"Do you want to learn where you can get good earnings by selling online? Find out here what selling on Poshmark and Mercari is like."

Online selling has become one of the most practiced side hustles nowadays. It can genuinely generate a good amount of income; hence many sellers have turned online selling into their full-time job. It also offers convenience because you can sell almost anything online and reach a broader range of customers without exerting much effort that physical businesses need. That is why the number of online marketplaces has also increased. Platforms such as Poshmark, Mercari, Depop, Tradesy, and eBay are the common platforms that many online sellers use. Even social networks like Instagram and Facebook have ventured into the online selling space, which only proved sustainability in the online selling business.

We understand that starting an online business can be confusing for a reseller like you, and many questions are running in your mind. Where to start selling? Are there any fees? How much will I earn? Don't worry! We got you covered. Learn here the essential information you need to start selling on two of the favorite marketplaces of many online shoppers, Poshmark and Merecari.

The Audience

Poshmark: Poshmark is one of the favorite marketplaces when it comes to fashion pieces. This platform is a great venue for new and secondhand item styles for women, men, kids, pets, home items, and more. It is considered more than just a marketplace as it gives chances to sellers and buyers to connect and curate pieces that cater to their styles. Aside from the website, Poshmark is also available for download on android and iOS, so its users can easily access their Posh account anywhere they go to purchase or manage their listings.

It has an estimated 80 million community members across the U.S., Canada, and Australia, and more than 200 million items are listed for sale on the platform. On the latest second-quarter report of Poshmark, Inc. released last August 2021, the platform had a remarkable 16% increase of active buyers in the past 12 months. From only having 6.0 million active buyers in the last second quarter of 2020, it has now jumped to another million having 7.0 million active buyers in the second quarter of 2021.

Mercari: Mercari is another marketplace where you can declutter and sell things that you don't use anymore or have never used. This retailing site has approximately 19 million users across the United States, composed of sellers and buyers. This Japanese flea market app has turned into one marketplace that people who love to shop online go to. While available on the web, the Mercari app is also a downloadable app for android and iOS devices.

According to a press release from July 2021, Mercari users have surged to 2.5 million active users since the start of the pandemic, and a report on January 2020 mentioned that the platform had accumulated an approximate total of 1.5 billion items listed by sellers since they launched in 2013.

What You Can Sell

Poshmark and Mercari are two of the best online marketplaces to sell your fashion and luxury items as they both cater to all ages and gender. But the items that you can list on these platforms are not just limited to clothes, handbags, shoes, and accessories. Here are the categories that you can sell on each marketplace:

Poshmark: You can list any items that fall in these categories on Poshmark. It can be a brand new or a pre-owned item provided that they are clean and in good condition.

• Women
• Men
• Kids
• Home (which include Accents, Art, Bath, Bedding, Design, Dining, Games, Holiday, Kitchen, Office, Party Supplies, Storage & Organization, and Wall Decors)
• Pets (specifically for dogs, cats, and fishes)

Don't forget to check the list of prohibited items here so you can avoid selling such items, which can put your Poshmark closet at risk and get you into trouble with the platform. Also, be mindful of listing items that cannot be shipped using the prepaid shipping label provided by Poshmark that is compliant with the USPS regulations, which you can find here.

Mercari: You can list almost anything on this platform. Like Poshmark, you can list anything brand new or pre-owned here as long as they are still in good condition. Their categories include:

• Women
• Men
• Kids
• Home
• Vintage & collectibles
• Beauty
• Electronics (including Cellphones and Accessories, Computers & Laptops, Video games & Consoles, Camera & Photography, Wearables, TV & Videos, and more)
• Sports & outdoors
• Handmade
• Others (which includes Books, Magazines, Daily & travel items, Automotive, Office Supplies, Musical instruments, Automotive Oils & Fluids, Pet Supplies)

Listing prohibited items on Mercari is considered a violation of their Terms of Service. Be careful not to list any items that belong to their prohibited items policy, as it is unacceptable whether you listed them intentionally or not. Any listings that they deem illegal on their platform can be removed at the discretion of Mercari. You may find the complete list of Mercari's prohibited items here.

Commission and Selling Fees

Each platform has its transaction charges and fees that they collect from sellers and buyers. They use these fees to maintain the platform and keep it going to provide the best online shopping experience to their users. While listing items on both platforms is free, here is the breakdown of what other Poshmark and Mercari charges look like.

Poshmark's Fees: Poshmark's selling fees are straightforward. They made it simple, so sellers can price their listings conveniently without considering many other charges. While some sellers think that Poshmark has a high commission rate, it is understandable as they provide a simple end-to-end platform for selling. Meaning, they are covering the costs for financial transaction fee, shipping labels, and providing customer service team.

You should remember that Poshmark only implies two kinds of charges on the items you sell for sellers like you. After your item has been delivered and marked as received by your buyer, you can spend your earnings within the app or withdraw your money as cash whenever you like.

• Flat Commission Fee of $2.95: For as long as your item's price is below $15, Poshmark only takes $2.95 from your total earnings.
• 20% Commission: For any item that costs $15 or more, Poshmark takes 20% of the total earnings, and you get to keep the 80%.

Mercari Fees: This online flea market offers a lower commission fee to sellers who make a sale than Poshmark. However, there are other fees that you should take note of if you plan on selling on the platform.

