Depop vs. Mercari for Sellers: A Head-to-Head Comparison

Depop vs. Mercari for Sellers: A Head-to-Head Comparison

Choosing the right online marketplace can make or break your resale business. With countless platforms available, two of the most popular choices for independent sellers are Depop and Mercari. While they might seem similar at first glance, they cater to different audiences and offer unique selling experiences.

If you're weighing your options and asking, "Is Mercari or Depop better for selling?" you've come to the right place. This head-to-head comparison breaks down everything you need to know about selling on Mercari vs. Depop, from fees and audience to shipping and payouts.

Understanding these differences is the first step toward building a successful and scalable resale business. Let's dive in.

Depop vs. Mercari: At a Glance

Before we get into the details, here’s a quick overview of how the two platforms stack up against each other.

Seller Fees: A Detailed Breakdown

One of the biggest factors for any reseller is the platform's fee structure. In 2024, both Depop and Mercari made headlines by eliminating their traditional selling fees, but their models are still quite different.

Mercari Seller Fees

As of March 2024, Mercari has no selling fees for items listed after this date. This means sellers keep 100% of their sale price, which can significantly boost profit margins. Instead of the seller paying a fee, Mercari now charges the buyer a service fee and a payment processing fee on each transaction.

The only exception to keeping 100% of the profit is if a seller chooses to offer free shipping, in which case they cover that cost themselves.

However, getting your money from the platform comes with a cost. Mercari requires sellers to manually redeem their balance. There is a $2 fee for each Direct Deposit redemption, which can take up to five business days to process. For faster access, Instant Pay is available for a $3 fee per redemption.

Depop Seller Fees

Depop also eliminated its selling fee as of July 2024 for any listings created after July 15, 2024. This change makes the platform more competitive and profitable for sellers.

Despite this, the Depop transaction fee still applies to all listings. In the United States, this fee is 3.3% + $0.45 of the total sale price (including shipping) for payments made through Depop Payments. These fees can vary by location.

Additionally, Depop offers a "Boosted Listings" feature. If sellers opt-in, they will incur an 8% boosting fee on the total sale price. This fee only applies if a buyer clicks on the boosted tile and purchases the item within 28 days.

While both platforms now boast some of the lowest fees among peer-to-peer marketplaces, Mercari's zero-fee model is simpler, though sellers must account for withdrawal fees. Depop sellers will still see a transaction fee deducted from every sale.

Audience and Demographics: Finding Your Ideal Buyer

Knowing who you're selling to is just as important as what you're selling. Depop and Mercari serve two very different customer bases, which will heavily influence which platform is right for your inventory.

The Depop Audience: Young, Trendy, and Global

Depop has 35 million active users spread across more than 150 countries. The platform primarily attracts a younger, trendier audience with a strong focus on fashion.

The majority of Depop users are between 18 and 35 years old, with a staggering 90% of users being under the age of 26. This demographic is particularly interested in secondhand fashion, unique vintage items, and trendy clothing styles like Y2K, streetwear, and one-of-a-kind (OOAK) pieces.

Because of its niched audience, Depop is an excellent place to sell curated fashion. Its global reach is also a major advantage, as sellers can ship to over 150 countries, tapping into an international market where American vintage is highly sought after.

The Mercari Audience: Broad, Diverse, and US-Based

Mercari has 23 million active users, all located within the United States. Its user base is much broader and more diverse in terms of age and interests. Mercari attracts buyers and sellers of all ages looking for a wide variety of new and used items.

The marketplace is popular for everything from fashion and home goods to electronics and collectibles. This makes it an ideal platform for sellers with a diverse inventory that extends beyond clothing.

Sellers looking to reach a more general audience across multiple categories will find Mercari's broad user base advantageous. It's perfect for those who want simplicity and the broad appeal of a virtual garage sale.

The Selling Process: From Listing to Sale

Both platforms have made it easy to start selling, but they offer different tools and features to help you manage your listings and make sales.

