Choosing the best online platform to sell your clothes and accessories can be challenging due to the multitude of available options.
Among the top contenders are Poshmark and Mercari – each with their own distinct features and benefits. In this Poshmark vs Mercari analysis, we’ll delve into the key differences, strengths, and potential limitations of each platform, enabling you to make an informed decision about where to sell your items.
Poshmark, founded in 2011, has gained popularity for its focus on high-end clothing, accessories, home goods, and unopened skincare items. With over 60 million users, it provides a large buyer base and various promotional features to help you get your products noticed.
On the other hand, Mercari, also an online consignment store, offers a more relaxed approach to selling, catering to a broader range of items and styles.
As you dive deeper into the world of online selling, it’s essential to carefully consider your options and select the platform that best aligns with your specific needs.
Whether you prioritize ease of use, fees, shipping policies, or promotional features, understanding the critical differences between Poshmark and Mercari will help you make the right choice for your online selling journey.
Overview of Poshmark vs Mercari
As a seller, you should understand the differences between Poshmark and Mercari. These two platforms offer unique features that immensely benefit your online selling experience.
Poshmark is a popular platform primarily focused on fashion. It allows sellers to list and sell name-brand clothing, accessories, bags, purses, makeup, and even home goods.
This platform targets users looking for high-end and upscale items, making it an excellent choice for specializing in luxury or designer fashion.
Poshmark boasts over 80 million users, including buyers and sellers, creating a vast customer base for you to tap into. Additionally, Poshmark offers helpful promotional features and tools to grow your business further.
Mercari, on the other hand, is a more diverse marketplace. Although it also allows the sale of clothing and accessories, Mercari will enable sellers to list various products, such as electronics, home items, toys, and collectibles.
This platform gained popularity quickly due to its ease of use and lower selling fees than competitors. For instance, if you sell a $10 item on Mercari, you’ll only pay a $1.30 fee; on Poshmark, the fee is $2.951.
Regarding listing your items, both platforms offer user-friendly interfaces that make the process quick and easy. However, they have slightly different shipping policies and fees, so familiarize yourself with these details before delving into either platform.
In short, choosing between Poshmark and Mercari primarily depends on your target niche and the type of items you plan to sell. For high-end fashion, Poshmark is your go-to platform, whereas Mercari offers more flexibility and lower fees for various product categories.
User Demographics and Target Audiences
Poshmark Demographics
Poshmark, a popular platform for purchasing and selling clothing items, boasts a vast community, attracting a wide range of demographics.
With 80 million active users, Poshmark primarily focuses on women’s, men’s, and children’s fashion. However, you can also sell select home decor, beauty, toys, electronics, pet items, and more, which makes it an appealing choice for users with diverse interests.
While Poshmark has a broad audience, its users typically gravitate toward fashion-oriented items. Pay attention to current trends and popular brands to maximize your sales on the platform.
Mercari Demographics
Mercari, on the other hand, has captured a large portion of the online marketplace with over 50 million downloads in the U.S. and roughly 350,000 new listings daily. This platform is free to list on and has a slightly lower fee structure than Poshmark once an item sells, which may attract a different audience segment.
While you may achieve higher visibility on Poshmark due to its more extensive user base, Mercari’s lower fees could lead to more competitive pricing for your items. Additionally, Mercari’s audience tends to consist of a more generalized demographic, making it a suitable option for selling a wider variety of items.
Consider each platform’s demographics and target audiences when choosing between Poshmark and Mercari for selling your items. Poshmark is perfect for fashion-focused sellers, while Mercari may cater more to those interested in selling various items.
Selling and Buying Experience
Listing Items
The process is easy and user-friendly when listing items on both Poshmark and Mercari. You upload clear images of the item, provide an accurate description, and set your desired price. Both platforms have a large audience of potential buyers, giving your items more visibility.
Shipping and Transactions
The shipping process differs between Poshmark and Mercari. On Poshmark, you’ll receive a prepaid shipping label, and the buyer pays shipping fees.
This makes shipping straightforward and consistent. Mercari, on the other hand, allows you to choose between using their prepaid shipping label or setting your shipping price, keeping in mind that the buyer usually pays for shipping costs.
Both platforms take security seriously, providing safe transactions between buyers and sellers. Payments are processed through the platforms, eliminating the need for direct communication of financial information between parties.
Fees and Commissions
Fees and commissions vary between Poshmark and Mercari. Poshmark applies a fixed charge of $2.95 for sales that are less than $15, and for sales exceeding $15, a commission of 20% is levied.. In contrast, Mercari takes a 10% fee of the item price, with an additional payment processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per sale.
As a seller, keeping these fees in mind when pricing your items can help maximize your profits and make both platforms an excellent choice for your online selling experience.
Marketing and Promotion
In this section, we’ll discuss marketing and promotion strategies for both Poshmark and Mercari. We’ll cover specific techniques you can employ on each platform to increase your visibility and sales as a seller.
Poshmark Strategies
Sharing: On Poshmark, it’s crucial to share your listings frequently. Be active on the platform by sharing your listings with your followers and participating in Poshmark parties. This way, you can increase the exposure of your items and attract more potential buyers.
Engage with the community: Connect with other Poshmark users by following them, liking their listings, and leaving comments. Building relationships within the community can lead to more followers and increased visibility for your items.
Take advantage of Poshmark campaigns: Participate in Poshmark campaigns, such as Closet Clear Out or Make a Deal Days. These events encourage sellers to offer discounts and generate more sales, attracting more buyers to your closet.
Mercari Strategies
Listing optimization: To improve your search visibility on Mercari, use relevant and descriptive keywords in your listing titles and descriptions. A clear, concise, and accurate title with well-written descriptions will help potential buyers find your item.
