13 Top Tips for Buying on Mercari

While I write a lot about selling online, I love shopping online too, and one of my favorite marketplaces to shop is Mercari. Mercari has a wider variety of items both new and secondhand for sale than some other platforms like Poshmark. It also has features that are favorable to buyers. So if you're a Mercari enthusiast or you’re just getting started, take a look at these top tips to get the best finds on the platform.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive compensation when you click on a product link or purchase an item linked on this site. Click here for details.

** On Mercari, you can get $10 when you sign up with the code JENMHM. The amount may vary by promotion.

** On Poshmark, you can receive a free $10 bonus when you sign up with my code SFGIRL2015.

1 | Save searches

One of Mercari’s best features is the ability to save searches. If you are searching for something specific, enter it in the search bar and hit “save this search” on the website or the toggle at the top of the app to save it.

Mercari can send you an email and/or push notifications (depending on your settings) to let you know that your saved searches have new items. I receive an email late at the end of each day with new arrivals.

I usually don’t even wait for that email. The list of saved searches is easy to access and tap through. I pop onto my phone when I have a spare minute and look through my list of saved searches. That way if I see something that’s just listed and a great deal, I can be the first to buy it.

I currently have 19 saved searches for everything including cookbooks, beauty and skincare products, brands of clothing for children’s gifts, rare items no longer made, and things for work. I’ve found so many Christmas and birthday gifts this way, even ones for myself!

2 | Expand your search

If you’re looking for something specific, expand your search and run several searches because different things may come up in the results. People sometimes list things with incorrect information or missing information, so doing more similar searches will help you find some of them.

Use more variety of search terms
Increase search parameters (fewer filters)
Sort searches in multiple ways (lowest price and newest)

For example, if I want a pair of new Crocs, I’ll look at both the new and used listings because sometimes people have new items that they forget to label as new. Also, Crocs are unisex, so I’ll look at men’s and women’s listings in their comparable sizes.

Mercari has limited brands and sizes available when sellers list their items. I recently sold poetry books by Pierre Alex Jeanty. I wasn’t able to enter his name as the brand.

I listed dress shirts that are sized by neck size. I entered the neck size in the title and description but had to select a corresponding size (S, M, L) from the drop-down menu in the size box. I would hope a buyer would search by neck size and the standard size.

3 | Check a seller’s feedback

This is one of the easiest ways to give yourself a good chance of a successful transaction. Seller profiles are full of information:

Number of items sold
Reviews of items - you can see if they’re a high-rated seller (5 stars)
Seller verification - Mercari lets sellers verify their profile to let others know they are really who they say they are. This is done by giving your email, phone, and/or government ID.
Year the person started on Mercari
Badges - Members receive badges if they are a quick shipper, reliable, fast responder, and go-getter (met a selling goal).

My profile

4 | Negotiate the price

It’s expected to negotiate prices on Mercari. If you find something you love at a great price, go ahead and purchase it outright. But most sellers know that buyers will make an offer and set their prices accordingly.

On Mercari, you can make an offer for as low as 75% of the item’s listed price. When you click to make an offer, Mercari will give you suggestions for 10%, 15%, and 20% off. The most you can request is 25% off through this method.

If you want more of a discount, you have to message the seller to request it. The seller will then have to change the price of the item for you to purchase it.

Before making an offer, you might want to consider a few things that will make your offer more likely to be accepted.

How much the same or similar items are selling for. Search for the item and click sold to see past sales.
The condition of the item. New will be worth more than used.
The retail price of the item. The retail price doesn’t always mean that a new item will sell for close to that amount, but you can expect that for in-demand items.
How long the item has been listed. If an item shows an old listed dated like 2020 or 2021, the seller is probably more likely to accept any offer because he or she wants the item sold.

5 | Message the seller

Message a seller if you have any questions about items. Since many people selling on the site are not professional sellers, you’ll see all levels of photo qualities, product descriptions, and prices.

I’ve seen many listings that were missing information or questionable about

Whether the item is new or not. The item is listed as new with tags but the pictures don’t show a price tag.
The size of the item
The condition of the item. A listing will state what the item is with no reference to its condition or if it has any damage or wear. If I’m buying something second-hand, I want to know that it’s in good condition.
Shipping fees. I know that an item weighs less or could be sent with a cheaper shipping option. I’ll ask the seller if they can do it.
Expiration dates. I buy beauty and skincare products on Mercari because some are really expensive at retail. Items like sunscreen have an expiration date whether opened or not. I ask for the expiration date on the bottle or packaging or the batch number to look it up online myself.

You can also message a seller who declines your offer. The seller may have reasons such as that the item is price firm or will result in losing money if sold at that price.

The item may no longer be available and about to be taken down. Ask why if you really want the item.

6 | Turn on notifications

You can turn on push or email notifications for things such as

Price drops for items you’ve favorited
Offers from sellers
Direct messages from sellers
Someone you follow listed an item
Exclusive promotions from Mercari
Coupons from Mercari

I like getting push notifications for items I’ve favorited. When the seller sends me an offer or lowers the price of an item I really want, I get the notification and purchase right away.

7 | Double check shipping costs

Mercari has changed its shipping options and prices multiple times in recent years. Check Mercari’s website for the most up-to-date information on this.

Mercari recently started offering USPS Media Mail as a shipping option. Older listings may not reflect this as sellers had to choose another more expensive option. If you’re looking to buy books or other media, check that Media Mail is the shipping method.

Other than that, shipping costs for items up to 1lb via USPS are cheaper than the retail rates, but not as low as some other platforms like Facebook Marketplace. I find shipping for items over 1 lb to be expensive at over $10 no matter which carrier it used (USPS, UPS, or FedEx).

