To start selling online, you need to have an ideal eCommerce platform to effortlessly list your items and reach a wider customer base. According to recent data, there are about 12 to 24 million eCommerce sites globally, with Mercari and eBay ranking among the best.
Millions of buyers and sellers worldwide use these two distinct online e-commerce selling platform, Mercari and eBay, with each providing various top-selling product categories.
Whether you are looking for a side hustle, clearing your items for reselling, or want to build your own business, you can make a fortune selling items online from one of these two marketplaces.
However, it may be difficult to choose the best-suited platform for your e-commerce business as you need to consider the features accessible to sellers, the scope of the customer base, the selling and shipping costs, customer service policies, and effective store management.
If you are looking to know the right platform to sell or resell online, this article will cover everything you need to know about choosing between Mercari and eBay so you can figure out which one works best for your eCommerce business. Let’s get right into the details!
Article Overview
Key Takeaways
- ✔ Mercari and eBay offer unique benefits for online selling, each catering to different seller needs and customer bases.
- ✔ Mercari is user-friendly with simple listing processes and lower fees, while eBay provides a larger global market.
Before You Get Started
- ✔ Consider the type of products you plan to sell and your target audience before choosing between Mercari and eBay.
- ✔ Understand each platform’s fee structure and how it aligns with your business model.
What is Mercari?
The Mercari marketplace is a customer-to-customer platform that operates with the concept of “selling with ease.” Since its inception in Japan in July 2013, Mercari has grown to become the country’s largest marketplace, doing more than 10 billion in monthly transactions.
Simply put, Mercari is an e-commerce platform that allows users to create an online store with ease and sell their products to buyers available on the marketplace. It requires simple procedures as when users create their online store, list their products, and have access to a pool of over 20 million active users!
That’s an increase in the number of users from 8.5 million users according to Mercari’s 2017 financial report.
Most buyers and sellers gravitate toward buying and selling using the Mercari marketplace because of the simple way it relates to users. In 2014, the marketplace began in the US and currently links millions of users in the US and Japan to buy and sell nearly anything.
Since then, the US has downloaded the Mercari app more than 50 million times and dropped many good reviews for its easy use and quick sales.
What is eBay?
eBay, like many other marketplaces, is a platform for customer-to-customer transactions. Originally known as AuctionWeb when it started in 1995, eBay now records more than 2 billion daily transactions.
Moreso, it is accessible in different countries, and you can ship your products nationwide. By entering a zip code, eBay buyers can browse and buy the products offered in their locality, and the eBay seller will deliver the items to them.
Anyone willing to join eBay can open an eBay account for free and can either choose to sell in the extensive marketplace or shop there. However, eBay charges a listing fee for seller accounts to list various items and begin selling and also a final value fee after a successful sale.
Today, eBay links buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets worldwide and also ranks as the second most visited online marketplace in 2022. eBay allows you to purchase and sell almost anything and also engage in lucrative third-party selling.
The users prefer the platform for the available variety of items, advanced search tools, notification systems, anti-fraud systems, and user-friendliness. There are a lot of sellers who make a good living by spending hours each day buying and selling products on eBay.
Selling on Mercari vs eBay
eBay and Mercari are two eCommerce selling platforms, with some similarities and differences. Their users when added are around 200 million, making them a popular marketplace. Let’s examine the features of both marketplaces.
Similarities
Free Signup
Mercari and eBay allow new users to signup on to their marketplace for free. You can get started using any of the platforms with just your email and a few steps to authenticate your account. You can also sign up on eBay using your Facebook account, or Apple.=
List Products
When it comes to listing products, both platforms enable their users to list products for sale and sell anything. Millions of people gather on both platforms daily to make transactions.
Mobile App
Both eBay and Mercari are available on mobile devices, allowing you to access the marketplace with your smartphone and connect with a larger audience of potential customers.
Differences
Seller Fees
eBay charges its users 2 types of fees; the insertion fee to list items and the final value fee after each item sales. Mercari only charges its users after every successful sale.
Audience Base
With 159 million active users, eBay is the world’s second-largest and successful online marketplace. However, according to Mercari’s most recent report, there are over 20 million active users every month.
Mercari users cannot be compared to the number of eBay users. This gives eBay the advantage of attracting merchants looking specifically to reach a wider audience.
Mercari vs eBay Fees
The various e-commerce marketplaces do charge sellers’ accounts some specific fees and it varies with the different platforms available. So, it’s important to know the different price ranges and decide the best platform that is more appropriate for your business.
Popular platforms like Amazon charge their sellers fulfillment, monthly storage, and referral fees.
Mercari and eBay fees also have their selling fees with many differences and price points. Let’s look into them!
Insertion Fees
You only need an active account to start selling on Mercari or eBay. Afterward, you must keep this account active by periodically adding new listings or relisting them to ensure that the items are updated on the marketplace.
