How to Sell Items on Mercari For Beginners

Today I’m sharing an incredibly helpful guest post by Jason Butler from My Money Chronicles. Jason is a side hustle pro and makes $1,000+ a month from reselling items.

If you have a closet full of stuff that is taking up space and you’re looking to eliminate clutter, what better way to get rid of it than to sell it? Mercari is an excellent option if you’re looking to free up some space and make some money.

Mercari is a site and an app where users can post just about anything for sale.

From Louis Vuitton purses to your old iPhone and Nikes, there’s no limit to what kinds of things you can make money on.

It’s also a safe option compared to local meetups and a great alternative to Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. Everything is shipped, so you don’t meet strangers in parking lots.

It’s not just for used items, either. You can sell (and find) lots of new things from bags to shoes, tech, storage, beauty products; the possibilities are endless.

So how do you get started and sell on Mercari? We’re going to go through this step by step!

Make an account

First things first, you have to create an account. Go to Mercari.com and click on “Sell on Mercari” [the bright orange button] or the person icon at the top of the page and then select “Sign Up.” From there, you’ll input some information like your name and email address and be on your way to selling. 

Your profile can be found by tapping the person icon at the top of your screen. Here, you can see all kinds of information, such as your notifications, balances, listings, and more. Think of this area as your hub.

List the item you want to sell

Once you’ve got your profile set up and have familiarized yourself with the platform, it’s time to start selling. Click “Sell on Mercari” (or “Sell” button in the app) and fill in all of the details about your item.

You want to be as thorough as possible with your photos and description.

The first photo will be the main photo that potential buyers see when scrolling through the app. Make sure your pictures are clear, well lit, and show your item from every angle.

You can use the magic wand tool to make your images look as good as possible.

If you’re looking for ways to make money selling things online, you can also look into starting a profitable business on Amazon. This free course will teach you how to start a profitable Amazon business.

Tips for taking great photos

The more pictures, the better.

Shoppers like to see what they’re buying.

Don’t just take pictures of the item itself, but also include the tags, care instructions, any accessories included (such as the charger if you’re selling a phone), and other little details.

Describe your item in great detail, including the brand name, materials, and condition of the product.

Including measurements is always a good idea, especially for clothing. Be honest about any damage or marks it may have; you don’t want the buyer to be blindsided when it gets to them. The more information you can give the potential buyer, the better.

If there’s anything you’re uncertain of when filling out the item information, don’t worry! You can go back and edit the listing up until it is sold.

Related: 13 People Earning $1,000 Month With A Side Hustle

Price your item and select shipping

Mercari gives you the option to offer your buyers free shipping. Doing so will increase your sales, but it’s not necessarily a requirement. Once you make your selection, you’ll tell Mercari a little bit more about your shipping preferences.

You can opt to be emailed a prepaid label from Mercari that includes shipping protection up to $200 if the items are lost or damaged, or you can opt to ship on your own.

This is great for larger items but doesn’t include Mercari’s shipping protection. I ship most of my items on my own. The decision is solely up to you though.

Once you have all of the details loaded in, it’s time to price your item.

Price your item fairly by looking at listings for similar products. An overpriced item can be hard to sell, so make sure you’re pricing competitively and in line with other listings.

Mercari will sometimes show you a range that they would consider a fair price, depending on your item. If they do show that, you can still set your own price.

There’s also an option for smart pricing, which is where Mercari gradually lowers the price (for example, your item is listed for $25 and your smart price is $15, it will gradually lower to $15) and gives you a search boost for your listing.

While listing your items is free, keep in mind that Mercari will keep 10% of the price the items sell for. When you set your price, you will be able to see how much you will actually make once shipping and fees are deducted.

Another great side hustle is buying items from flea markets and yard sales and flipping them on eBay. Flipper University teaches you how to create a profitable reselling business in 14 days. You can learn more about this side hustle here.

Time to sell

After all of I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed, it’s time to list your item officially.

Click on the orange ‘List” button at the bottom of the screen to finish your first listing! If you’re not quite ready to sell yet, you can also save it as a draft without losing any of the information you have inputted.

At this point, you can sit back and wait for buyers.

Mercari will notify you if someone sends you a message, likes your item, or puts in an offer. You can also see under each of your listings how many times it’s been viewed and liked.

When an offer is sent you will see how much you will make at that price. You can also counter, accept, or decline the offers.

Related: 30 Best Side Hustles To Start Today

Pack and ship your item

Once the item has been claimed and you have accepted an offer, Mercari will email you the shipping label (if that’s the option you selected earlier on).

Package your item neatly, making sure it’s protected with padding and taped up securely. Some people also include a little note thanking them for their purchase.

Taking the extra time to make the buyer’s unboxing a good experience will bring them back again in the future and land you with great reviews that show other buyers you’re trustworthy and considerate.

Ship your item within three business days. If, for any reason, you can’t meet that timeline, reach out to the buyer and explain the delay.

After you’ve dropped it off, confirm the shipment to let Mercari know the item is in transit.

If you chose to ship yourself instead of using Mercari’s prepaid label, you also have to confirm the tracking number and shipping information.

Item is delivered

Once the item is delivered, the buyer has three days to confirm that the item they have received is as expected. This is their timeframe to notify of any issues and leave you a rating.

After the buyer confirms receipt or the three days have passed, you can rate the buyer. Once you’ve left the rating, the funds from the purchase will be added to your balance.

From there, you can either cash out or use the money to shop for more cool items on Mercari.

If your balance is less than $10, you’ll be charged a $2 fee for direct deposit.

The same fee applies to all instant transfers, as well. If your balance is over $10 and you’re okay with waiting a few business days, you can get your money fee-free.

Mercari is a safe and easy way to earn back some of the money you’ve spent on clothes, shoes, tech, and more. A closet full of what you may consider junk could be exactly what a shopper on Mercari is looking for.

Before you tote it off to a local donation drop off, list it to make some extra cash.

Some sellers have made a small business out of selling on Mercari.

If you have enough things to list, you can bring in quite a bit of spare change. Having the extra cash is great for funding vacations, special purchases, or replacing the old clothes and tech.

Final note

Don’t forget to sign up for the free resource library and get exclusive access to free printables & planners related to saving and making money, meal planning, and more!

Do you want to sell things on Mercari for extra money?

Best side hustles (beginner-friendly)

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• Sell dog treats – Make $1,000+ selling dog treats from the comfort of your home. Be your own boss and make your own schedule.
• Proofreading – Earn $20+ an hour proofreading from home. Great for people who enjoy editing and working from a computer.
• Surveys – Make money filling out surveys. You can take as many surveys as you want and earn up to $5 per survey.