In that case, I might look to see if the item is available elsewhere online with lower shipping costs. The seller might have the item listed on Poshmark, where shipping is $7.95 for up to 5 lb.

A seller also has the option to ship on their own and enter the information into Mercari after. Some sellers will use PirateShip or another service that offers cheaper shipping. I haven’t ever asked a seller for this, but you could ask the seller if he or she would offer this.

Reverse situation

Sometimes you’ll get lucky and find the opposite - something amazing with a surprisingly low shipping cost.

For example, I once bought a weekender bag that I thought weighed over 1 lb. The seller chose the shipping for items under 1 lb, which seemed low to me in comparison to the other listings on the site. The item was well-priced, so I went ahead and purchased it.

A few things could have happened:

USPS could have returned the item to the seller, not enough postage
USPS could have charged the seller the additional amount through Mercari. This has happened! Mercari will take it out of your earnings.
USPS could deliver the item to me as is. USPS would take the loss
USPS could ask for postage to be paid by me for delivery of the item. This has happened as well.

In my case, the item was delivered to me without issue on my side. I don’t know if the seller was charged the difference in shipping cost.

If you encounter a situation like this, weigh the pros and cons. You may get a deal on the shipping, but you might not receive the item either.

8 | Look for free shipping

Mercari lets sellers pay the total cost of shipping, giving buyers free shipping. You can filter items to list only the ones with free shipping. I’ve also accidentally listed an item or two with free shipping, so buyers ended up getting a good deal.

I like to search for items both free and not free. When I look for an item such as Crocs, I’ll look it up in several ways with multiple searches. I’ll

I’ll click on the heart to favorite every result that I’m interested in without regard for the item price or shipping fee.

After I’ve found all of my options, I’ll go to my favorites and look through all of them. Some may be more expensive but have free shipping while others may be cheaper with shipping not covered. You can figure out the best deal with a little bit of math.

9 | Look at the seller’s other items

Look at a seller’s other items for sale to see if there’s something else you might be interested in. You can bundle items by the same seller to save on shipping costs.

To do this, add items by the same seller to your cart. Go to your cart and select "bundle items and make offer."

You can bundle up to 10 items or $2000 worth of items. The seller has 24 hours to respond to your offer.

Bundles are great for things like

Children’s clothing and shoes
Beauty and makeup products
Game or trading cards
Sets of items like dishes

10 | Follow sellers

Some sellers specialize in certain goods such as games, electronics, or make up. When you find a seller that you like, click on the follow button to follow them.

Then go to the “following” tab on the app or website regularly to see what they’re listing.

I found a seller that sells his handmade stained glass work. I follow him and check on the new stained glass he has listed for sale every so often.

If you’re a repeat buyer from the same seller, it doesn’t hurt to point this out to build a relationship with the seller for future transactions.

11 | Use coupons and rewards

Coupons

Mercari runs occasional promotions where you can earn coupons such as list 10 items to get $5 off your next purchase or list 30 items to get $20 dollars off your next purchase.

There’s a first-time sellers coupon for $5 off a purchase when you list your first item.

There are limits and restrictions though. There’s always a limited time period or an expiration date to the coupons and a minimum purchase price. It’s usually $5 off a purchase of $20 or more and $20 off a purchase of $50 or more.

I’ve found the coupons and deals too rare and restrictive to coincide with when I want to purchase something. I probably earned 2 or 3 coupons last year and used one of them. It works if you get the coupon at the right time.

Rewards

Mercari recently launched a rewards program that benefits its frequent shoppers. It’s currently in beta limited to a randomly selected group of users, but will likely expand in the future if all goes well.

Buyers earn points when they make purchases (not including marketplace fees, delivery cost, shipping fees, and taxes). You earn 10 points for every $1 spent. Points don’t expire.

Use the points for discounts on future purchases

1500 points - Take $5 off your next purchase of $30 or more
2500 points - Take $10 off your next purchase of $50 or more
5000 points - Take $20 off your next purchase of $100 or more

Although this isn’t the best rewards program, it could save you some money if you’re a regular shopper on the site.

12 | Do an online search

Sometimes you can find better deals off of Mercari. Many sellers like me list items on multiple platforms.

I like Mercari because it has lower seller fees than a platform like Poshmark, so I hope an item will sell on Mercari. But I recognize that Mercari’s shipping fees are high, so a buyer might prefer to buy it on another platform.

An item that is 1 lb to 5 lb will have lower shipping on Poshmark. An item under 1 lb will have lower shipping on Facebook Marketplace.

Search online for the item

By title
Google image search
Seller name

13 | Know the guidelines

A few guidelines to know:

Buyers get 72 hours to accept an item once it’s been delivered. Any requests for return must be started during that time.
Don’t accept the item or rate the transaction if you want a return. Once you accept an item, the transaction is final and the seller receives their payment.
There are no returns allowed unless an item is not as described. So be sure you really want the item before purchasing it.
Keep transactions on the platform. Mercari is strict about enforcing the guidelines. Don’t ask someone to sell to you outside of Mercari or let someone persuade you to purchase anything off the site. This could lead to a warning or even getting banned.
Once you are banned from Mercari, it is very difficult to get your account reinstated. I’ve heard of people trying to open a new account with another email address or whatnot and not managing to do this.

Wrap Up

Mercari has plenty of items and deals to be found. By using the tips above to use Mercari’s features, check seller ratings, communicate with sellers, and so forth, you’ll avoid many common issues with buying on the marketplace and come away with more successful purchases. Happy shopping!

What is your experience shopping on Mercari? What are your tips for a great shopping experience?

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