There is a vast world of reselling platforms on the internet. Many of you have heard of eBay and Facebook Marketplace, but there are two other great selling platforms with unique perspectives and advantages for selling products online. These platforms, Poshmark and Mercari, have become competitors for the largest share of the marketplace. The enable sellers who are looking to start a business or a side hustle a way to do it with relative ease. But which is the better platform for sellers?
I have been selling on Poshmark and Mercari for over three years now. I started with Poshmark as a means to declutter my bedroom closet. I sold clothing, shoes, bags, scarves, and anything else I no longer needed or wanted. However, because Poshmark has some drawbacks, I wanted another option. I jumped onto Mercari about two years ago to test out selling on a different platform and see which one gave me the best results for my time and investment.
Which is Easier to Use: Mercari or Poshmark?
Mercari
How you interact with both platforms is very similar. Mercari functions much better on the app, while the website can be difficult to navigate. Mercari gives options about how to sell, what to sell, information on the latest sales, including price (on the front page of the app), and shipping options that differ depending on weight, size, type of product, and carrier.
Poshmark
Like Mercari, Poshmark’s app is easy to use. The main difference between the platforms is that Poshmark only offers one shipping option. Priority mail is the only choice, and that has a maximum weight of five pounds. Five pounds is usually enough to cover most orders. However, because buyers can create bundles of items into one package, the seller will have to cover the difference in shipping costs if the bundle weighs more than the five allowable pounds. This can become costly for the seller.
What are the Fees?
Mercari
Mercari’s fee is 10% of your sales. If you sell an item for $20, Mercari will take $2 and pay you $18.
Poshmark
At 20%, Poshmark’s fee is double that of Mercari. The same $20 sale on Poshmark will cost you $4, meaning you only make $16.
Earning Potential
Mercari
I have earned less on Mercari than on Poshmark because the selling price on items tends to be lower even though Mercari takes less of a cut. However, creating a niche on Mercari can help you increase sales. For example, choosing 1960’s vintage as a niche can be a great way to bring people to your storefront and is easily searchable through the hashtag function.
Poshmark
I’ve earned more money on Poshmark than Mercari, mainly because the items I have focused on through the years have been clothing. Like on Mercari, a niche closet is a great way to go. In Poshmark terms, creating a closet (or choosing pieces associated with a niche like 90’s Y2K fashion) can be an excellent way for customers to add several pieces to their order all at once.
Drawbacks
Mercari
The biggest drawback to Mercari is that it is not focused on one selling area. Having a wide range of selling categories can be seen as either a plus or a minus, but if the customer base is not hyper-focused on what you are selling, you may be at a loss. If fashion is your passion and you focus on clothing sales, you want to be on Poshmark. If you are looking to empty your closet and the rest of your house of unwanted items, then Mercari might be the better platform.
Poshmark
The biggest drawback to Poshmark is having to share your items. Ask any seller, and they will comment on the same drawback. When I first started selling on Poshmark three years ago, you had to click on each item to “share” it with your buyers. This individual sharing takes a lot of time. I found myself sharing my items with my followers and with the parties taking place several times a day. I was even up at three in the morning attempting to make a sale. Sharing ensures that your items show up as current and as newer listings. It pushes them to the top of the search lists for buyers searching for a specific item. I was spending hours doing this. There is now a bulk sharing option that helps with this process. However, sharing is still necessary, which is a big drawback for sellers on Poshmark.
Expert Tips
Mercari
The main Mercari page allows sellers to see “hot” items for sale and their price, allowing sellers to see what items are needed and desired. Hashtags are relevant. At the bottom of each listing, there is an area to drop in three hashtags. USE THEM TO LEAD SELLERS TO YOUR LISTING.
Poshmark
There are many new functions on Poshmark, such as bulk sharing, sharing your listing to social media, and new bulk sharing options. Users do not use the video upload option for the most part because it’s already so time-consuming to share. However, some have enjoyed these new creative tools to show clothing in movement and have found success.
Both Mercari and Poshmark are excellent selling platforms, but Mercari will take less time upfront because there is no sharing. It will take less of a cut (only 10%). It is easy to use; however, they do not advertise listings within a Google search through keywords like Poshmark.
Poshmark will take a lot more time as you must share your closet and your listings to stay relevant within the app. Poshmark takes more of a cut (20%) than Mercari, but they do better advertising within a Google search. Both are terrific selling platforms. Use this information to help you determine which platform will best suit your needs. As long as you are aware of the benefits and drawbacks of both, you can be incredibly successful on either of them.
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