Key Points:
- eBay and Mercari are two of the most popular eCommerce selling platforms, with combined users of about 200 million
- eBay charges its sellers fees, whereas Mercari doesn't charge any listing fees for items, but keeps 10% of each sale a merchant makes
- Mercari is a better option for small businesses due to having easy and free listings
Finding the perfect online marketplace for your business should be of utmost importance if you want to make more money by selling your items online.
eBay and Mercari are two of the most popular eCommerce selling platforms, with combined users of about 200 million. However, you can't simply go for either of these platforms because of their popularity. Instead, you need to understand which is best suited for your business by knowing the differences between Mercari vs. eBay, their benefits, and how you can sell on both platforms.
We’ll cover everything you need to know about eBay vs. Mercari so that you can decide what works best for your eCommerce business.
Table of Contents
What's the Difference Between Selling on Mercari vs. eBay?
Mercari and eBay are both popular eCommerce selling platforms for buyers and sellers. However, both platforms have their differences. But, first, let's examine the similar features between the two platforms:
- Merchants can list and sell pretty much anything on eBay and Mercari. Both platforms provide an online marketplace where people from all over the world can sell, buy, and trade
- eBay and Mercari are available on mobile devices, allowing you to reach a more extensive customer base
- Both platforms have low seller fees. The seller fee is what the website charges you to sell your items
Next, let's dive into the comparison between the two platforms to help you decide which one is best for your eCommerce business.
- Ease of use: Mercari is easier to list because there aren't many required fields to fill out. The platform is also easier to set up your account to start selling. However, eBay requires more time to list products before you start selling and requires more steps to get your store up and running
- Location availability: Mercari is limited to the United States and Japan. However, eBay is available worldwide in over 100+ countries
- Platform fees: Mercari doesn't charge any listing fees for items, but Mercari keeps 10% of each sale a merchant makes. Alternatively, eBay allows up to 250 listings for free and then charges $0.35 per listing plus a 12-14% selling fee depending on the item
- Customer base: Mercari has over 15 million users worldwide. On the other hand, eBay has over 182 million users worldwide
- Customer service: Mercari has a help center on their website, but there is no phone service to reach a customer service agent. Alternatively, eBay offers a help center and a phone number to reach the eBay customer service team
- Returns: All sales are final with Mercari; however, you may be eligible for returns if your item was misrepresented. On the other hand, eBay buyers can return an item on eBay for any reason, but they must ask the merchant if they will accept the return first
Now that we have compared eBay vs. Mercari, you can decide which one is better depending on your needs.
Mercari Fees vs. eBay
Before choosing between Mercari fees vs. eBay, you’ll want to examine the different charges each platform implements. In this section, we’ll go over the specific costs of setting up your online store, so you start selling in no time.
Selling on Mercari Fees
Mercari does not charge you for listing a product on their website for sale. Instead, it charges you when the item is sold. On every sale made by merchants on the site, Mercari charges a minimum of 10% of the item price.
Also, Mercari incurs fees related to payment processing. It charges sellers a rate of 2.9% + $0.30 for every payment received from the buyer. The payment processing fee is charged based on the price of the goods for a completed sale, and it is applied to every kind of payment gotten from the buyer.
Your earnings on the website are calculated as follows:
The listing price minus [the selling fees + payment processing fees + shipping fees (if you offer free shipping)].
Selling on eBay Fees
eBay charges its sellers two kinds of fees - an insertion or listing fee and a final value fee after the item is purchased.
Every month, every seller can set up 250 listings for free. However, after the zero insertion fee allowances are used up, you'll be charged $0.35 for every additional listing. The insertion fee is non-refundable even if your item isn't sold. And the costs are charged per listing and per category.
In addition, eBay charges a final value fee whenever someone buys your item. Different items have varying final value fee percentages depending on the item category. For example, in most categories like music, motor parts and accessories, and automotive tools, the final value fee is 12.55% on the total amount of the sale up to $750 calculated per item.
You can refer to the eBay customer service page for more categories.
Shipping with Mercari
After you have made a sale on Mercari, what happens next? The sold item needs to get to the buyer. You can ship your items to your buyers on Mercari using one of their shipping options.
Mercari partners with shipping companies like USPS and FedEx to provide affordable and fixed shipping costs. However, you should know that whichever shipping option you choose will affect your earnings.
Mercari allows you to ship in one of three ways:
- Mercari Prepaid: This method delivers to all 50 states using Flat Rate shipping from USPS, FedEx, and UPS. Packages are limited to 150 pounds with a maximum length of 45" and a maximum width of 20"
- Mercari Pack & Ship: This method is a great way to ship large, bulky, or fragile items. With Mercari Pack and Ship, you'll be emailed a UPS shipping code after the sale. All you need to do is take this shipping code to the nearest UPS Store. The UPS Store associate uses the code to package and ship the product on your behalf
- Your shipping: The benefit of this is accessing cheaper shipping rates than what's offered by Mercari. Access the most affordable rates by using Easyship to power your shipping. You'll get access to discounted shipping rates on 250+ couriers with our free shipping rates calculator
Choosing the perfect shipping option depends on your business needs. Alternatively, Easyship's high-volume discounts can help you scale your business in no time.
Related post: How to Ace Mercari Shipping
Shipping with eBay
Unlike Mercari, eBay isn't limited to domestic shipping. Sellers can ship items to over 100 countries. However, you will need to plan appropriately to get the cheapest shipping rate.
When shipping with eBay, there are factors you need to consider:
- Shipping carriers
- Shipping weight
- Package sizes
- Selective shipping rules (i.e., shipping to specific locations)
You can also decide whether you want to sell your items to international clients or not. That way, you can choose the shipping courier that works best for your eCommerce business.
In addition, eBay allows sellers to charge set shipping rates for their products. However, you can regulate the rates depending on your choice or similar to your competitors' listing.
Related post: How to Ship on eBay for Cheap
Mercari vs. eBay with Easyship
Deciding eBay vs. Mercari largely depends on the size of your eCommerce business. That is, whether you own a large eCommerce business where you sell over 100 items every month, or you are a small-scale seller who sells less than 100 items per month.
For small business owners, Mercari is an excellent option to consider for many reasons:
- Easy and free listings: Unlike eBay, which asks you to pay after using your free listings, Mercari listings are free. Plus, it is easy to list on the platform, whether you are a new or experienced online trader
- Seller fee of 10%: Mercari has a fixed seller fee rate of 10% of your item price, while eBay'seBay's seller fee varies depending on the category
On the other hand, a prominent merchant might prefer eBay to Mercari because of its large customer base. Having a large audience ensures that your products get sold out.
Easyship provides merchants with tons of shipping features that help to simplify shipping processes. A few of these features are:
- Easyship Shipping Rates Calculator: Access high-volume discounts from major couriers. Plus, get instant access to delivery lead times from premium shipping couriers
- Easyship Branding Suite: Easyship provides a delivery experience consistent with your brand. Add your logo and advertising materials to your packing slips, landing pages, and tracking emails
- All-One-Dashboard: Manage all your orders and create shipments in one place. Plus, upload CSVs or sync directly from your eCommerce store
Ready to ship? Sign up for a FREE Easyship account and get instant access to high-volume discounts for major courier services
eBay vs. Mercari FAQ
Is Mercari or eBay better?
Deciding which selling platform is the best depends on the items you sell, the startup prices, and the demographic audience.
Is Mercari safer than eBay?
Both eCommerce platforms are legitimate and reliable.
Why is Mercari so cheap?
Mercari charges only a 10% commission on the item price and has zero listing fees. This fact is why they are cheaper than eBay.
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