Mercari seller fees explained
Mercari's fee structure is the simplest of the big US marketplaces: a flat 10% selling fee, calculated on the item price plus whatever the buyer paid for shipping. There is no listing fee and, since January 2025, no separate payment processing fee for sellers.
Buyers see a 3.6% Buyer Protection fee added at checkout. It is paid by the buyer, not deducted from you, but it does make your listing look more expensive to shoppers comparing prices across apps.
Every Mercari fee in 2026
| Fee | Amount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Selling fee | 10% | Of item price + buyer-paid shipping. |
| Payment processing | $0 | Removed for sellers in January 2025 (was 2.9% + $0.50). |
| Listing fee | $0 | |
| Buyer Protection fee | 3.6%, paid by the buyer | Added at checkout. Does not reduce your payout. |
| Direct deposit | Free | |
| Instant Pay | About $2 per transfer | Optional. Mercari has moved this fee between $2 and $3. |
Source: Mercari's own fee documentation. See our methodology for how and when we verify.
Worked examples
United States seller, default category and options, free shipping. These are the fees; subtract what the item cost you to get profit.
| Sale price | Selling fee | Total fees | Fees % | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $1.00 | $1.00 | 10% | $9.00 |
| $25.00 | $2.50 | $2.50 | 10% | $22.50 |
| $50.00 | $5.00 | $5.00 | 10% | $45.00 |
| $100.00 | $10.00 | $10.00 | 10% | $90.00 |
| $500.00 | $50.00 | $50.00 | 10% | $450.00 |
Notice how the effective rate falls as the price rises on platforms with fixed fees, and stays flat on pure-percentage platforms. That is the whole story of which marketplace suits cheap versus expensive items.
What changed recently
- Mercari reinstated a 10% selling fee and removed the 2.9% + $0.50 seller payment processing fee. Buyer-side fees were restructured into a Buyer Protection fee.
- Mercari briefly dropped all seller fees to 0% and charged buyers a service fee instead. The experiment lasted under a year.
All platforms: fee change log.
How to pay less on Mercari
- Because the 10% applies to buyer-paid shipping, offering free shipping and raising the item price by the same amount costs you the same in fees. Choose whichever converts better.
- With no fixed per-order fee, Mercari is often the cheapest place to sell items under $15, where eBay's $0.30 and Poshmark's $2.95 bite hardest.
- Skip Instant Pay. Standard direct deposit is free and arrives in a few business days.
Frequently asked questions
Does Mercari charge fees on shipping?
Yes. The 10% selling fee is charged on the item price plus any shipping the buyer paid.
Does Mercari still charge a payment processing fee?
Not to sellers. The 2.9% + $0.50 processing fee was dropped in January 2025 when the 10% selling fee returned.
How much does Mercari take from a $50 sale?
$5.00 on a $50 item with free shipping. You receive $45.00 before your own costs.
Who pays the Mercari Buyer Protection fee?
The buyer. It is 3.6% of the purchase added at checkout and does not come out of your payout.