Mercari fees in 2025: What do you really keep after every sale?

Mercari fees in 2025 aren’t as simple as they look. The fee is 10% of the total sale price, and yes, that includes buyer-paid shipping.

Payment processing fees have been completely removed, but other charges still eat into your earnings. And if you're offering free shipping, expect to lose some money.

If you’re selling on Mercari, Poshmark, eBay, Etsy, or Depop, you need to know what you’re really making. (That’s where Nifty helps you stop guessing and start tracking.)

Mercari fees breakdown in 2025

Mercari says “10 percent” like it’s the whole story. But sellers know the real cost of a sale stacks up fast, especially when shipping, penalties, and return policies creep into the picture. 

Where does that 10% start to stretch?

• It applies to the total, not just the item price: If the buyer pays $40 for the item and $6 for shipping, Mercari charges you 10% of $46. That’s confirmed in their fee explanation. Oh, and buyers pay a 3.6% “protection fee.”
  
  
• The payment fee is gone, and good riddance: Mercari no longer takes 2.9% plus $0.50 from your payout. This change went live in early 2025 (applies to all listings created or updated after Jan 6, 2025) and is noted in their updated fee structure. If there was ever a good case made for relisting, this is it. Plus, using Nifty makes this super easy!
  
  
• Shipping can quietly drain your profits: Free shipping means you’re paying out of pocket. But even if the buyer pays, that amount still counts toward your 10% fee. See the full breakdown in Mercari’s shipping policy.
  
  
• Underpay the label and they’ll penalize you: If your package is heavier or bulkier than you paid for, Mercari slaps on an 8% correction fee (and that’s 8% on the total adjusted shipping price). You’ll need to have your scale ready.
  
  
• Instant Pay isn’t free: Direct deposits cost nothing, unless they fail. Want instant cash? That’ll be $3 per payout.
  
  
• Returns sting, especially for big items: Buyers have 72 hours to file a return, and you may be covering return shipping. The worst part is you don’t usually get your seller's fee back. This return policy analysis breaks it all down, because that was a bit of a pickle for Mercari (and sellers). 

A useful note on Mercari’s 2025 fee structure update

Mercari made a big PR splash in 2024, and it wasn’t the good kind. The platform announced it was eliminating selling fees, which sounded like a dream for resellers. 

But it didn’t necessarily turn out that way: Sellers experienced fewer sales (basically, items were less affordable for buyers), and the new structure led to fewer transactions overall. 

What happened next?

• Mercari kicked off the new year with a new structure: Ahead of 2025, Mercari announced that seller fees would be brought back – 10%.
  
  
• Payment fees are gone, but only for sellers: Mercari no longer charges the 2.9% plus $0.50 processing fee that used to come out of each transaction. That means sellers keep slightly more, but buyers still pay a 3.6% protection fee.
  
  
• Direct deposit is now free unless it fails: Standard payouts via direct deposit no longer carry fees. However, if the transaction fails, sellers are hit with a $2 penalty. It's a small change, though.
  
  
• Instant Pay is available, but still costs $3 per use: You can get your earnings within minutes, but the price is the same as it was before, so keep that in mind.
  
  
• Fees are not refunded when sales fall through: If a buyer cancels or returns the item, Mercari may keep the 10 percent fee. 

Real examples: How much does Mercari take from a sale?

“Mercari fees” doesn’t sound scary until you see how much is gone by the time your payout lands. Shipping, timing, and listing price all affect how much you actually earn.

Let’s break it down with some real-world math:

• Selling a $20 T-shirt with $5 buyer-paid shipping: Mercari calculates the 10% fee on the full $25. You lose $2.50 and keep $22.50.
  
  
• Selling $60 boots with free shipping: Mercari charges 10% of $60, so your fee is $6. You’re left with $54 before subtracting your shipping cost, which could easily knock that down to the low 40s depending on label weight.
  
  
• Selling $120 electronics with $10 shipping charged to the buyer: Mercari takes 10% of $130. That’s $13 gone, leaving you with $117 before any extras like Instant Pay fees.
  
  
• Using Instant Pay? Subtract $3 from your total: The $3 flat fee applies no matter what you sold. Using Instant Pay on a $20 sale stings a lot more than using it on a $120 sale.
  
