Peer-to-peer e-commerce platforms have made it easier than ever to turn items into cash. In fact, many professional “resellers” buy and sell to flip items for a profit online. But with so many options, it can be hard to know where to start.
In this blog post, we'll compare two of the most popular choices: Mercari and Depop. Both marketplaces have much to offer, but which is the best fit for you? We'll break down the pros and cons of each platform to help you make the best choice.
Mercari is a great place to sell online items, with over 350 thousand new items listed daily. Mercari, a company started in Japan, now has 23 million active users in the United States! Mercari is rapidly growing due to its ease of use and popularity.
Creating a Mercari account takes only seconds, and the app is simple and user-friendly. You can sell almost anything on Mercari, with top sellers being electronics and media, toys and games, and apparel.
One of the best things about Mercari is its unparalleled ease of use. Mercari offers the simplest selling experience, making it a top marketplace among sellers.
For an in-depth analysis of everything you need to know about Mercari, check out the article Mastering Mercari.
Depop is a popular, trendy marketplace with 35 million active users in over 150 countries. Depop is rapidly growing due to its unique blend of social media features and fashion focus.
Depop is known for fashion, but has a broad range of selling categories. Creating a Depop account takes only seconds, and the app is simple and user-friendly.
One of the best things about Depop is its vibrant community and focus on sustainability, making it a top marketplace among fashion sellers.
For everything you need to know about Depop, check out the article How to Get Started Selling on Depop.
Choosing the right marketplaces to sell your items can significantly affect your success as an online seller. In this section, we'll provide a detailed comparison between Mercari and Depop, helping you determine which platform best suits your selling needs.
Understanding a marketplace’s demographics and target audience is crucial for sellers to maximize their reach and sales potential. Aligning your products with the right audience can significantly enhance your success in the online marketplace.
Depop primarily attracts a younger, trendier audience with a strong focus on fashion. The majority of Depop users are between 18 and 35, and 90% are under 26. They are particularly interested in secondhand fashion, vintage items, and unique, trendy clothing.
Mercari's user base is much broader and more diverse in terms of age and interests. Mercari attracts a wide audience, including buyers and sellers of all ages with a broad range of interests. The marketplace is popular among those looking for both new and used items across various categories, from fashion to home goods and electronics.
Sellers focused on fashion and vintage items might prefer Depop due to its targeted demographic. However, those looking to reach a more diverse audience with various selling categories might find Mercari's broader user base more advantageous.
Poshmark primarily attracts a younger, trendier audience with a strong focus on women. Most Poshmark users are between 18-35 years old and female, and the platform is particularly popular among those interested in secondhand fashion, luxury items, and trendy clothing.
The range of selling categories varies by marketplace. On Depop, you can sell men’s, women’s, and children’s fashion, vintage items, select home goods, and accessories. On Mercari, you can sell almost anything as long as it’s not illegal.
💡Tip: The specific top-selling fashion categories on Depop are designer, Y2k, Vintage, Streetwear, and OOAK (one-of-a-kind).
Mercari is well-known for its extensive variety of product categories, which is much more expansive than Depop. Mercari’s broader range of categories makes it a better fit for sellers with diverse inventories beyond fashion. Depop’s niched audience makes it a great place to sell curated fashion.
Listing an item is straightforward on both Mercari and Depop.
On Depop, sellers add photos and video media, add a description, set a price, and select shipping options. The platform guides users through each step, making the process quick and easy.
There are some unique fields on Depop:
👀 Did you know that the entire listing description is searchable on Depop? That means every word you enter in your Depop description helps your items to appear in relevant searches.
Listing on Mercari is simple. Sellers add photos and a description, set a price, and select shipping options. The Mercari listing form is self-explanatory, with only a couple unique fields:
Neither Mercari nor Depop have selling fees! That’s right: no selling fees on Mercari or Depop.
Both marketplaces eliminated selling fees in 2024. While there are no official “commission” fees, there might be a few hidden fees. 👀
Mercari has no sellling fees as of March 2024. For items listed after this date, there are no fees!
A few things to note:
Depop eliminated the selling fee as of July 2024. For listings created after July 15, 2024, there are no Depop selling fees. A few things to note:
The Boost feature promotes your item(s) by placing them in one of the boosted tiles on the search results page. The boosting fee applies when the buyer views, clicks, or likes your listing via the boosted tile and purchases it within 28 days.
Mercari and Depop fees are among the lowest compared to all other peer-to-peer marketplaces.
You might also be interested in the article A Reseller’s Guide to Marketplace Fees.
Depop provides a straightforward messaging system within the app, allowing buyers and sellers to communicate directly about items, offers, and orders. Buyers can also comment on listings, making asking questions or requesting additional information easy.
Mercari similarly offers a messaging system. Sellers and buyers can communicate directly through messages about items, negotiate prices, and discuss shipping details.
Both Mercari and Depop allow both sellers and buyers to send offers.
On both marketplaces, buyers can send offers, and sellers can accept, decline, or counteroffer. Similarly, sellers can send offers to likers, and buyers can accept, decline, or counteroffer.
👀Did you know that offers are not binding on Depop. If you accept an offer made by a buyer, they still have a chance to change their mind. The sale is not complete until cashout.
