Mercari vs. eBay: Key Differences in Fees, Shipping, Reach & Seller Tools for 2026

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.

Is Mercari or eBay better for selling online in 2026?

Mercari suits small sellers with free listings and a 10% fee, while eBay offers global reach with 182M users but charges 12–14% selling fees.

What's the Difference Between Selling on Mercari vs. eBay?

Mercari and eBay are both popular eCommerce selling platforms for buyers and sellers, but they differ in setup effort, reach, fees, and policies. Below is a quick overview of where they overlap, followed by a side-by-side comparison to help you decide which fits your business best.

Similarities Between Mercari and eBay

Both platforms share a few core features that make them strong options for online sellers:

• Broad product variety: Merchants can list and sell pretty much anything on both platforms. Each provides an online marketplace where people from all over the world can sell, buy, and trade.
• Mobile selling: eBay and Mercari are available on mobile devices, allowing you to reach a more extensive customer base.
• Seller fees apply: Both platforms have seller fees (the fee the website charges you to sell your items), though the structure differs.

Key Differences: Mercari vs. eBay (Seller Comparison)

Now that you’ve seen the similarities and differences between Mercari vs. eBay, you can decide which platform best matches your product type, target customers, and operating preferences.

Platform Fees: Mercari vs. eBay

Before choosing between Mercari 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.

Fees For Selling on Mercari

Mercari’s fee structure is dependent on whether your item is sold, rather than listed for selling. 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 - [the selling fees + payment processing fees + shipping fees (if you offer free shipping)].

Example: Let's say you list a jacket on Mercari for $50 and offer free shipping (which costs $8).

Here's how your earnings break down:

• Listing price: $50.00
• Selling fee (10%): – $5.00
• Payment processing fee (2.9% + $0.30): – $1.75
• Shipping (covered by you): – $8.00
• Your earnings: $35.25

So on a $50 sale, you'd take home about $35 after fees and shipping — roughly 70% of the listing price. The more you can charge for shipping (or pass it to the buyer), the more you keep.

Fees For Selling on eBay

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.

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.

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'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 Rate 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 better than eBay for beginners?

Mercari is generally better for beginners because it has a simpler listing process, fewer required fields, and no upfront listing fees. New sellers can start quickly without managing complex store settings.

Which platform has lower seller fees, Mercari or eBay?

Mercari charges a flat 10% selling fee with no listing fees, while eBay charges up to 250 free listings, then $0.35 per listing plus 12–14% final value fees depending on category.

Can you sell internationally on Mercari and eBay?

eBay supports international selling in over 100 countries, making it ideal for global reach. Mercari is limited to domestic sales in the United States and Japan.

Does Mercari or eBay get more traffic?

eBay receives significantly more traffic due to its larger customer base of over 182 million users worldwide, compared to Mercari’s 15+ million users.

Are returns easier on Mercari or eBay?

Returns are easier on eBay because buyers can request returns for any reason if the seller allows it. Mercari generally treats all sales as final unless an item was misrepresented.

What types of products sell best on Mercari?

Mercari performs best for secondhand items, casual apparel, collectibles, and low-to-mid-priced consumer goods. It’s popular with mobile-first, value-focused buyers.

What types of products sell best on eBay?

eBay is better suited for electronics, auto parts, collectibles, high-volume inventory, and niche items that benefit from global exposure and auction-style listings.

Is Mercari safer than eBay for sellers?

Both platforms are considered safe and legitimate, but Mercari’s final-sale policy can reduce return-related disputes. eBay offers stronger buyer protections, which can sometimes favor buyers in disputes.

Can I sell on both Mercari and eBay at the same time?

Yes, many sellers use both platforms to reach different audiences. Selling on both allows you to test which marketplace performs better for specific products and pricing strategies.