Creating a Listing

Listing an item is straightforward on both apps. You add photos, write a description, set a price, and choose your shipping options. However, their listing tools cater to their different audiences.

On Depop, the process is designed for fashion. You can upload both photos and video media; in fact, an item is 50% more likely to sell if the listing includes a video. The entire listing description is searchable, and you can add up to five hashtags, which are crucial for getting your items seen.

On Mercari, the process is built for simplicity and speed. A standout feature is Mercari's automation tools. "Smart Pricing" allows you to set a starting price and a floor price, and Mercari will automatically lower the price over time to attract buyers. "Smart Offers" lets you set a bottom line, and the system will automatically accept or counter offers for you.

Managing Offers and Communication

Both platforms have built-in messaging systems for buyers and sellers to communicate. They also allow both parties to send, accept, decline, or counter offers.

A key difference that many sellers find frustrating is that offers are not binding on Depop. Even if you accept a buyer's offer, they can still change their mind, and the sale isn't complete until they officially check out.

Streamline Your Listings with an All-in-One Tool

Whether you’re using Depop's creative tools or Mercari's smart automation, creating listings one by one is time-consuming, especially if you sell on multiple platforms. This is where using a dedicated resale tool can be a game-changer.

Our platform helps you run and grow your business with ease. You can turn photos into complete listings instantly, with AI-generated titles, descriptions, and prices. With just one click, you can then publish your items to Depop, Mercari, Poshmark, and eBay, saving you hours of manual work.

FabFam, a resale business from Washington, found that our tools "cut my listing time by more than half." If you're ready to stop copying and pasting and start selling more efficiently, you can start a free trial with us today.

Shipping: Costs, Options, and Policies

Shipping can be one of the most complex parts of online selling. Both Depop and Mercari offer flexible choices, but their costs, policies, and reach differ significantly.

Shipping Options

On both platforms, sellers can choose to ship with a prepaid label provided by the marketplace or handle shipping on their own. If you use a platform label, you’ll need to enter the item’s approximate weight and dimensions when you create the listing.

Choosing to ship on your own gives you more control over carriers and costs. Many sellers on both platforms recommend using a service like Pirate Ship to find significantly more affordable rates than those offered directly by the marketplaces.

Shipping Costs and Policies

Mercari is not known for having the most affordable shipping rates. The platform is also very strict about package weight. If your package is even a single ounce over what you listed, you will be charged the difference, which can eat into your profits.

It's also important to note that Mercari's seller protection only applies to packages shipped with Mercari labels. If you ship on your own, you don't necessarily have that protection and should consider adding insurance to your parcels.

Global Reach: A Major Differentiator

The biggest difference in shipping is the audience you can reach. Mercari is limited to the United States, meaning sellers can only ship to buyers within the US.

Depop, on the other hand, operates in over 150 countries. Sellers can opt-in to global shipping for each listing, which significantly expands their potential customer base. To ship internationally on Depop, sellers must handle the shipping process on their own.

Getting Paid and Return Policies

How and when you get your money is a critical part of the selling experience. Depop and Mercari have very different payout processes and approaches to handling returns.

The Payout Process

Depop offers automatic payouts. For US sellers, funds are automatically paid out through Depop Payments directly to your linked bank account. The payout is initiated two business days after the package is tracked as delivered. This automated process is convenient, though it can feel slow since you have to wait for delivery confirmation.

Mercari requires manual fund transfers. After a sale, your balance becomes available once the buyer receives and rates the transaction, or 72 hours after delivery confirmation, whichever comes first. From there, you must manually transfer the funds. A Direct Deposit costs $2 and can take up to five days, while an Instant Pay transfer costs $3 and arrives in minutes.

Return Policies

Technically, sellers on both platforms are not required to accept returns unless an item is not as described, damaged, or never shipped. However, both marketplaces tend to rule in favor of the buyer if a dispute arises.

On Mercari, all sales are final unless there is a problem with the item. A buyer cannot return something because it doesn't fit or they changed their mind. If a return is requested, Mercari may ask for the seller's input but ultimately makes the final decision.

