Comparing Mercari Selling Fee vs eBay Charges

Understanding Platform Fees

When comparing selling fees on Mercari vs eBay, it's important to consider the fee structures of each platform and how they can impact your overall profitability. Below, we break down the fee structures of Mercari and eBay to help you understand where you can maximize your profits.

Mercari’s Fee Structure

Mercari’s fee structure is straightforward. As of March 27, 2024, Mercari has no selling fees for listings created after this date (Vendoo). For older listings, a 10% selling fee applies upon sale. While Mercari does not take a cut from sales made from new listings, there are other fees sellers need to be aware of:

• Payment Processing Fee: 2.9% + $0.50 per sale.
• Other Fees: Balance withdrawal fees, shipping and delivery fees, and cancellation fees, among others.

For a more detailed look at the differences between selling on Mercari vs eBay, you can check out our in-depth guide.

eBay’s Fee Structure

eBay's fee structure is more complex compared to Mercari. Below are some of the key fees associated with selling on eBay:

• Final Value Fee: 13.25% plus a $0.30 fee for most clothing categories (Vendoo).
• Insertion Fee: $0.35 per additional listing after surpassing the monthly allocation of 250 free listings.
• Other Fees: Promoted listing fees, dispute fees, international selling fees, store subscription fees, and more (LitCommerce).

For further insights into eBay fees and how they stack up against other platforms, visit our articles on selling on eBay vs Poshmark and selling on eBay vs Facebook Marketplace.

Understanding the fee structures of both Mercari and eBay can help you make informed decisions on where to list your items for sale. This knowledge is essential for maximizing your profits and ensuring a successful selling experience.

Promotional Tools Comparison

When considering the promotional tools provided by Mercari and eBay, it's important to understand how each platform can help you increase the visibility and sales of your listings. This comparison will help you decide which platform's promotional tools align best with your selling strategy.

Mercari's Promotional Tools

Mercari offers a set of promotional tools designed to help you boost your listings' visibility.

• Promotions: This tool allows you to run limited-time discounts on your listings, making them more attractive to buyers.

• Offer to Likers: You can send special offers to users who have liked your listings, encouraging a purchase.

These tools are relatively straightforward but may be more limited compared to what other platforms, like eBay, offer. For a more detailed comparison of selling on Mercari vs eBay, check out our selling on mercari vs ebay guide.

eBay's Promotional Tools

eBay offers a wide array of promotional tools, which can help you to significantly increase your listings' visibility and sales.

• Promoted Listings: Boost your items to the top of search results, making them more visible to potential buyers.

• Coupons: eBay allows you to create customized discount coupons for your buyers. This can be an effective way to incentivize purchases and build customer loyalty.

• Promotions Manager: This versatile tool allows you to run various types of promotions such as order discounts (buy one, get one), category discounts, and shipping discounts.

For those interested in enhancing their marketing strategies, eBay’s diverse set of promotional tools may provide more opportunities to increase sales. To dive deeper into how eBay compares to other platforms, consider reading about selling on ebay vs poshmark and selling on ebay vs facebook marketplace.

Fee Changes and Impact

Examining the evolving fee structures and their impacts is crucial for sellers choosing between platforms. Here, we compare the recent changes in fees on Mercari and eBay.

Mercari Fee Evolution

Over the years, Mercari's fee structure has undergone significant changes. Initially, Mercari dropped fees from sellers and shifted them to buyers at a lower rate. This resulted in no noticeable change in the number of buyers. On January 6th, 2025, Mercari changed their fee structure again, now charging sellers 10% and buyers a fee of 3.25 percent (eBay Community).

The impact of these changes has been mixed. Some sellers have faced challenges maintaining sales due to the fee structure and buyer expectations for lower prices. Here is a summary of Mercari's fee structure before and after the changes:

eBay Performance Amidst Changes

Despite the fee changes on Mercari and other platforms, eBay has maintained a relatively stable fee structure. While eBay has also made adjustments to its fees over time, it continues to outperform other platforms in terms of sales for many sellers.

eBay's fee structure typically includes:

• Insertion Fees: Charged when you list an item.
• Final Value Fees: A percentage of the total sale amount, including shipping.

The consistency in eBay's fee structure, coupled with its large user base, makes it a reliable platform for many sellers compared to selling on Mercari vs eBay and selling on poshmark vs ebay.

