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I first covered Mercari on the Cutting for Business blog in 2019. Now, in 2024, Mercari remains a popular app to sell things – including crafts.
I posted on Facebook at the end of March about Mercari eliminating all selling fees. I promised I’d follow up. Now, I’m following up.
If you are already familiar with selling on Mercari, jump straight to the New Policies on Mercari section.
Table of Contents
What is Mercari?
Mercari is a marketplace app available for phones. I’d compare it as being similar to Facebook Marketplace. However, unlike most Facebook Marketplace transactions, most Mercari transactions are shipped from seller to buyer.
Mercari – The Good
- There’s a handmade section in the app. There are a decent number of well made craft products for sale.
- Mercari has been promoting on billboards around my local area. This suggests they are growing.
- It’s easy to list: Snap a picture, write a description, add a price, and list it.
- Mercari listings are free.
If your item sells, there is a flat 10% fee.As of March 27, 2024, there are no selling fees. - You have 3 days to ship your item after a sale is made.
- There’s a built in shipping label generator.
- It’s safer than meeting up with strangers around your town.
- In the event of problems, Mercari will act as a mediator between you and the buyer.
Mercari – The Bad
- Sellers don’t get paid until the buyer rates the product. If the buyer doesn’t rate the product, there is a system of checks and balances built into the app so that sellers still get paid.
- Mercari isn’t somewhere that you can build your business. You don’t have a shop – just listings. I’ve found it good for one off sales – but it definitely isn’t a place to get your business name out.
- Buyers on marketplace apps are often looking for a deal. In fact, Mercari advertises to buyers “… save up to 70% on millions of new and used items”. Buyers looking for a deal aren’t always compatible with the handmade market as a whole.
- Mercari users can make offers on your listings. I find it annoying, but others might not mind. To deal with the offers, I always set my price a little higher than I want to sell it at. When the buyer submits an offer, they can then get my ideal selling price.
Mercari Best Practices
If you want to use Mercari in your craft business, here are a few recommendations:
- Use actual product photos of the exact product the buyer will receive rather than mockups. Since the buyer has to rate you before you are paid, you need it to be clear exactly what they will receive.
- Don’t do custom orders through Mercari. I always recommend to receive payment before a custom product is made. Since Mercari doesn’t do payments this way – there’s nothing worse than getting stuck with a custom product that you might not be able to resell.
New Policies on Mercari
But, there’s something new on Mercari. On March 27, 2024, Mercari announced that they were eliminating seller fees. They are marketing themselves as the first US marketplace to be fee free for sellers. As a seller, I think this is awesome! But… and there’s a huge but.
Who Pays Fees on Mercari Now?
Mercari has passed many of the fees from the seller side to the buyer side. 😮 Let’s look at the specifics.
Seller Fees on Mercari
- Balance Transfer Fee: There is now a Balance Transfer Fee each time you take your earnings out from Mercari. It is $2 for an ACH deposit and $3 for an Instant Transfer.
Buyer Fees on Mercari
- Service Fee: The Service Fee varies based on the category, but it appears to be between 9% and 10% for many categories. I couldn’t find the specifics spelled out on Mercari anywhere.
- Payment Processing Fee: $0.50 plus 2.9% of the transaction price (which includes the item price, shipping, service fee, and sales tax). This fee may not be refunded for returned or canceled orders. If you are paying with a balance in Mercari, the payment processing fee is waved.
Mercari Checkout Screenshots
Let’s check out how much these fees add to the buyer’s price.
On a $14.25 item, buyer pays $1.96 in fees. (Note: If paying with a Mercari balance, the fees would be $0.99. Also, fees may vary by category.)
On a $50 item, buyer pays $5.90 in fees. (Note: If paying with a Mercari balance, the fees would be $3.50. Also, fees may vary by category.)
On a $200 item, buyer pays $27.96 in fees. (Note: If paying with a Mercari balance, the fees would be $20.00. Also, fees may vary by category.)
What Do You Think of Mercari’s New Fee Structure?
Will this move by Mercari bring more sellers and less buyers on the platform? Let me know what you think in the comments.
Read about the new fees on Mercari.
Since 2015, Christine Schinagl has been helping crafters start and run craft businesses through her blog, Cutting for Business. As a Silhouette and Cricut crafter herself, she has a unique take on what works and what doesn’t work in the craft business world. She also enjoys teaching other crafters how to create digital SVG designs, available at through the Design with Me series.
Christy
Monday 6th of June 2022
I've had such a wonderful experience selling handmade items on Mercari. We even have repeat customers! This year so far I've had:
-151 sales -158 followers -about $3,000 in profit -88.22 item views a day -4.70 likes per day -1,928.97 impressions per day (average # of times my items appear on seach results) -178 5 star reviews
My items range from less than $5 to hundreds for multiple item orders. Mercari advertises my items for me by using tags and having them come up in searches. Many people save kewword searches so they come up in their notification box when my item tags trigger it. My followers also get a notification every time I post something.
I sell 3D prints, bookish things, and other things too.
Those thinking about using Mercari for their own crafts and such...DO IT! It has been a great experiece!!!
I also reccomend joining Facebook groups for buying and selling. I sell a lot on there too! I just post my stuff occasionally and it sells well. I posted a 3D print on a Bookish group about 2 weeks ago and made about $275 in sales on that post alone!
I do this while having a full time teaching job with my husband. He works from home full time. It is a alot of hustle and posting things and trips to the post office. But it is worth it for that side cash!
Mercari takes some from your sales just like Etsy does as a sidenote.
K.
Tuesday 9th of August 2022
@Christy,
That's great! Does one need a business permit or license to sell handmade on there?
Christine, Cutting for Business
Friday 24th of June 2022
Awesome Christy! I love hearing success stories like this!
Cathee Bresnahan
Friday 4th of January 2019
Thanks for all your detailed work in checking out the "good and bad." It was easy for me to determine this was not the selling market for me. Thanks, Cathee
Christine
Tuesday 8th of January 2019
Happy to share!