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You may be trying to make some fast cash from selling your unused stuff. And doubtless you’ve heard of Poshmark and Mercari. Two sites where you can easily unload your used items.
But what is better, Mercari or Poshmark? How are they different?
You want to choose the best app or site for online retailing.
We wish we had a straightforward answer for you, but it will depend on your product and your marketing strategy.
To help facilitate the decision-making process, we decided to compare Poshmark and Mercari in-depth. Read on to find out what we discovered.
About Poshmark
In 2011, Poshmark overtook eBay as the preferred online marketplace for buying and selling high end, designer clothing and accessories.
Poshmark has a slick, user-friendly smartphone interface and an integrated social media aspect that contributed to its popularity for selling online.
It is simpler and easier to use than eBay, particularly for sellers. Poshmark quickly became known as the place to sell your used clothes and accessories, not just designer labels either.
It would just take a few minutes for a seller to take a picture of their items, post them to the app, provide a brief description, and make a transaction.
Poshmark’s mission is to offer designer clothing from labels like Gucci and Chanel at more affordable costs.
While high-end companies tend to dominate the platform, the site has grown so much that non-designer clothes do well now also.
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Pros and Cons of Poshmark
Pros
It’s Free: Poshmark is free to buyers. However, if you are selling on the app they will take a flat commission of $2.95 on anything that is $15 and under. On on anything over $15, they will take a 20% commission. Poshmark fees are higher than some selling apps out there.
When it comes to selling fees, selling on Poshmark vs Mercari, Poshmark is more expensive.
There is no limit on the number of products a seller may post. It’s as easy as taking a picture, transferring it to the app, and writing a brief description.
Smooth Shipment Process: By exclusively using USPS Priority Mail, Poshmark makes the shipping process easy for sellers. Plus most packages have a standard shipping cost for the seller of $7.95.
The shipping label for mailing is provided by Poshmark, and Priority Mail boxes may be ordered for free on the USPS website. It is easy to ship with usps priority mail.
Poshmark Platform Is A Social Platform: Similar to Instagram, Poshmark users may engage with listings by liking and commenting on them.
You don’t only promote your own listings, but also those of other merchants, building a network of sellers who help and don’t hinder one another.
Poshmark also enables merchants to create real-time online events to boost sales. Poshmark hosts these “Posh parties.” They hose live virtual parties where you can meet up with shoppers.
Social Media Integration: The Poshmark app has tools that make it easy to share your clothing collection or listings on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms.
You may quickly and easily boost your sales with just a single mouse click. If you have a website, you can embed a widget directly for easy sharing.
The social media integration that Poshmark offers is very helpful for selling your items.
Easy Payments and Withdrawals: Poshmark instantly processes your money after a sale is made.
After three days, Poshmark instantly accepts the sale and you may withdraw your funds without waiting weeks for payment from the buyer.
When it comes to getting paid quickly for selling online, in the Poshmark vs mercari battle, Poshmark is a clear winner.
Returns: In general there are no returns so a sale is final regardless of whether or not the customer is satisfied with the product. In most cases, there are no problems because the buyer is aware of the “no returns” before making a purchase.
A customer may initiate a case to demand a refund, although such instances are uncommon. You would have to prove the item was damaged, misrepresented, not authentic or you got the wrong item.
A member of the Poshmark team will usually handle any issues that arise.
Poshmark Ambassador Options: Poshmark has an “Ambassador” program in which, if you achieve certain requirements, you will get extra benefits. Your collection will be featured on the site and shown to new users, resulting in increased traffic to your store and more sales.
Cons
Higher Priced Products: Originally Poshmark was more geared towards the selling and purchasing of designer labels, which kind of niched down the site. It can mean higher priced items which might turn some buyers away.
However, it has however grown beyond that now and more mid level clothing is sold on the site. But, when it comes to selling on Poshmark vs Mercari, Poshmark is more for clothing.
High Commission Rates: When you make a sale on Poshmark, you’ll have to pay a commission like any selling site.
Poshmark takes a fixed charge of $2.95 on sales under $15, and 20% from purchases over $15 (you keep the other 80%).
Twenty percent may seem like a lot, but the advantage of Poshmark is you are getting your items in front of a large audience of potential buyers.
Costly Delivery Fees: Shipping costs are covered by the purchaser on Poshmark. Shipping fees are $7.11 for all products, which may prevent customers from making smaller purchases like jewelry or cheaper items.
Minimal Customer Support Options: Email is the only method of contacting customer service, and waiting for a reply might take up to two days.
Sellers expressed frustration about receiving template emails that don’t address their specific needs. If you need your disagreement or issue settled fast, this can be a downside.
Time-Consuming Processes: The lengthy processes of liking, sharing, following, and unfollowing on Poshmark are common causes of user dissatisfaction.
The social features of the community are helpful for business, but they come at a price. Many Poshmark merchants have used automation tools since it has gotten too tedious to manually maintain their wardrobes.