Competitive pricing: Monitor the prices of similar items on Mercari and price your items competitively. Offering free shipping or bundling options can give you a competitive edge and attract more buyers.
Use promotional tools: Mercari offers promotional tools such as the “Promote” feature, which allows you to lower the price of your item and notify potential buyers who have liked the item. Utilize these tools to increase visibility and sales.
By employing these strategies on both Poshmark and Mercari, you will be well on your way to boosting your sales and effectively promoting your items on each platform. Remember to stay confident, knowledgeable and to keep your tone neutral and clear when interacting with potential buyers.
Customer Support and Dispute Resolution
Poshmark Support
When using Poshmark, you can rely on customer support to assist you with any issues. They offer a help center with articles and FAQs to answer common questions and help you navigate the platform. You can also email the Poshmark support team for a more personalized solution. Additionally, they have an active social media presence where you can reach out for assistance.
Poshmark has a detailed seller protection and refund policy that helps safeguard your transactions.
If a buyer opens a dispute, the case is addressed by Poshmark’s customer support team. Poshmark may ask for supporting evidence, such as photos or descriptions, to help determine the outcome of the dispute and ensure a fair resolution.
Mercari Support
Mercari provides customer support through various channels, such as a comprehensive help center with articles and FAQs.
To address more specific issues, you can submit a support request through their website or mobile app. Mercari’s customer support team strives to respond promptly to inquiries and offer suitable solutions.
As a seller on Mercari, you can also rely on their seller protection and refund policies when dealing with disputes.
In case of a dispute, Mercari reviews the issue and may ask both parties to provide relevant details and evidence for a thorough investigation. Based on the findings, Mercari helps facilitate a fair resolution, ensuring your interests are protected.
Pros and Cons of Each Platform
Poshmark Advantages and Disadvantages
Poshmark Advantages:
Ease of use: Poshmark’s platform is user-friendly, making listing and selling items quickly easy. Additionally, their social features enable you to gain more visibility and make more sales source.
Focused audience: With over 80 million users, Poshmark’s primary focus is on high-end clothing, accessories, home goods, and unopened skincare items, which means you’re more likely to attract the right buyers for your product’s source.
Poshmark Disadvantages:
Higher fees: Poshmark charges a flat 20% commission fee on items sold for over $15 and a flat $2.95 fee for items sold for under $15 source.
Limited categories: Poshmark’s primary focus on clothing and accessories may limit your selling opportunities if you have various items in different categories.
Mercari Advantages and Disadvantages
Mercari Advantages:
Lower fees: Mercari charges a 10% commission on all sales and a 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee for each transaction, often resulting in lower fees than Poshmark source.
More diverse marketplace: Mercari’s platform allows you to sell a wider range of items, opening up opportunities to sell products in various categories.
Mercari Disadvantages:
Less focused audience: Unlike Poshmark, Mercari has a more diverse marketplace, which may make it more challenging to target specific buyers and sell your items quickly source.
Less comprehensive seller support: Mercari provides different seller support and resources than Poshmark, which may affect your overall selling experience.
By carefully looking at the pros and cons of each platform, you can make a decision on the best place to sell your items.
Conclusion
When deciding between Poshmark and Mercari for your online selling endeavors, it’s essential to consider several factors. Both platforms have unique advantages, and your best option will depend on your needs and preferences.
Poshmark might be more suitable if you’re focused on fashion and want access to a large, dedicated community of buyers and sellers.
They offer an easy-to-use platform for listing items and a compelling social component that can help grow your sales. Remember that Poshmark charges a 20% commission on items sold for over $15 and a flat-rate fee of $2.95 for sales under $15.
On the other hand, Mercari could be a better fit if you’re seeking a broader marketplace to sell items beyond fashion, such as electronics, toys, or home goods.
Mercari’s fees are generally lower, around 14%—consisting of a 10% commission and 2.9% plus $0.50 in processing fees, including the shipping cost. As per your requirements, weigh these elements to determine which platform to choose.
Remember to consider shipping costs as well, as each platform has its shipping methods and policies. Poshmark generally offers more straightforward shipping options, while Mercari provides additional flexibility regarding shipping arrangements.
In summary, your choice between Poshmark and Mercari will primarily depend on the types of items you wish to sell, the fees you’re comfortable paying, and the preferred level of social interaction while selling. By assessing your personal preferences and business goals, you’ll better understand which platform is ideal for your online selling experience.
FAQ
Is it better to sell in Poshmark or Mercari?
Poshmark and Mercari cater to different selling needs and preferences. Poshmark is mainly tailored for fashion items and offers a more community-focused experience with higher fees (around 20% for sales over $15) and a streamlined shipping process.
Mercari provides a broader selection of products, such as clothing, electronics, and household items, and imposes lower fees, approximately 10%.
What percent does Mercari take vs Poshmark?
The fees for selling on Mercari and Poshmark differed, with Mercari taking a 10% selling fee of the listing price, including payment processing. In contrast, Poshmark’s fees were a flat $2.95 for sales under $15 and a 20% commission for sales $15 or more.
What is the downside to Poshmark?
Potential issues with returns or scams, delayed payment until the buyer accepts the item, and personal preferences regarding user experience might also influence a seller’s decision to use Poshmark.
Is Poshmark cheaper than Mercari?
Depending on what you’re selling, Poshmark and Mercari have different fee structures that make one platform more economical than the other. As of September 2021, Poshmark charges a flat fee of $2.95 for sales under $15 and 20% for sales over $15, whereas Mercari takes a 10% selling fee of the listing price.
For lower-priced items, Poshmark might be more cost-effective, while Mercari might be the cheaper option for more expensive items. Shipping costs and other factors also influence the overall cost, so it’s essential to consider your selling situation and experiment with both platforms to determine which is more economical.