  
• Waiting for standard payout? You’ll need patience: Mercari releases funds 3 days after the buyer confirms delivery or after the auto-rating period ends. Either way, this delay affects your cash flow if you sell often.

Side-by-side of Mercari, eBay, Poshmark, and Depop: fees, support, and tools

Choosing a resale platform can go way beyond the fees. You’ll need to pay attention to shipping rules, how returns are handled, what tools you get, and who’s actually buying. Here’s how Mercari stacks up against the rest.

Let’s break down who wins where:

• Mercari is a solid middle-of-the-pack choice: You pay a 10% seller fee, which includes shipping if the buyer pays. Shipping options are flexible, but the seller tools are pretty basic. If you want simplicity, it’s a great starter platform, though.
  
  
• eBay charges more, but gives you everything: Expect 12–15% in fees plus listing costs, especially if you sell at high volume. But the tool set is powerful, the shipping options are endless, and experienced resellers love the flexibility. It’s great for people who treat reselling like a full-time business.
  
  
• Poshmark takes 20% or a flat $2.95: It’s expensive unless you’re selling low-cost fashion. But if you’re in the clothing niche, the community, the reputation, and social features are pretty much the best there is out there.
  
  
• Depop charges no platform fees: Since July 2024, Depop sellers don’t pay the platform any seller fees (in the U.S. and U.K.). However, there’s a 3.3% plus 45-cent payment processing fee in the U.S. It’s still the best place to move trendy vintage pieces to a Gen-Z audience.
  
  Let’s show, not tell: 

The problem with tracking fees across platforms

Selling on one marketplace is easy. Selling on three or four can stretch your patience thin. Each platform plays by its own rules, its own payout logic, and its own way of hiding what you actually earned. Most sellers end up guessing more than they track. 

Here’s why resellers keep losing margin without realizing it:

• Every platform plays by different rules: Mercari includes shipping in your fee. eBay lets you collect shipping funds from the buyer, but you’ll have to turn around and buy a label yourself. Poshmark keeps 20%. Good luck keeping that straight without a 20-hour dive into Google Spreadsheets.
  
  
• Shipping charges vary and confuse everything: Some platforms take fees from the shipping total, some don’t. If you’re not checking every transaction, you’re probably leaving money behind.
  
  
• Return policies hit your profit in different ways: eBay makes you wait. Poshmark decides on a case-by-case basis. Mercari lets buyers return within 72 hours, and you still lose the fee. There’s no consistency, and that kills your margin tracking.
  
  
• Payout timing changes your whole cash flow: Mercari waits for buyer ratings. eBay releases on delivery. Instant Pay costs you.
  
  
• Manual tracking is a full-time job: Most sellers use notes apps, spreadsheets, or their memory. That works fine for three sales a week. It falls apart once you’re moving dozens of items across four or five marketplaces.

Need a cheat code? Nifty can absolutely help with all of these problems.

How Nifty helps you track profit and fees automatically

You can try to track fees manually. Or you can use Nifty and stop wondering where your profit went. It’s the easiest way to see what you’re actually earning across Mercari, eBay, Poshmark, Depop, and Etsy. 

Here’s how Nifty turns reselling into a business:

• See all your earnings in one place: Nifty’s unified hub shows your true profit per item, not just the sale price. It calculates shipping and marketplace fees, and pulls in your COGS so you know what you really make without having to take a math course.
  
  
• List everywhere, but skip the mess: Crosslist to Mercari, Poshmark, eBay, Depop, and Etsy with just a few clicks. When something sells, Nifty detects the sale and auto-delists it from the other platforms, so you never double-sell or get stuck apologizing to buyers.
  
  
• Price smarter, not harder: Nifty helps you find the most profitable platform for each item. You can bulk-edit pricing across multiple marketplaces, adjust margins, and stay competitive without logging into five different tabs.
  
  
• Bulk tools keep your store fresh: Relist old stock, drop prices, share, and offer in real time. You don’t need to stare at your inventory anymore. Nifty is cloud-based, so you can live your life.
  