When it comes to Mercari or Poshmark for selling, Mercari is a bit less time consuming.
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About Mercari
Mercari was started in 2013 for buying and selling online. Originally established in Tokyo, Mercari now also has locations in the United Kingdom and the US.
With over 32 million downloads, the app’s popularity is clearly on the rise. Unlike Poshmark, Mercari doesn’t just sell clothes and accessories.
It’s more akin to a virtual flea market or eBay. Mercari’s item criteria are significantly more flexible than those of Poshmark, making it a better choice for sellers who have more than only clothing to offer.
As stated in their terms of service, Mercari allows the sale of anything that can be shipped (except of course for anything illegal like drugs or guns.)
Obviously, you won’t earn any sales if the products you offer aren’t in satisfactory shape for your customers.
Mercari might be the answer if you’re a vendor trying to sell more than just clothing and accessories. If you have exercise equipment, home decor items, really anything to sell then Mercari is a better option for you than Poshmark.
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Pros and Cons of Selling on Mercari
Pros
Lower Commissions: The online marketplace, like Poshmark, does not charge users anything to download or list items for sale. However, it does charge a commission on the sale of your items.
The commission for selling online with Mercari is 10% of the sale, so half the price of selling on Poshmark.
More Product Options Available: Unlike Poshmark, Mercari is not just for selling clothing. There is a wide range of categories so you can make some money off of just about anything you own, provided it can be shipped.
Less Expensive: Putting things at a lower price range gives you the possibility of attracting customers who aren’t necessarily interested in high-end brands or designers.
Products Promotions: One unique thing about Mercari is the fact that you can send special offers to someone who you know has liked your listing.
And, you can publicly advertise a deal, which returns your listing to the top of searches and gets you more visibility.
Seamless Listing Processes: The app makes listing items for sale much less time-consuming and more convenient for sellers.
Whether you choose different display formats for your images, you can now upload up to 12 in a single upload without having to do it individually. And within the app you can make adjustments to make your pictures look better.
Cons
Poor User Interface: Some users have complained that the app is more complicated to use than it needs to be. One major downside is that when you search for items for sale, it actually shows both things that have already sold and available products. Which is pretty pointless and frustrating for buyers!
Shipping Fees: Unlike Poshmark, Mercari doesn’t include discounted shipping to the seller or make it easy for it to be free.
The seller has to either pay the shipping costs themselves or charge the buyer. If you offer free shipping, it will take a lot from your profits.
Inconvenient Payout Process: One major downside to Mercari is the length of time you have to wait to get your payment. You won’t get paid until the buyer reviews and approves your shipment.
These might indicate a few days or perhaps a week before you see money in your account.
Once the money is deposited, there is a 5-day waiting period before it may be withdrawn, or you can pay a $2 charge to have them withdrawn immediately.
No Sharing Functionality: There is no way to promote your listing once it has been added to the site, so it will likely get buried among the other millions of products for sale there.
Dropping the price or offering a special promotion is the only method to push your product to the top of search results.
Minimal customer support options: Similar to Poshmark, Mercari solely offers email-based customer service.
However, consumers feel that Mercari responds to emails far more quickly than Poshmark does (often within one working day).
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Mercari vs. Poshmark: Which is Better for Selling?
Available Products
Both Poshmark and Mercari are popular applications with many users, although they specialize in distinct categories of merchandise.
When it comes to choosing Mercari or Poshmark for selling, it may depend on what items you are selling.
What Items Can You Sell on Poshmark?
Poshmark is the epicenter of the fashion industry, so you can be sure that your target market is interested in apparel and accessories.
Fashionable items such as handbags, shoes, and clothing from renowned designers are available here.
If you try to sell non-clothing things, such as furniture or electronics, the app will actually remove your listing. But Poshmark is ideal for selling designer clothes.
What Items Can You Sell on Mercari?
Mercari is not the place to try to make a killing off of high-end merchandise. Most sellers are more concerned with clearing out old, unused stuff.
Since Mercari offers a wide variety of goods, it’s difficult to predict what customers will be searching for.
Since Mercari features a diverse array of products, you won’t have to worry about breaking any rules however by selling non-clothing items like decor, gadgets, or antiques.
Between the two selling platforms, when it comes to inventories, there is no frontrunner, it depends on the product you intend to sell.
Poshmark is the best option if you have a lot of high-end pieces in your wardrobe and you know people will want to buy them.
Selling a wide variety of items? Mercari is the best place to do it.
Payment Options
Nobody likes waiting around for payments or having problems with processing.
So, for convenient and easy-to-use selling, both Poshmark and Mercari have added top-notch interfaces with widely-used payment methods on their respective websites.
All major credit cards are accepted on both Poshmark and Mercari. Mastercard, Visa, Discover, JCB, and AmEx are just some of the cards accepted here.
Payment options also include Venmo, PayPal, Affirm, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.
However, as discussed, when it comes to Poshmark vs. Mercari, Mercari is much slower to get your payment to you. Poshmark which is the clear winner when it comes to getting paid.