Mercari has grown to become Japan’s largest marketplace with more than 350,000 listings every day. However, as of 2021, eBay has close to 160 million buyers worldwide and over 1.3 billion product listings on any given day.
eBay gives its sellers 250 zero insertion fee listings monthly and charges $0.35 after they’ve used them up. It also necessitates more time and steps to complete listing forms before selling.
Listing items on eBay requires you to take photos of your product, write a detailed description, and indicate the category and item price. You can also include item dimensions, weight, and other specifications to attract potential buyers to your listings.
Mercari on the other hand requires no payments nor lengthy procedures for listing items. It is exceptionally easy to list items on Mercari; you can take a few high-quality pictures of what you’re selling, write a brief description, add your selling price, and be ready to hit the market!
Mercari sometimes include details for some products you list and allows you to make necessary changes to them.
Mercari selling and Processing fees
Mercari does not charge its sellers for listing products on the marketplace, but it charged a selling fee of just a 10% commission on each item sold.
Similarly, after a transaction is finished, Mercari charges its users a payment processing fee of 2.9% on all completed transactions, plus an additional $0.50, dependent on the price of items sold.
The processing fee became effective on the 1st of November, 2022, and is charged by payment service providers to safely process and complete financial transactions. The typical arrangement and contract for payment processing are made directly between a seller and the service provider.
Each transaction is processed by Mercari, which also takes a fixed charge at the end.
eBay Final Value
Like Mercari charges its sellers after successful sales, eBay also charges its sellers a final value fee. eBay charges based on the item’s price, the format and category sellers choose for their listing, additional listing upgrades, and the seller’s conduct and performance.
In addition to $0.30 for each order, the final value fee is computed as a percentage of the entire sale price. The overall cost of the sale includes the item’s price, relevant handling fees, the buyer’s chosen delivery method, sales tax, and other expenses.
Mercari vs eBay shipping fees
While choosing the right marketplace for your business, you should know that shipping options affect yours and impact your income. Let’s examine the shipping options available to Mercari and eBay.
Mercari shipping fees
Mercari partners with shipping companies’ services to guarantee a safe and affordable shipping cost. You can ship with the shipping options on Mercari which are; Meecari Prepaid, Mercari Pack & Ship, or Your Shipping.
The Mercari prepaid shipping plan delivers to all 50 states and is limited to items of 150 pounds, with maximum length and width of 45″ and 20″, respectively.
An excellent option for shipping larger things is the Mercari Pack & Ship. With the UPS shipping code from the email you received after sales, you can go to the closest UPS Store and have the item delivered on your behalf.
The third package with shipping on Mercari is using Easyship to power your shipping and get cheaper shipping rates. It solely depends on your business needs and can help you quickly scale your business.
eBay Shipping Fees
To improve customer satisfaction and increase your profits when shipping on eBay, you should take advantage of the shipping options and special postage discounts available and consider your shipping carriers, weight, and location.
You can deliver your products locally or use eBay’s shipping services, which include domestic and worldwide delivery. Unlike Mercari, you can export goods to more than 100 countries.
In addition, eBay also partners with shipping experts, including USPS, UPS, and FedEx, to guarantee that your items arrive safely and on time. Depending on your choice or when compared to your competitors’ listings, you can as well regulate the shipping prices or offer free shipping.
What to Avoid Doing
- ✘ Avoid neglecting the specific audience and market each platform targets; Mercari for local and smaller scale, eBay for global reach.
- ✘ Don’t overlook the importance of platform-specific selling strategies and policies.
How to Prevent Issues
- ✔ Regularly review and adapt to the changing trends and policies on the platform you choose to sell on.
- ✔ Utilize each platform’s tools and features to maximize visibility and sales opportunities.
Conclusion
Choosing the ideal marketplace help sellers to grow their business quickly and more effectively. While eBay offers a larger client base that benefits many eBay sellers, Mercari offers a free and simple listing process, and a 10% selling charge.
Mostly, the size of your eCommerce business may also greatly impact whether you choose Mercari or eBay. You can make a living by choosing the right platform based on what you want to sell and upscale your business.
FAQ
What Are The Payment Methods Available On Mercari?
All major credit cards, including Apple Pay, PayPal, and Zip, can be used with the Mercari credit card payment process to make purchases on the marketplace. Also, Mercari doesn’t accept any payment method that are handed out outside the United States.
What Are The Payment Methods Available On eBay store?
Payment methods on eBay are credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. In some categories, buyers can additionally pay with cash on pickup, cheques, or money orders when creating their listings.
eBay automatically adds these payment methods for buyers to choose and pay in the process of making a purchase.
What item sells best on Mercari?
The top-selling items section on Mercari is the clothing and accessories which include men’s clothing, women’s clothing, and children’s clothing. Items under Electronics like phones or cameras are also one of the top-selling items on Mercari.
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