• 10% Commission: Any sale you make on Mercari will incur a minimum of 10% fee deducted from your earnings.
• Payment Processing fees: Mercari charges service fees to users when they process payments and withdrawals out of their system. This include:
  • 2.9% + $0.30 fee: The platform charges a payment processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 after a sale is completed.
  • $2 fee: This applies to each direct deposit transfer under the minimum of $10, or when a direct deposit transfer is rejected by your financial institution and returned to your Mercari balance. A $2 fee also applies for each completed Instant Pay transfer.

Shipping Fees

Poshmark: The platform offers a flat rate of $7.45 for expedited shipping on all orders, provided that the package does not exceed the weight of 5 lbs. The buyer always shoulders this shipping rate. As a seller, it is your responsibility to abide by the correct weight limit as any overweight costs will be paid by you.

Poshmark provides a prepaid label for all orders, which will be shipped using USPS Priority Mail.

If your package weighs more than 5 lbs, you will have to upgrade your shipping label in the app. Make sure to select the total weight of your package for the designated shipping label so the correct label can be generated and sent to you.

• Package Weight
  • Label upgrade fee for Sellers
• Up to 5 pounds
  • Free
• 6 pounds
  • $4.50
• 7 pounds
  • $9.00
• 8 pounds
  • $13.50
• 9 pounds
  • $18.00
• 10 pounds
  • $22.50

On Poshmark, you can also offer shipping discounts to your buyers. You may do so by making an offer or bundle option on your Poshmark account.

Mercari: The platform has partnered with multiple shipping providers such as UPS, USPS, and FedEx to cater to different package weights and sizes. On here, options, whether to avail of the prepaid shipping label from the platform or ship on your own, are up to you.

• Mercari Prepaid Shipping: Using Mercari's shipping label gives you two options. You can choose between covering the shipping yourself (shipping fee will be deducted from your earnings) or having the buyer pay (the platform will add the shipping cost to their total at the checkout).

  For the shipping rates, Mercari prepaid label has different options for different order weights and sizes:

  • Small $5.99 - The weight of the package should not exceed one lb. and the size of 7" x 6" x 3"
  • Medium $9.99 - The weight of the package should not exceed 5 lbs. and the size of 12" x 10" x 5"
  • Large $45.00 - The weight of the package should not exceed 40 lbs. and the size of 45" x 18" x 6

If you're using Mercari prepaid labels, be sure to weigh the item in its packaging and pack the items accordingly, as shipping costs are based on your package's total size and weight. Any excess weight will incur additional fees charged to you.

• Own Shipping: To ship on your own using your label, you are obliged to provide a valid tracking number to give Mercari the means of confirming the item's delivery, and the payment will be credited to you. Do take note that going for this shipping option does not entitle you to Mercari Shipping Protection. To ensure the safety of your package, you will have to purchase insurance through your shipping carrier.

Seller Protection

Poshmark Seller Protection: Poshmark provides sellers protection for those who use the Poshmark-provided label sent and scanned into the USPS tracking system. Sellers can benefit from this feature when the package gets lost during shipping. When this happens, they are fully covered by the platform. In addition to this, for added package security, packages worth more than $400 require the recipient's signature upon delivery.

Mercari Seller Protection: Sellers who use the Mercari prepaid shipping label are entitled to seller protection. Unfortunately, seller protection only covers as much as $200 and depends on the computation of your item's price minus some fees such as processing and selling fees.

Discounts You Can Offer

Poshmark Offers

Poshmark has an option for an array of offers that sellers can give their potential buyers. This include:

• Offer To Likers - This is when you can send a private discount to a potential buyer who has liked your listing without publicly lowering the item's listing price. Your offer should b 10% lower than the offers the buyer has received in the past 90 days.
• Bundles - This option allows you to set a discount percentage that you would like to offer and the minimum number of items in a bundle needed for the discount to be applied.
• Shipping Discounts - To further entice your potential buyer, you may also offer shipping discounts. You may do so by creating a bundle option on your Poshmark account or through Make an Offer.

Mercari Offers

Mercari allows sellers to promote their listings by two options:

• Promote - This option boosts your listing in the search results. All you have to do is lower your listing price by 5% or more, and the platform will boost your listing in the search results. By doing this, all our likers will also get notified about the price reduction.
• Offer To Likers - These private discounts if exclusive to those who have liked your listing. All you have to do is reduce your listing price by 10% or more to get the item's likers notified. This offer is just a temporary price reduction that will last for only 24 hours.

Customer Support

You can reach Poshmark's customer support through their Contact Poshmark Support page and via Mail on their website, where you can submit your concerns and attach your supporting documents (if available).

For Mercari, their customer service can be reached through their customer support option on the app or website or via email at contact-us@mercari.com.

OneShop at Your Service!

To grow any business, exerting time and effort is inevitable. Not only does it help you be hands-on with your shop, but it also assures you that everything is running smoothly. But with online selling, you can maximize your time doing other essential things to grow your business by using automation software to help you manage your closet like OneShop.

Oneshop is an all-in-one app that can save you tons of time every week while selling on marketplaces like Poshmark and Mercari. We have an intelligently built bot that will help you grow your business by performing tasks that can reach a broader audience which is beneficial in converting sales. The tasks that Oneshop can do for your closet are sharing, following, unfollowing, listing, delisting, sending offers, and cross-list, amongst many others.

If you're ready to take your online business to the next level of success, we offer a 7-day free trial without any credit card needed. All you have to do is leave your mobile number here, and we'll text you the app!