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Poshmark vs Mercari Fees

Mercari charges half what Poshmark does, and that is still the right summary. But Mercari commissions buyer-paid shipping while Poshmark does not, so on heavy items the real gap is far narrower than 10 points — and on items under $15 the ranking can flip entirely.

By Marginory team · Online sellers with hands-on experience across Etsy, Shopify & PODUpdated Fee data verified against official platform documentation

Fee structure side by side

FactorPoshmarkMercari
Seller fee$2.95 flat under $15; 20% at $15+Flat 10%, any price
Charged on buyer-paid shipping?No — item price onlyYes
Payment processingIncluded in commissionNone since January 2025
Listing feeNoneNone
Monthly / subscription feeNoneNone
Volume discountNone at any levelNone at any level
Payout feeFree by direct depositFree by ACH; $3 for instant
Category coverageFashion, shoes, accessoriesAlmost everything

Sources: Poshmark commission policy and Mercari help center — both verified 2026-08-08.

Free shipping: what you keep

With no buyer-paid shipping in play, this is the cleanest comparison — and Mercari wins every row.

Sale pricePoshmark feeYou keepMercari feeYou keepDifference
$10.00$2.95$7.05$1.00$9.00+$1.95 on Mercari
$14.99$2.95$12.04$1.50$13.49+$1.45 on Mercari
$20.00$4.00$16.00$2.00$18.00+$2.00 on Mercari
$35.00$7.00$28.00$3.50$31.50+$3.50 on Mercari
$50.00$10.00$40.00$5.00$45.00+$5.00 on Mercari
$100.00$20.00$80.00$10.00$90.00+$10.00 on Mercari
$250.00$50.00$200.00$25.00$225.00+$25.00 on Mercari

At $250 the difference is $37.50 per sale. Over thirty sales a month that is more than $1,100 — which is why fee-conscious sellers of higher-priced items lean Mercari.

Buyer-paid shipping changes the maths

Mercari's 10% applies to the item price plusshipping. Poshmark's 20% does not. The more shipping costs, the smaller the advantage Mercari holds.

ItemShippingPoshmark feeMercari feeGapGap as % of item
$30.00$0.00$6.00$3.00$3.0010.0%
$30.00$8.00$6.00$3.80$2.207.3%
$30.00$15.00$6.00$4.50$1.505.0%
$30.00$25.00$6.00$5.50$0.501.7%
$60.00$15.00$12.00$7.50$4.507.5%
$60.00$30.00$12.00$9.00$3.005.0%

On a $30 item with free shipping, Poshmark costs $3.00 more. Add $25 of shipping — realistic for a winter coat — and it costs $0.50 more. The 20% versus 10% framing collapses almost entirely on bulky goods.

Enter your own item price and shipping to see the real gap →

Break-even sell-through

The fee only matters relative to how fast each platform moves your inventory. Mercari pays you 12.5% more per sale on a free-shipping item, so Poshmark needs to sell roughly 12.5% more units to match it.

Scenario ($40 items)Net / saleSales / monthMonthly net
Mercari, 10%$36.0010$360.00
Poshmark, 20%$32.0010$320.00
Poshmark, 20% (higher sell-through)$32.0012$384.00
Poshmark, 20% (fashion-strong closet)$32.0016$512.00

Twelve Poshmark sales beat ten on Mercari. For women's fashion that difference in sell-through is realistic, which is the entire case for paying double the fee. For electronics or homewares it is not remotely realistic, and Mercari wins on both axes.

Which to choose

Choose Poshmark when
  • Selling women's clothing, shoes, or handbags
  • Items are bulky and shipping is expensive
  • You will do the daily sharing the platform rewards
  • You bundle multiple items per buyer
Choose Mercari when
  • Selling anything outside fashion
  • Items are small, light, or higher-priced
  • You want to list and leave it alone
  • Fee cost matters more than sell-through speed

For most fashion resellers the honest answer is both. Cross-listing costs nothing but inventory discipline, and it lets the market tell you which platform suits your particular items rather than guessing from fee tables.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mercari cheaper than Poshmark?
Yes, at almost every price point. Mercari charges a flat 10% and Poshmark charges 20% at $15 and above. On a $50 item with free shipping that is $5.00 versus $10.00. The gap narrows when shipping is expensive, because Mercari charges its 10% on buyer-paid shipping and Poshmark does not.
When does Poshmark cost less than Mercari?
Only on very cheap items, where Poshmark's flat $2.95 can undercut nothing Mercari charges — Mercari's 10% on a $5 item is just $0.50, so Poshmark is still more expensive there. In pure fee terms Mercari wins across the board; Poshmark's case rests on sell-through, not price.
Does Mercari charge fees on shipping?
Yes. Mercari's 10% is calculated on the item price plus any buyer-paid shipping. Poshmark's 20% applies to the item price only. On a $40 item with $12 shipping, Mercari's fee base is $52 while Poshmark's is $40.
Which platform sells faster?
For women's fashion, Poshmark generally sells faster — buyers browse closets and the sharing mechanic surfaces listings repeatedly. Mercari is more search-driven and more passive, but covers far more categories, including electronics and household goods that barely move on Poshmark.
Should I list on both Poshmark and Mercari?
Many resellers do, delisting elsewhere once an item sells. The main caution is pricing: a price that leaves good margin on Mercari at 10% can leave much less on Poshmark at 20%, so set prices per platform rather than copying one number across both.
Do either charge payment processing on top?
No. Both rates are all-in for sellers. Mercari removed its separate seller processing fee in January 2025, and Poshmark's commission has always included processing. That makes these two rates directly comparable, which is not true of Etsy, Shopify, or Depop.