari. You can now view your item to gain an insight into what potential buyers see when they click on it.

Pro Tip: Use the same procedure to list any other item you want to sell on Mercari, including used clothes.

Step 5: Ship the Product if Purchased

Now that you’ve made a sale, what’s next?

You must ship the item to the buyer’s address through Mercari’s shipping services or choose to ship on your own and attach the tracking number.

If you opt for Mercari’s shipping service, Mercari will send a prepaid label to your email. All you need to do is print and paste the shipping label on your packaged item.

You can also download the prepaid label directly from the Mercari app or official website.

To Ship on Your Own, you’ll need to ship the product yourself through a carrier or discounted shipping services. That may sometimes help you save a few extra dollars.

Specify who will pay for the shipping service, whether the buyer or you. Offering free shipping services to your customers can help you make more sales.

Pro Tip: Before you ship the product to the buyer, ensure that the packaging is secure and below the weight limit to avoid extra charges. Also, send the tracking number to the buyer.

Step 6: Get Paid After Product Delivery

Upon delivering the product to the buyer, Mercari will request them to rate you within three days so they can release the payment into your account.

If the customer fails to rate you after three days, Mercari will automatically rate you with five stars to ensure you get the money in your account.

Once the buyers rate you, you need to rate them back. You can then get paid your earnings minus the charges, allowing you to cash out the money to your bank account.

You’ll pay a seller fee of $2 for transfers under $10. Note that a direct deposit may take up to five business days to show up in your account.

You may leave the money in your Mercari wallet and use it for future purchases on the platform. However, that’s optional, depending on your plan.

Pro Tip: Consider cashing out your Mercari balance once it hits $10.00. Some sellers have complained of their accounts getting closed without plausible explanations.

Is Mercari Safe and Legitimate?

Yes! Mercari is a safe and legitimate eCommerce marketplace to earn extra income online.

Mercari has created a conducive environment where buyers and sellers can trade or transact safely and securely.

This online marketplace also has an escrow payment system, guaranteeing everyone safe and reliable transaction services.

Sellers and buyers also rate each other, making it easy to check a seller’s or buyer’s past reviews before trading with them. That gives users peace of mind.

Finally, Mercari has an excellent customer service system to respond to all customer inquiries and monitors the services.

Tips For Selling on Mercari

Now that you understand how to list an item on Mercari, you need to implement a few more tips to increase your sales on this platform.

Here are the tips for selling products on Mercari.

List Highly Marketable and Profitable Items

Not every product you no longer use in your home is sellable on Mercari. As a beginner, consider looking for clothes that can quickly sell on the platform before listing.

Visit other popular shops on Mercari to see what sells faster, as that will give you insights into the products to list on your Mercari store.

Describe the Item Accurately

A description provides more details about a product listed on Mercari. Ensure that your descriptions contain all the potential information buyers may want to know.

If you fail to describe the product accordingly, be ready to answer any questions from prospective buyers. Unfortunately, this may delay the sales process.

Create Room for Offers and Negotiations When Pricing

When listing on Mercari, don’t underprice or overprice the product. Instead, set up a fair price that is slightly higher than you expect to earn, as that will create room for offers.

Potential customers on Mercari always look for better deals to save money on their purchases. So, expect to accept offers on your listed items.

Relist Your Products Frequently

When your item stays listed for many weeks, you may get tempted to lower the price to win more sales. However, that may affect your earnings negatively.

Consider relisting your item more frequently to stay top on the search results pages. As you do that, remember to update the price back to the original amount.

Package Your Products Nicely

If you want to keep customers coming to your Mercari store more frequently, package your items like a pro before shipping. Make them feel as if they are unboxing a gift.

Use the right packaging material that suits your product, whether a box or bubble wrap. A buyer leaves great reviews when satisfied with your services.

When you pack your products using the best packaging material, rest assured that you’ll receive high ratings and multiple positive reviews on your store.

Offer Free Shipping Occasionally

In most cases, a buyer pays for shipping when buying items on Mercari. You may sometimes select free shipping to offset the cost of the buyer’s expenses.

There’s no doubt that everyone loves free things, especially when in good condition. You can take advantage of that and try offering free shipping on Mercari.

Appreciate Buyers Accordingly

Whenever someone buys a product from you on Mercari, you need to appreciate them by sticking a thank-you note. Think of a lovely small thank you card or sticker.

You may even appreciate your customers by adding a small gift in the packaging, such as a pack of gums or a piece of candy. It is going to make your customers happy.

Tips For Buying on Mercari

Besides selling products on Mercari, you may also want to buy a few items from other sellers. You can make the most out of your purchases by implementing effective tips.

Here are the tips and ideas recommended by the most successful sellers on Mercari.

Buy Brands that You Recognize

If you haven’t heard of or seen a brand before, consider not buying it unless you research its reviews. You can perform a quick search on Google.

Some brands may be low-quality products bought by others who found them crappy and want to resell them to get their money back.

Use Different Keywords for Product Searches

When searching for a particular product on Mercari, you’ll need to enter the search term to get results. However, the results you’ll get are not all that’s available about the product.

You can adjust your keyword and think of other terms sellers may use to refer to the product. Perform several searches using the different terms, and you can be lucky to find an item with free shipping.