  
• Analytics make you better: Instead of guessing what’s working, you get a real-time look at your top sellers, underperformers, and net profits. If you’re a part-time reseller who’s looking to scale, this is the secret sauce. 

Bottom line: Are Mercari fees worth it? 

Mercari fees seem simple at first glance: 10% sounds fair. But once you factor in shipping, return policies, and delayed payouts, you may start to think twice. 

Here’s where Mercari works, and where it doesn’t:

• Great for sellers who want fast and easy: If you’re listing general items and want quick sales without so much setup, Mercari keeps things very simple.
  
  
• Mercari’s progressive listing limit is a real thing: Fresh accounts have a 100 listing limit, and you get 100 extra listings for each sale you make. In plain English, this means 200 listings after 1 sale, 300 listings after 2 sales, and on and on it goes. (Our pro tip is to start with easy-to-sell items, so you can beat these caps ASAP.)
  
  
• Sellers with narrow margins may think twice: That 10% cut includes buyer-paid shipping. If you have to cover return labels out of pocket, that may be less than ideal.
  
  
• You may want to go outside Mercari if you juggle platforms: If you’re selling on Mercari, Etsy, Poshmark, and eBay, the lack of built-in analytics or profit tracking can make Mercari harder to manage at scale unless you use an outside tool.
  
  
• Still a solid choice in the right category: For non-fashion items, Mercari often beats Poshmark’s 20% cut. It’s also more beginner-friendly than eBay if you’re not moving complex inventory.

Track what you make (without mental gymnastics)

Don’t want to guess what’s left after Mercari fees, shipping charges, and payout delays? Most platforms make it hard to see what you really keep. And juggling five tabs or downloading CSVs isn't a solution. 

Nifty gives you everything in one interface, and makes it super simple, a total AI command hub for crosslisting, automation, and analytics.

• AI listing moves: Snap a pic and let Nifty’s AI build a boss-level listing. You get SEO-friendly titles, auto-filled dropdowns, and trending hashtags without touching a keyboard.
  
  
• Crosslist now: Post across Mercari, Poshmark, eBay, Depop, and Etsy in just a few clicks. Your items show up everywhere at once.
  
  
• Automatic delisting? Handled: Sell an item on one platform, and Nifty removes it from the rest. You’ll never double-sell or get stuck messaging awkward apologies again.
  
  
• Bulk tools = no busywork: Share and relist daily, run price drops, and schedule drafts to go-live, all in the background. Your inventory stays fresh, even when you’re offline.
  
  
• Analytics and profits are real: See actual sales, profit margins, and top-performing products in one clean view. No more guessing which platform is draining your earnings.

Get started with your 7-day free trial today, and see how Nifty can make your reselling experience so much easier.

FAQs

1. How much does Mercari really take from a sale?

Mercari takes roughly 10% of the full sale, including buyer-paid shipping. This means if you sell an item for $50 with $5 shipping, Mercari takes 10% of the total $55. If you offer free shipping, that’s your cost. If you use Instant Pay, subtract another $3 from your earnings.

2. What is the Mercari service fee?

The Mercari service fee is a 10% seller fee deducted from your sales. Buyers pay an extra 3.6% for buyer protection. This dual fee structure means buyers see a higher total cost than your listing price, which might create some hesitation before they click “Buy.”

3. Is there a Mercari fee calculator I can use?

Yes, there are Mercari fee calculators available that can help you estimate your net profit from sales. For instance, this one works, but it won’t track your profits across platforms. Nifty does that automatically.

4. Are Mercari’s fees better or worse than eBay’s fees?

Mercari's fees are generally lower than eBay's fees. eBay takes about 12–15%, whereas Mercari takes 10%. However, eBay offers you more control over shipping and returns. Mercari is generally best if you like easy-to-understand flat fees (10% on sales + shipping) and beginner-friendly platform controls.

5. How do I track Mercari fees across platforms like Etsy or Depop?

You can track Mercari fees alongside other platforms with Nifty. Nifty consolidates all your selling platform data into one interface, automatically calculating fees and profits across Mercari, Etsy, Depop, and other marketplaces. So, you won’t need manual spreadsheet tracking, and you’ll have reduced calculation errors.