Depop allows sellers to create their own return policy. However, when a buyer opens a claim, the seller does not see it or get a chance to respond. Depop investigates, makes a decision, and then informs the seller of the outcome.

Pros and Cons: A Quick Summary

So, which platform should you choose? Here’s a quick recap of the pros and cons for sellers.

Mercari Pros & Cons

• Pros:
  • No selling fees, so sellers keep 100% of the list price.
  • Simple and user-friendly interface, great for new sellers.
  • Broad audience and extensive product categories for diverse inventories.
  • Helpful automation tools like Smart Pricing and Smart Offers.
• Cons:
  • Shipping is limited to the United States only.
  • Shipping rates can be high, with strict weight policies.
  • Payouts are manual and include withdrawal fees.
  • Less seller protection when you ship on your own.

Depop Pros & Cons

• Pros:
  • Global audience with shipping to over 150 countries.
  • Targeted, trendy audience perfect for fashion and vintage sellers.
  • Social media-like features that create a vibrant community and enhance visibility.
  • Listing tools like video uploads that can increase sales.
  • Automatic payouts directly to your bank account.
• Cons:
  • A transaction fee still applies to every sale.
  • The niche audience may be limiting for sellers with diverse items.
  • The payout process can be slower, tied to delivery confirmation.
  • Offers from buyers are not binding, which can be frustrating for sellers.

Scale Your Business on Depop & Mercari with Reeva

Whether you choose Depop's global fashion community, Mercari's broad US marketplace, or decide to sell on both, scaling your business means overcoming the challenge of repetitive, time-consuming tasks. That's where we come in.

Our all-in-one platform is designed to help resale businesses accelerate their growth with ease. We simplify selling, automate tasks, and provide the tools you need to manage and scale your operations.

With our platform, you can:

• Sell Smarter and Faster: Turn photos into complete listings in an instant. Our AI creates optimized titles, descriptions, and prices for you. Then, with one click, you can cross-list your items to multiple marketplaces like Depop, Mercari, Poshmark, and eBay, effortlessly reaching more buyers.
• Save Time with Automation: Stop worrying about overselling. Our auto-delist feature instantly removes a sold item from all other platforms. You can also automate sending offers and relisting stale products to keep them at the top of search results. As reseller AlistairBP said, the auto-delist feature is one he "couldn't live without."
• Grow Your Business with Ease: Manage hundreds of listings in bulk, track sales and profits with powerful business analytics, and even give team members access to your account. Reseller TUFFNY was able to cut their admin time "by at least 30%," giving them more time to source new products.
• Handle Accounting Seamlessly: Forget spreadsheets. Our platform offers full-service accounting that connects to your bank accounts, automatically records transactions, and categorizes income and expenses to make tax time a breeze.

Resellers who use our tools see real results, from a 7x increase in sales like Nuzzydeals to a +372% increase in items sold in just three weeks like Vintage Vault WV. We provide everything you need to grow your resale business, all in one place.

Conclusion: Is Mercari or Depop Better for Selling?

So, after this head-to-head comparison, which platform comes out on top? The truth is, there's no single right answer. The best platform for you depends entirely on your inventory, your business goals, and your target customer.

Mercari is perfect for sellers who want simplicity, broad appeal, and a platform to sell a wide variety of items to a diverse US audience. Its zero-fee model and user-friendly tools make it incredibly easy to get started.

Depop is the go-to for fashion-focused sellers who thrive on community interaction and want to tap into a global, trendy audience. Its social features and international reach are unmatched for building a fashion brand.

But why choose just one? The most successful sellers maximize their visibility by selling on multiple platforms. By listing your items on both Depop and Mercari, you can reach two distinct customer bases and significantly increase your chances of making a sale.

No matter which platform you choose, our tools are built to help you succeed. From instant AI-powered listings to automated delisting across marketplaces, we give you back the time to focus on what matters most: sourcing great items and growing your profits. Ready to take your resale business to the next level?

Start your free 7-day trial today and discover how easy scaling your business can be.