How to Make Money on Mercari: A Beginner’s Guide to Selling Almost Anything

Most reselling platforms have a learning curve. Complicated fee structures, confusing listing processes, restrictive categories.

Mercari is different.

It is probably the simplest marketplace to start selling on, and that simplicity is exactly why it works so well for beginners. No listing fees. A straightforward 10% commission. You can sell everything from clothing and electronics to kitchen gadgets and kids’ toys. Some sellers clear $100 decluttering their house over a weekend. Others build $5,000+ per month reselling businesses sourcing from thrift stores and liquidation pallets.

The platform has over 100 million downloads worldwide and roughly 20 million active monthly users in the US alone. That is a massive pool of buyers looking for deals.

But “simple” does not mean “easy money.” The sellers who actually earn consistently on Mercari understand pricing psychology, know which items move quickly, and have systems for listing efficiently. The people who list three random items and give up after a week were never going to succeed on any platform.

First — This Is Important…

Hey, my name is Mark.

Mercari is a great starting point for making money online — low fees, broad categories, and a simple listing process. But it is inventory-based and time-intensive. You earn when you source, list, and ship. You stop when you stop.

The model I use generates $500–$1,200/month per digital asset with no inventory, no shipping, and no constant restocking. One lead generation website earning $700/month produces more net profit than most Mercari sellers generate working 15+ hours per week.

Go here to see the exact system I use to do this

Now let me show you how to make real money on Mercari.

How Mercari Works

Mercari is an online marketplace where anyone can buy and sell new and used items. Think of it as a cross between eBay and a garage sale app. Everything is fixed-price with the option for buyers to make offers. No auctions.

You list items through the app or website, set your price, and choose shipping options. When a buyer purchases, you ship the item using either a Mercari prepaid label or your own shipping method. The buyer has 3 days to confirm the item arrived as described. Once they rate you (or after 3 days automatically), funds release to your Mercari balance and you can transfer to your bank.

Mercari Fee Breakdown

Fee Type	Amount
Listing fee	Free
Selling fee	10% of sale price
Payment processing	2.9% + $0.50 per transaction

On a $50 sale, you pay $5 (selling fee) + $1.95 (processing) = $6.95 in total fees. You keep $43.05 before shipping costs.

This is significantly cheaper than Poshmark’s 20% commission, which makes Mercari attractive for items in the $10 to $50 range where every dollar of margin matters.

What Sells Best on Mercari

Mercari’s buyer base is broader and more price-sensitive than Poshmark’s. These are people looking for deals on everyday items — and the sheer diversity of what sells is Mercari’s biggest advantage.

Electronics

Used smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and accessories sell quickly. Parents hunting for affordable devices for their kids are a huge buyer segment. Nintendo Switch games, PlayStation controllers, Apple products, and even phone cases from popular brands move fast.

Test everything before listing and be transparent about any issues. “Works perfectly, minor cosmetic scratches” builds trust. “Phone for sale” does not. Include the model number, storage capacity, battery health (for phones), and any included accessories.

Electronics typically command higher prices than other categories, which means more absolute profit per sale even after fees. A used Nintendo Switch Lite purchased at a pawn shop for $60 can sell for $120 to $140 on Mercari.

Clothing and Shoes

Brand-name clothing does well, though Mercari buyers tend to spend less per item than Poshmark buyers. Athletic brands like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour are strong. Popular sneakers — especially limited releases — can yield high margins. Kids’ clothing is an underrated category because parents constantly need the next size up and love saving money on items their children will outgrow in months.

Toys, Games, and Collectibles

Especially popular brands, discontinued items, and anything with nostalgia value. Parents love finding deals on gently used toys. Board games, LEGO sets, Pokémon cards, and retro video games are consistent sellers with passionate buyer communities.

Discontinued toys are a sweet spot. When a toy line gets retired, supply drops but demand often increases among collectors. Check eBay sold listings for discontinued items you find at thrift stores — the markups can be surprising.