For more insights, check out our articles on selling on ebay vs poshmark and selling on ebay vs facebook marketplace.

Detailed Fee Analysis

Mercari Fee Breakdown

Mercari offers a straightforward fee structure that is appealing to many sellers. As of listings created after March 27, 2024, Mercari charges a 0% selling fee, which can significantly benefit sellers looking to maximize their profits. However, there remains a payment processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.50 per sale (LitCommerce).

Mercari's lack of listing fees simplifies the selling process, making it an attractive option when selling on Mercari vs eBay.

eBay Fee Breakdown

eBay's fee structure is more complex in comparison. It includes multiple types of fees such as insertion fees, final value fees, and additional fees for underperforming accounts. Here's a detailed breakdown:

• Insertion Fee: $0.35 per listing after the first 250 free listings each month.
• Final Value Fee: Typically 13.25% plus $0.30 for most categories, but it can range from 13.25% to 15% depending on the item category and your account performance (Vendoo, LitCommerce).
• Additional Final Value Fee: For accounts that do not meet performance standards, additional final value fees may apply.

This detailed analysis of both Mercari and eBay fee structures highlights the nuances and costs that sellers must consider. For more insights and comparisons, check out selling on Mercari vs eBay and other related articles like selling on eBay vs Poshmark.

Ease of Use and Listing Process

Mercari Listing Experience

Listing items on Mercari is known for being quick, user-friendly, and straightforward. Mercari does not charge for listing items, which makes it an attractive option for many sellers. Sellers can create an unlimited number of listings without worrying about extra costs before a sale.

Mercari's listing process comprises a few simple steps and requires minimal effort:

1. Upload Photos: You can add up to 12 photos per listing.
2. Enter Description: Provide a title, description, and category for your item.
3. Set Price: Choose the price and shipping options.
4. Publish: Once you've filled out the details, you can publish your item instantly.

Mercari’s simple and hassle-free approach appeals to sellers who want to list items quickly and efficiently. For more on how Mercari compares to other platforms, see our article on selling on mercari vs ebay.

eBay Listing Experience

eBay offers a more elaborate listing process, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage depending on your needs. While eBay provides greater flexibility and customization options, it requires filling out numerous fields, which can be time-consuming (SellerAider).

eBay's listing process includes the following steps:

1. Upload Photos and Video: You can add up to 24 images and one video per listing.
2. Complete Details: Provide an extensive title, detailed description, item specifics, and choose a category.
3. Set Price and Format: Opt between auction or fixed price, and set your desired price.
4. Shipping and Payment: Choose shipping options and specify your preferred payment methods.
5. Review and Publish: Double-check the listing details and publish your item.

eBay offers 250 free listings per month, but charges $0.35 per listing after surpassing this limit. This fee structure can contribute to the complexity and potential cost of selling multiple items.

To explore how eBay compares with other platforms in terms of ease of use and cost-effectiveness, check out our articles on selling on ebay vs poshmark and selling on ebay vs facebook marketplace.

Choosing the best platform depends on your preferences for ease of use and how many items you plan to list. Each platform offers different advantages, so consider what works best for your selling strategy.

Return Policies Comparison

In the world of online selling, return policies can significantly impact your decision-making process. Here's a detailed comparison of Mercari and eBay return policies to help you make an informed choice.

Mercari Return Policies

Mercari maintains a strict return policy that prioritizes buyer satisfaction while ensuring sellers have a clear understanding of the process. Buyers have a 3-day window to accept the purchase and request a return if needed. Once a return request is submitted, sellers have 24 hours to review the request (SellerAider).

Mercari's stringent timeline ensures that issues are addressed quickly, but it also requires sellers to be prompt in addressing return requests.

eBay Return Policies

eBay offers a more flexible approach to returns, placing the responsibility on sellers to set their own return policy within eBay’s Buyer Protection guidelines. This allows sellers to customize their return policies based on what they feel is best for their business (SellerAider).

This approach can be beneficial if you prefer to have more control over your return policies. However, it requires careful consideration to balance buyer satisfaction with your business needs.

For more detailed insights on the nuances of selling on different platforms, refer to our related articles on selling on mercari vs ebay and selling on poshmark vs ebay.