Let’s Talk About Mercari

I wasn’t going to do a specific post about Mercari, but recently I’ve received some questions- likely due in part to their commercial campaign that has been airing. (Have you seen it? Thoughts?)

If you are here, you are probably either already a reseller, or thinking about getting in the game. Mercari is an app that you can buy or sell goods of (almost) any type. This has always been one of the biggest pro’s for me. You can sell clothes, books, household goods, tools, toys, electronics, etc. The app itself is free and can also be accessed on a desktop.

If you don’t have Mercari yet, you can download it here. For a time, they are offering a bonus of $10 if you use my code – @33magnolia- or you can use this link: https://merc.li/efBv4Rb

Mercari has been around since 2013, starting in Japan before moving over to the U.S. in 2014. In 2015 they expanded even further into the U.K, although they have since pulled their U.K. operation. The CEO of Mercari currently is John Lagerling. John came to Mercari in 2017 and was previously on the management team of a little known app called…Facebook.

Let’s talk about the Pro’s of Selling your Items on Mercari:

1. It is absolutely free to post items.
2. It is easy to use.
3. They offer several different shipping options.
4. You can sell (almost) anything.
5. There is no ‘social’ component, i.e. sharing, that is needed. (Think Poshmark)
6. The fee on Mercari is a flat 10%.

Now, there are some Con’s of selling items on Mercari as well:

1. The only way to promote your item is to continually reduce the price- which you can only do every three days.
2. If you choose to promote items, you are limited to 10 per day.
3. It is near impossible to search your store for a specific item without scrolling through all your items. (Mercari: PLEASE give us a search or filter option!)
4. If you prefer to use their shipping (recommended for protection) , it can get pricey with heavier items. I typically only list heavier items (Coats, boots, tools, etc) if they are higher value, or I’ve had a hard time moving on other platforms.
5. Funds take 2-4 days generally to transfer. This really isn’t a big deal, or even really a con for that matter, but since I transfer money once a week from all platforms, I notice the delay. Both Poshmark and Ebay (Paypal) are in my account next day. Mercari takes an extra day or two.

So HOW do you sell on Mercari? It’s so simple. Download the app.

Walk through the steps of setting up your account. If you have items to list, use the search function to see what it is selling for and how many are listed. When you are ready, start listing.

1. Click the Sell Icon.
2. Take or Upload GREAT photo’s and as many as you can.
3. Create a title with the brand name/item name.
4. Write an accurante description of your item, disclosing any flaws and highlighting special features. Mercari requires a minimum of 5 words- you should easily exceed that.
5. Add three hashtags. Think of what word people would search for you to find your item.
6. Complete all areas with a red asterisk.
7. Choose your shipping method. Yes, this can be the tricky part for a beginner. See some shipping information here from Mercari: https://www.mercari.com/shipping/ .
8. Set your price. Keep in mind people can & will send offers. Also, if you are offering free shipping, make sure you’ve calculated that in your price.
9. LIST.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Mercari App. It seems they are making a push for 2020, and I’ve heard a lot of favorable feedback lately on this platform. It’s never been my frontrunner, but I’m encouraged to step this one up this year.

Do you currently sell on Mercari? Why or why not?

If not, are you going to give it a try?