Home and Kitchen Items

Small appliances, decor, organization products, and kitchenware move well — particularly brand names like KitchenAid, Instant Pot, Keurig, and Vitamix. Even common items like quality knife sets, cast iron pans, and name-brand storage containers find buyers.

Handbags and Accessories

Designer and popular brands sell quickly. Mercari offers an authentication service called Mercari Authenticate for luxury goods, which builds buyer confidence and justifies higher pricing. Coach, Kate Spade, and Tory Burch hit a sweet spot where sourcing cost stays low but resale value stays strong.

The “Would Never Think to Sell” Category

This is where Mercari differs most from other platforms. Old remotes, vintage containers, craft supplies, discontinued products, random hardware, and niche hobby items all find buyers. If someone somewhere wants it, Mercari is probably where they will look. Check eBay sold listings for unusual items before dismissing them as worthless.

Setting Up Your Mercari Account for Sales

Creating Your Profile

Download the app, sign up with email or Google, and verify your identity via SMS. Choose a username that sounds trustworthy and professional. Complete your profile with a clear photo — buyers check seller profiles before purchasing.

Your First Listings

Start with items from around your house. Here is the process:

1. Take clear, well-lit photos from multiple angles
2. Write a specific title with brand, item name, size, color, and condition
3. Write a detailed description covering everything a buyer would want to know
4. Set your price based on research (more on this below)
5. Choose your shipping method
6. Publish

Mercari’s listing process takes 3 to 5 minutes per item once you get the rhythm down. Batch your photography sessions to save time — photograph 10 to 20 items at once, then list them over the following days.

Pricing Your Items Right

This is where most beginners either leave money on the table or price themselves out of sales.

Check sold listings. Search for your item on Mercari and filter by “Sold” to see what people actually paid, not what sellers are asking. The gap between asking prices and sold prices often surprises new sellers — many items sell for 20 to 30% less than what optimistic sellers list them for.

Factor in all fees. Remember you lose roughly 13% to total fees (10% + 2.9% + $0.50). On a $30 item, you are paying about $4.37 in fees. On a $10 item, the fixed $0.50 processing fee eats proportionally more of your profit, which is why items under $10 are generally not worth selling on Mercari unless you bundle them.

Price 15 to 20% above your floor. Buyers on Mercari love making offers. If your minimum acceptable price is $25, list at $30 to give negotiation room. If you price at exactly your bottom dollar, the first offer that comes in will be below what you are willing to accept.

Consider Mercari’s Smart Pricing tool. This automatically reduces your price within a range you set over time, keeping listings active in the algorithm and signaling urgency to buyers. Be careful with your minimum — set it too low and auto-pricing can eat your margin before you notice. Review your Smart Pricing settings weekly.

Bundle discounts drive higher average order value. Mercari lets you create bundle deals when a buyer wants multiple items. Offering 10 to 15% off bundled purchases encourages larger orders, saves you on shipping materials, and moves inventory faster.

Shipping on Mercari

You have two main options:

Mercari prepaid labels. The platform generates a shipping label based on weight. Prices range from about $4.50 for items under 1 lb to $18+ for heavier packages. The buyer can pay shipping, or you can offer free shipping and absorb the cost.

Ship on your own. Calculate your own shipping cost and use your preferred carrier. This gives more control but requires weighing packages and buying your own labels.

For most sellers, Mercari’s prepaid labels are the easiest option. They include tracking and buyer protection automatically. Ship items within 3 business days and use the actual packaging that matches the weight tier you selected.

For lightweight clothing, poly mailers keep weight down. For fragile items, use proper padding. Damaged items lead to returns and bad ratings.

Growing Your Mercari Business

Listing Consistently

Mercari’s algorithm favors fresh listings. Sellers who list or relist daily get more visibility than those with stale closets. Aim to add at least 3 to 5 new listings per week.

Items that have not sold after 2 to 3 weeks should be relisted. Deleting and recreating the listing resets its position in search results. Some sellers do a weekly “relist session” where they refresh their oldest unsold items.

Using Promotions Strategically

Promote feature. Lowering your price by 5% activates a promotion that boosts visibility for up to 10 items every 24 hours.