Purchase Products in Bundles

If you are buying lots of similar products or different items from one seller, you can bundle the products to qualify for discounts. It will help you save more money.

For example, if you are searching for kids’ clothes and find a few, check if the seller has more products. You may be lucky to find a seller with several kids’ clothes.

Compare Prices and Shipping Rates

Sellers on Mercari charge different prices and shipping fees. You need to compare various vendors’ product prices and shipping rates to find the best deal.

For example, one seller may ship a piece of cloth for $5.99, while another would ship it for $11.00. Buying from the seller with the lowest shipping fee will help you save more money.

Check the Seller’s Store for Other Similar Products

Source: Mercari

If you like a product on Mercari, you can visit the seller’s store to check if there are other incredible items on the seller store. You may find other items you like or need.

The good news is that you can negotiate with the seller about the prices and get discounts. It also gives you the chance to bundle items from one seller.

Don’t Rush to Buy

Whenever you select products to purchase, never hurry to pay for them. You can wait and check for them the following day.

You can be lucky to find new listings and get more options. Perhaps you may change your mind about a better selection of items. It also helps you avoid regrets.

Pros of Selling on Mercari

You now understand how Mercari operates, but you should also consider the pros and cons of selling things on Mercari to help you make an informed decision.

Here are the numerous benefits of selling products on Mercari.

Lower Commission Fees

Mercari has a lower seller fee compared to other marketplaces, meaning you’ll enjoy higher profit margins. Besides, there are no listing fees, making it even cheaper.

Mercari charges a 10 percent seller fee and numerous shipping options, making it worth it for you to sell items at a lower price on the platform.

Supports Various Product Categories

You can sell almost anything on Mercari, although clothes are the most marketable items on this online marketplace. Things like tools, blankets, and gifts sell on Mercari.

If you have a long list of items that you no longer use in your home, but are in good condition, you can turn them into cash by listing them on Mercari.

Multiple Shipping Mercari Options

Mercari offers flexible shipping options, making it convenient for sellers and buyers to deliver sold or bought products efficiently and affordably.

You can offer free shipping by covering shipping for the buyer. You may also base the shipping cost on the item’s weight to help the buyer save on shipping Mercari costs.

Straightforward Listing Process

Unlike eBay, you can quickly list products on Mercari because of its streamlined listing process. That is one of the reasons many people use Mercari.

You may even cross-post to Poshmark and eBay from Mercari. The good news is that there are no maintenance requirements, only answering potential buyers’ questions.

Cons of Selling on Mercari

Like any other online marketplace, Mercari also has a few drawbacks that you need to know before listing any item on the online marketplace.

Here are some of the disadvantages of selling products on Mercari.

Accessing Customer Support is Not Easy

You can get quick responses when asking questions about your sales or purchases. All you have to do is click through the item and describe your issue.

Unfortunately, if you ask a general question about something else, you may go through lots of articles on Mercari’s Help Center or the “Contact Us” button.

Clunky User Interface

Setting up an account on Mercari is easy, but the user interface is inconvenient. In some instances, notifications won’t come right away. Besides, they lack many brands for listings.

If you perform a quick search on Mercari, sold and available products appear on the search results page. That can negatively affect their buyer’s experience.

FAQs – Selling on Mercari

So far, you understand how Mercari works, including the tips on becoming a successful seller on this online marketplace. However, that shouldn’t stop you from asking questions.

Here are the common questions that most people ask about Mercari.

1. How much does it cost to sell using Mercari?

Listing an item on Mercari is free. However, you’ll may a commission fee of 10 percent of your sales price. You’ll also add a 2.9 percent + $0.30 as a payment processing fee.

If you choose direct deposits as your payment option, you’ll pay $2.00 for processing direct deposits below $10.00 and a two-percent fee for a direct deposit rejected by your bank.

2. Is it worth selling on Mercari?

Yes, you can earn some good money when listing and selling items with a resale value on the platform. The listing process is fast and straightforward, making it easy to sell.

Another thing that makes Mercari worth it is that it has a lower selling fee than other marketplaces. You only pay a fee upon making a sale but not when listing.

3. Who pays for shipping on Mercari?

Both the buyer and seller can pay for shipping. However, in most cases, sellers leave buyers to pay for shipping, although they can also offer free shipping.

When sellers charge for shipping, they use a structured shipping Mercari plan. Mercari will email the sellers a printable shipping label they can stick on the packaging.

4. Do I need a seller permit to sell on Mercari?

No, you don’t necessarily need a seller permit to start selling things on Mercari. All you need to do is create an account using the step-by-step guide shared above and start listing.

However, you may need a business permit or license if selling items on Mercari is your main income source or when you flip various products on the online marketplace.

Wrap Up

Mercari is among the best online marketplaces to sell clothing items and other products. You can start a profitable reselling business on the platform to make extra money.

The good news is that Mercari offers a streamlined listing process, making it easy for sellers to sell a vast range of items fast. Besides, you’ll pay low fees upon making sales.

You can give it a shot if you plan to sell on Mercari. The tips shared in this guide can help you get started selling and making more money online.

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• How to Sell on Etsy
• How to sell on Ebay
• How to Sell on Walmart
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