There’s no two ways about it: if you sell on an online platform like Mercari, you will have to pay a fee. (Technically, you’ll be paying a few different types of fees.) 

This is the price you pay (quite literally) for the ready-made stage and audience you get. 

So, before you start selling, you need to learn how much you’ll pay in fees, so that you can factor them in and price your items accordingly. In this guide, we’ll tackle the various types of Mercari fees, including the ones buyers have to pay.

Mercari fees at a glance

Keep reading for a detailed breakdown of each type of fee.

Mercari listing fees

Who pays: Traditionally, the seller, but Mercari doesn’t have any listing fees

Unlike some platforms, such as eBay and Etsy, that charge you a fee for each listing you create, Mercari charges no listing fee to sellers. This means you can create as many listings as you want. 

Have 10 different variants of a certain product? List them all! It’s free.

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Mercari selling fees

Who pays: Seller

Mercari recently revamped its fee structure on January 6, 2025. So, the current fee structure will be applied to any listings created after this date. You’ll also have to pay by the new rules if you update your old listings. 

Mercari charges a flat 10% selling fee (paid by the seller, i.e. you, obviously) on each order. The selling fee is calculated on the entire order amount + the shipping fee (which is paid by the buyer). 

Here’s an illustration of how this works:

Let’s say you’re selling an item for $100, and the shipping fee for this item is $10. The 10% selling fee will apply on a total of $100 + $10 = $110. 

10% of $110 = $11. Voila! This is how much you’ll pay as a selling fee. 

We know you don’t want to do the math every time, so use Crosslist’s Mercari fee calculator. It’s absolutely free!

Payment processing fees on Mercari

Who pays: Traditionally, the buyer, but Mercari no longer has any payment processing fees

If you’re a buyer, and you purchase an item that was listed after January 6, 2025 (or updated after that date), you won’t have to pay any payment processing fees. 

However, if you purchase an item that was listed before January 6, 2025, and if the listing hasn’t been updated after the cut-off date, you’ll have to pay a payment processing fee. 

How much will you have to pay? The fee is typically $0.50 + 2.9% of the transaction price. The 2.9% is applied on the entire cost of transaction, including the item price, shipping, sales tax, and service fee.

If you don’t want to pay this fee (who would?), avoid buying items that were listed before January 6, 2025 and haven’t been updated since. 

Withdrawal fees

Who pays: Seller

Once a sale goes through and the buyer pays, the amount will be added to your Mercari balance. And that’s where it will stay till you withdraw it into your bank account. 

There are two ways of doing this (and yes, you’ll sometimes have to pay a fee for this withdrawal):

Direct bank deposit

When you want to transfer your Mercari earnings to your bank account, this is the option you'll commonly use — so long as you aren't in a hurry. 

Depending on your bank’s typical processing time, it may take up to 5 business days for the money to reach your account. The good news is that the withdrawal fee for this method is $0. 

However, if the withdrawal fails for any reason, you'll have to pay a $2 fee. 

Instant pay

Want your money, like, yesterday? Maybe you have an urgent purchase to make, or have to pay someone back. Either way, the instant pay option gives you access to your funds immediately by sending it to your debit card. (Sometimes, it may take up to 30 minutes.) 

Each time you use instant pay to withdraw your Mercari earnings, you'll pay a $3 fee. 

You can only withdraw through instant pay once a day, for a maximum of $600 per month. You also need to complete your ID valuation to use this withdrawal method.

Shipping fees

Who pays: Buyer or seller, depending on what the seller chooses

While it’s the buyers who typically pay for the shipping, Mercari sellers can also choose to offer free shipping and eat the costs. 

No matter who pays for the shipping, sellers can reduce the cost by buying shipping labels through Mercari. The platform partners with USPS, UPS, and FedEx to give discounted rates to sellers. Mercari boasts a 54% savings when compared to retail costs. 

When you purchase a shipping label through Mercari, you get up to $200 in Shipping Protection, and $20 for First-Class Envelopes. This will protect you in case your items get damaged or lost in transit. 

Depending on the size and weight of your packages, and the shipping carrier you choose, you can expect to pay anywhere between $4.59 and $35.99 for packages that weigh up to 10 pounds. Packages that weigh 50-100 pounds incur higher costs, starting from $49.99. 

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Other shipping fees

Who pays: Seller

Your shipping fee is calculated based on the weight and size of your packages. Larger and heavier packages cost more. If your package weight exceeds the weight on the label, you’ll have to pay additional fees. These fees are paid for by the seller. 

If you ship with the wrong packaging (i.e. FedEx labels on Priority Mail boxes), Mercari will deduct any additional costs from your balance. The platform also isn’t responsible for returning your package to you, so make sure you use the correct packaging. 

If you ship any prohibited items, the shipping carrier may fine you. As the seller, you’ll be responsible for paying these fines, too. 

Cancellation and return fees

Who pays: Seller

Typically, there’s no cancellation fee, but if you have frequent cancellations as a seller, then Mercari will send you a warning. If the cancellations continue even after that, Mercari may ask you to pay a cancellation fee of 5% of the item price. This 5% fee cannot exceed $25. 

Why does this fee exist? It helps Mercari cover the cost of the transactions and shipping labels (if any), as well as other operational costs. 

If your buyer returns a package that weighs over 100 pounds, you’ll have to pay for the return shipping label as well (which typically comes out to $120).

Buyer protection fees

Who pays: Buyer

Mercari offers protection to buyers. This means if a buyer receives an item that’s damaged or not as described, Mercari will make sure the buyer gets a refund. For this service, Mercari charges a buyer protection fee of 3.6% for every order.

The 3.6% is calculated on the cost of the item + the shipping cost. If you buy a product that costs $90, with the shipping costing $10, the buyer protection fee will be applied on $90 + $10 = $100. 

This means, you’ll pay 3.6% of $100 = $3.6. 

Mercari Authenticate certificate and warranty fees

Mercari Authenticate

Who pays: Seller

If you’re selling a valuable item costing more than $100, you can get it authenticated by Mercari (by receiving a diamond badge on the listing). The fee for this is $5 per item. While this is completely optional, it helps increase buyer’s trust. 

Here are the items that are eligible for authentication:

• Jewelry

• Bags and handbags

• Wallets

• Shoes

• Eyewear

• Watches

Warranty

Who pays: Buyer

Buyers may choose to purchase a warranty for any high-value items bought from Mercari. The platform facilitates this through third-party insurance providers, so the premium will depend on the item. 

When are Mercari fees deducted?

For sellers, the fees are deducted from the sales before landing in your Mercari balance. For buyers, the fees are deducted during payment. 

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