Mercari and Depop both offer various flexible shipping options for sellers. On both platforms, sellers can choose to ship with prepaid labels from the Marketplace or facilitate shipping independently.
On Depop, there are many shipping selections available to sellers. When listing, you must select whether to:
Ship with Depop or ship on your own;
Offer free shipping or charge shipping; and
Use USPS, FedEx, or UPS.
Each Depop listing has a shipping section for this information. If you select to ship with Depop, Depop will email you a USPS label upon sale. However, you must enter the item’s approximate weight (including packaging) when you list to select the label tier.
When you ship with Depop, you can download a prepaid shipping label issued by Depop. Tracking will automatically start once the package is en route. Depop uses USPS Ground Advantage for qualifying packages and USPS Priority Mail for all heavier orders.
Electing to ship on your own requires purchasing your shipping label and providing Depop with the tracking information for the package. When you ship on your own, you can purchase through any carrier.
Expand your exposure by offering international shipping. Depop exists in over 150 countries worldwide, and buyers love American Vintage!
💡Tip: For the best rates on shipping on your own, I recommend using Pirate Ship. Note that you must ship on your own for international shipping on Depop.
To learn more about the pros and cons of self-shipping vs. shipping with Depop, check out The Reseller's Guide to Shipping on Depop.
As a seller, you have many ways to ship on Mercari. You can decide whether to:
If you ship with Mercari, they will provide a label upon sale. However, the approximate weight and dimensions of the item in the packaging are required when listing. Mercari is very strict; if you do not put the correct weight in the listing and your package is even a single ounce over, you will be charged the difference- and Mercari is not exactly known for affordable shipping. 🥴
Electing to ship on your own requires purchasing a shipping label and providing Mercari with the tracking number for the package. Usually, the rates on PirateShip are significantly more affordable than those on Mercari. So, if you’re offering free shipping and must pay out of pocket, it might be worth considering self-shipping to reduce costs.
💡Tip: Shipping with Mercari labels is more convenient, and your packages qualify for Mercari protection. If you ship on your own, you don’t necessarily have Mercari protection, and you might consider adding insurance to your parcels.
Depop and Mercari have very similar return policies. Technically, sellers do not need to accept returns unless an item is not as described, damaged, counterfeit, or never shipped.
However, both marketplaces tend to rule in favor of buyers. That is, if your buyer wants a return, they are likely to get one.
Depop allows sellers to create their return policy. Of course, buyer protections are in place even if a seller does not allow returns. When a buyer opens a claim with Depop, you do not see the claim or get a chance to respond. Depop will decide and inform you of the next steps.
On Mercari, all sales are final unless the item(s) is not as described, damaged, or never sent. Mercari does not allow returns when an item is accurately described, so a buyer cannot return items that do not fit, that they do not like, because they have changed their mind, etc. However, buyers may attempt to initiate a return request, which takes several days to resolve, when your funds are held up. If a buyer requests a return, Mercari might ask for your input. Ultimately, Mercari will rule on the case and inform you of the next steps.
Mercari offers many payment methods for buyers:
Of course, buyers can use Mercari Credits and their Mercari balance to make purchases.
Depop offers many payment methods for buyers through Depop Payments:
Depop payments are facilitated through Stripe.
Mercari and Depop have much different payout processes.
On Depop, US sellers will always be paid automatically through Depop Payments. Your balance will be paid directly into the bank account you link to Depop.
For each sale, the payout will be initiated to your linked bank account two business days after the package has been tracked as delivered. If tracking details aren’t provided, your payout will be initiated 10 business days after the sale date. After initiation, processing times vary by bank, but usually only a few business days.
On Mercari, sellers do not get paid automatically; they have to transfer funds manually. After making a sale, your balance becomes available once the buyer receives and rates the transaction or within 72 hours after the package has been tracked as delivered (whichever comes first).
Two ways to transfer your balance to your bank account are direct deposit and instant pay:
Let’s explore the pros and cons of selling on Mercari. By understanding the platform's benefits and challenges, you'll be better equipped to decide if it's the right choice for your reselling business.
Let’s explore the pros and cons of selling on Depop to help you better understand the selling experience.
There's no denying that selling on Mercari and Depop are great options for resellers. Both platforms are great for reselling new or secondhand items. But which one is right for you?
Mercari is ideal if you’re looking for a straightforward marketplace to sell a wide variety of items, especially with the bonus of no selling fees. It’s perfect for sellers who want simplicity and broad appeal.
On the other hand, Depop is the go-to for fashion sellers who thrive on community interaction and want to tap into a global, trendy audience.
I sell on both Mercari and Depop, and they’re two of my best and favorite marketplaces.
👀 Did you know Mercari and Depop are two of the most popular and most lucrative marketplaces for Vendoo users?
In this article, we’ve explored the key differences between Mercari and Depop two of the most popular online selling marketplaces.
But why choose just one? With Vendoo’s crosslisting software, you can simultaneously leverage both platforms' benefits.
Vendoo allows you to save time, streamline your listing process, and reach a broader audience, maximizing your sales potential.
Whether you're selling on Poshmark, eBay, or any other marketplace, Vendoo makes it easy to manage all your listings from one place.
Ready to take your reselling business to the next level? Try Vendoo for free!
Do you sell on Mercari and/or Depop? Share your experience below! 👇🏼