How Mercari fees work in 2026
Last updated June 2026 · ~5 min read
Mercari has one of the simplest and lowest fee structures in resale: a flat 10% selling fee, no payment-processing charge, and free withdrawals. No listing fees, no monthly fees, no per-order surcharge. That 10% looks fantastic next to Poshmark's 20% or eBay's ~13.6% — but two details quietly raise what it really costs you. Here's exactly what comes out of each sale, the two things sellers overlook, and what you actually keep.
The whole fee structure, in one table
Most marketplaces stack a referral percentage, a payment-processing percentage and sometimes a per-order or listing fee. Since its 2025 fee overhaul, Mercari collapses all of that into a single 10% selling fee — there is no separate processing cut for sellers, and getting your money out is free.
| Fee | Amount | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Selling fee | 10% | Charged on the item price plus any buyer-paid shipping. |
| Payment processing | $0 | No separate processing percentage for sellers — it's all in the 10%. |
| Listing / monthly | $0 | No listing fee, no subscription, no per-order surcharge. |
| Withdrawal | Free | Free direct deposit to your bank. |
| Buyer protection fee | ~3.6% (buyer) | Paid by the buyer at checkout — it does not reduce your payout. |
Fees as of June 2026 (US Mercari, Jan-2025 fee structure) and can change. Planning tool, not financial advice — verify current rates in Mercari's help center.
Catch #1: the 10% is charged on shipping too, not just the item
Mercari's fee applies to the full amount the buyer pays — item price plus any shipping they're charged. So if you set a $6 shipping charge, Mercari takes 10% of that $6 as well, not just 10% of the item.
| Sale | Fee base | 10% fee |
|---|---|---|
| $40 item, free shipping (you ship) | $40 | $4.00 |
| $40 item + $6 buyer-paid shipping | $46 | $4.60 |
| $40 item + $12 buyer-paid shipping | $52 | $5.20 |
It's a small amount per sale, but it means charging the buyer for shipping isn't quite a clean pass-through — you lose 10% of whatever postage you collect. The flip side: offering "free shipping" (where you absorb the label) lowers the fee base, but you then eat the full postage yourself, which is almost always the bigger number. Either way, model the label, not just the 10%.
Catch #2: shipping is not included — that's the real comparison
This is the one that trips people up when they compare Mercari to Poshmark. Poshmark's 20% sounds twice as expensive, but Poshmark hands you a prepaid label covered by that fee. On Mercari, the postage comes out of your pocket (or the buyer's), on top of the 10%.
| $40 item, ~$6 label | Mercari (10%) | Poshmark (20%) |
|---|---|---|
| Selling fee | $4.00 | $8.00 |
| Shipping label you cover | −$6.00 | $0.00 (included) |
| Total platform + shipping cost | $10.00 | $8.00 |
On a light, cheap item the headline 10% can lose to Poshmark's 20% once you add the label you pay on Mercari. On a higher-priced item the percentage dominates and Mercari pulls comfortably ahead. So the right question is never "10% vs 20%" — it's net payout after shipping for the actual item, which is exactly what the calculators below compute.
A worked example: what you actually keep
Say you sell a $40 item that cost you $15, the buyer pays $6 shipping, and your label also costs $6:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Item price | $40.00 |
| Buyer-paid shipping | $6.00 |
| Revenue (fee base) | $46.00 |
| Mercari fee (10% of $46) | −$4.60 |
| Payout | $41.40 |
| Your shipping label | −$6.00 |
| Item cost (what you paid) | −$15.00 |
| Net profit | ≈ $20.40 (≈ 44% margin, ~97% ROI) |
Mercari's own cut here is just $4.60 — genuinely low. The line that actually shapes your take-home is the $6 label, which is bigger than the platform fee itself. That's the whole story of selling on Mercari: the fee is small and predictable, so on Mercari your shipping is usually the lever that decides your margin, not the platform.
How to keep more of each Mercari sale
- Right-size your shipping. The label is usually your biggest deduction — weigh the item and pick the cheapest service that fits, rather than defaulting to a heavier rate.
- Don't over-charge buyers for shipping. You pay 10% on whatever shipping the buyer pays, so padding the shipping charge costs you a slice of the padding — and can scare off the sale.
- Lean into higher-priced items. The flat 10% is where Mercari shines; the more expensive the item, the more the low percentage beats higher-fee apps once postage is in the mix.
- Price for the 10%. Your payout is price × 0.90 plus the buyer's shipping, so back into your list price from the profit you need — to net $20 over a $15 cost with a $6 label, you need a payout near $41, i.e. about $46 of revenue.
- Compare before you list. On a cheap, heavy item, Poshmark's included label might beat Mercari's 10%-plus-postage — run both and list where you keep more.
Run your numbers
The Mercari fee calculator applies the flat 10% automatically (on item + buyer-paid shipping) and shows your payout, net profit, margin and break-even — including your own label cost. The cross-platform comparator ranks your net payout on Mercari against Poshmark, Depop and eBay for the same item, so you can see which app actually keeps you the most:
Frequently asked questions
How much does Mercari take per sale in 2026?
A flat 10% selling fee on the item price plus any buyer-paid shipping. There's no separate payment-processing fee and withdrawals are free. On a $40 item with $6 buyer-paid shipping the fee is 10% of $46 = $4.60, leaving a $41.40 payout before your label and item costs.
Does Mercari charge sellers a payment processing fee?
No. Since the 2025 fee update, sellers pay only the flat 10% selling fee — there's no separate processing percentage — and direct-deposit withdrawals are free. That's what makes Mercari one of the simplest, cheapest fee structures in resale.
Who pays for shipping on Mercari?
Either the buyer pays shipping at checkout, or you offer free shipping and absorb the label yourself. Either way the 10% fee is calculated on the item price plus whatever shipping the buyer pays — so collecting shipping isn't a clean pass-through, and the label you cover is usually your single biggest deduction.
Is Mercari cheaper than Poshmark?
On the headline rate, yes — 10% is half of Poshmark's 20%. But Poshmark includes the prepaid shipping label in its fee while Mercari doesn't, so once you add the postage you cover on Mercari the gap narrows, and on cheap heavier items Poshmark can win. Compare your net payout after shipping, not the headline rate; our Poshmark vs Mercari vs eBay guide and the comparator do this side by side.