Offers to Likers. When buyers like your item, send a targeted discount of 10% off. This converts interested browsers into buyers.

Do not over-promote. Constant discounts train buyers to wait for lower prices. Use promotions during slow periods or to clear old inventory.

Cross-Listing

The most successful resellers do not rely on a single platform. List your items on Mercari, Poshmark, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace simultaneously. When an item sells on one platform, remove it from the others. Tools like Crosslist and Vendoo can automate this process.

Since Mercari’s fees are lower than Poshmark’s, you can actually price items lower on Mercari while maintaining the same profit margin.

Realistic Earnings on Mercari

Activity	Expected Monthly Earnings
Decluttering household items	$100 to $500 (one-time)
Casual selling (5 hrs/week)	$200 to $800
Part-time reselling (10 to 15 hrs/week)	$800 to $2,500
Full-time reselling (25+ hrs/week)	$2,500 to $5,000+

The sellers making serious money are sourcing inventory from thrift stores, estate sales, clearance racks, and liquidation sites. They are not just selling personal items — they are running a product-based business.

Mercari vs Poshmark vs eBay

Feature	Mercari	Poshmark	eBay
Total fees	~13%	20%	~13%
Listing fees	None	None	Some categories
Categories	Very broad	Fashion-focused	Broadest
Shipping	Flexible	Flat rate only	Flexible
Social features	Minimal	Extensive	None
Payment speed	3 days after delivery	3 days after delivery	Varies
Best for	General items, electronics	Fashion, brands	High-value, niche items

Each platform has its strengths. Mercari excels for general household items, electronics, and toys. Poshmark wins for fashion. eBay is best for high-value items, collectibles, and niche products. Smart resellers use all three.

Mistakes That Cost Mercari Sellers Money

Shipping in oversized boxes. Heavier packages cost more. Use the smallest packaging that safely holds your item. Poly mailers for clothing, small boxes for electronics, bubble wrap for fragile items. A $3 difference in shipping cost across 50 sales per month is $150 in lost profit.

Ignoring messages. Buyers who ask questions are often ready to buy. Slow responses send them to another seller. Aim to respond within an hour during waking hours. Enable notifications so you do not miss time-sensitive inquiries.

Identical pricing across platforms. Mercari’s lower fees mean you can price lower here than on Poshmark while keeping the same profit. Not adjusting prices per platform leaves money on the table or makes your Mercari listings uncompetitive.

Letting listings go stale. Old listings sink in Mercari’s algorithm. Relist items that have not sold in 2 to 3 weeks by deleting and recreating them. This takes 2 minutes per item and can dramatically revive dead inventory.

Skipping the description. “Cute top” as a description will not sell. Include brand, size, color, condition, measurements, and any flaws. Specificity builds buyer confidence and reduces the questions you have to answer.

Not checking sold prices before sourcing. Just because something is brand-name does not mean it sells well on Mercari. Always check sold listings before spending money on inventory. A designer brand at a thrift store is only a deal if Mercari buyers are actually purchasing it.

Building a Sustainable Mercari Business

The difference between someone who makes $200 once on Mercari and someone who makes $2,000 per month consistently comes down to systems.

Successful Mercari sellers have designated photography days where they shoot 20 to 30 items at once. They have listing templates they modify per item. They check their account twice daily to respond to messages, ship sold items promptly, and relist stale inventory weekly.

They also track their numbers. Knowing your average sale price, average cost per item, total monthly fees, and profit per hour invested lets you make smart decisions about where to source and what to sell.

Is Mercari Worth Your Time?

For getting rid of household items and making a few hundred dollars, absolutely. The barrier to entry is zero and the process is genuinely simple.

For building a reselling income, Mercari is one of the best platforms to start on because of its low fees and broad categories. But like all reselling, it is active income. You earn in proportion to the time you spend sourcing, listing, and shipping.

If you are looking for something that compounds over time and generates income more passively, reselling has a natural ceiling. For income from digital assets that require no inventory, no shipping, and no restocking, here’s how I build simple websites that generate $500–$1,200/month each in recurring revenue. For the full model, see local lead generation.