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Social Interaction and Community
With the help of its Poshmark Ambassadors, Poshmark has created a vibrant community around its online shopping platform.
Rather than just trading goods, the emphasis is on the process of selling as a team.
On the other side, Mercari is more of a generic online marketplace where buyers and sellers meet but don’t engage in many conversations.
Unlike Poshmark, the Mercari community isn’t very fashion-focused, so you’ll have an easier time selling an iPhone there than a rare vintage dress.
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Poshmark vs. Mercari Selling Fees
Although their pricing systems are different, both Mercari and Poshmark charge a commission on every sale made by vendors.
Both Mercari and Poshmark are free to join and list products, however, there are additional rates and transaction costs to consider when choosing between the two.
They both charge fees that are proportional to the item’s final selling price. However, when comparing Poshmark vs Mercari, Mercari takes a lower percentage.
Mercari Selling Fees
Mercari takes a 10% commission off anything you sell, no matter what the price..
There is a $2 minimum charge for withdrawals and an additional $2 if you want your funds expedited.
Compared to other platforms, Mercari’s commission rates are far lower and more beneficial to small businesses.
Poshmark Selling Fees
For sales under $15, Poshmark takes a flat $2.95 fee. Sales of those priced higher will result in a 20% commission fee.
In addition, there are no charges associated with making a withdrawal.
Poshmark also has great prices, so don’t think they’re cheating anyone.
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Selling on Poshmark vs Mercari: Listing Process
It’s easy to list products on Mercari and Poshmark. In terms of usability, both listing procedures are straightforward to grasp. And both offer selling apps easy to use.
Unlike on Poshmark, Mercari product listings need a little more detail. All listings are almost identical except for one extra field for delivery details.
Poshmark restricts users to uploading 8 square pictures per listing.
You may upload up to 12 pictures to Mercari.
While Poshmark permits 50 characters in the title, Mercari only allows 40. Poshmark’s description section is significantly shorter.
It’s worth noting that if you want to list on both Poshmark and Mercari, you can use a cross listing app to automatically post to each platform.
Poshmark and Mercari are each compatible with such tools and it could save you a lot of time (especially when listing lots of individual items).
Shipping Costs: MErcari or Poshmark
It’s not hard to ship items on either Poshmark or Mercari.
Poshmark Shipment Costs
Poshmark’s purchasers pay a set fee of $7.49 for shipping unless you, the seller are giving a discount rate.
The nice thing about this is it is a set rate that works for just about anything you sell as long as it is under 5 lbs.
Poshmark only offers US postal mail as an option however, but you can easily print the prepaid shipping label out from what they provide. This makes for easy shipping.
So shipping on Poshmark vs. Mercari is cheaper in most cases.
Mercari Shipment Costs
The sellers on Mercari are in charge of organizing the shipping. Shipping can be a little more of a hassle if you’ve been selling on Poshmark for a while and decide to start selling on Mercari as well.
Mercari requires you to include shipping information with every listing. You’ll need to know the size and weight of every product before submitting a listing here.
You have the option of including free delivery in your Mercari listing, but then that means you are on the hook for the full price. In contrast, you can pass that charge to the buyer which they may not like.
On Mercari, merchants may choose between the United States Postal Service, United Parcel Service, and Federal Express as shipping options.
Referral Program
You may earn $5 when the person you referred makes their first purchase on Poshmark.
However, if your referral makes a purchase on Mercari, you will receive $10. And if your referral makes a sale of $100 or more, you’ll receive $40.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mercari or Poshmark Take More Fees?
Mercari takes less fees for selling since they charge a 10% commission on anything you sell.
Poshmark on the other hand takes 20% of anything you sell that is priced over $15. If it is under $15, then they take a flat fee of $2.95. So,
Mercari fees for selling are lower.
What is the Downside to Poshmark?
The main disadvantage of Poshmark is that it is only really geared towards selling clothing. If you have a non-clothing or accessories item to sell, you won’t be able to do so on Poshmark.
The other main downside is that their selling fee commission is pretty high. Also, the app requires a lot of interaction from you as far as sharing your listings etc.
What is the Downside to Selling on Mercari?
The biggest downside to Mercari in the Mercari vs. Poshmark battle is that it has a smaller amount of users and potential customers compared to Poshmark.
In addition, there tend to be a lot of low ball offers sent on Mercari.
IS Mercari or Poshmark Better?
If you are a buyer, you should check them both out. You might be able to find better deals on Mercari. But better high end products on Poshmark.
If you are seller, it depends on which of the pros and cons we’ve listed matter to you most!
Is it Better to Sell on Poshmark or Mercari?
Choosing between Poshmark and Mercari is a tough one.
Each app has its advantages and disadvantages when it comes to buying and selling transactions.
Ultimately, it’s up to you, the seller, to decide which of these options best suits your needs. And, of course, you can choose to list on both!
Either way, if you’re looking to make a purchase, it’s in your best interest to explore both options.
Originally published 8/2023
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