Poshmark vs Mercari Fees: Which Keeps You More?
Short answer: On seller fees alone, Mercari keeps you more at every price in this comparison. Mercari charges a flat 10%, while Poshmark charges $2.95 on sales under $15 and 20% at $15 and above. The cheapest fee is not always the best choice, though — where your item's buyers already shop can matter more than a few dollars of fee.
Stand: October 2026. Sources: Poshmark Support — FAQs and Mercari Help — Fees on Mercari. Fee structures change — check each platform's current fee page before you price.
The fees side by side
| Poshmark | Mercari | |
|---|---|---|
| Seller fee | $2.95 flat under $15; 20% at $15 and above | 10% flat |
| Fee base | Sale price | Item price plus buyer-paid shipping |
| Listing fee | None | None |
| Buyer pays on top | Shipping separately at checkout; prepaid label for packages up to 5 pounds | 3.6% Buyer Protection fee on item price plus buyer-paid shipping |
Worked examples: the same item, both platforms
All figures below are before your own costs, such as packaging or a shipping label you choose to pay for yourself.
| Sale price | Poshmark fee | Poshmark keeps | Mercari fee | Mercari keeps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $12 | $2.95 flat | $9.05 | $1.20 | $10.80 |
| $30 | $6.00 (20%) | $24.00 | $3.00 (10%) | $27.00 |
| $100 | $20.00 (20%) | $80.00 | $10.00 (10%) | $90.00 |
Check the maths on the $30 row: Poshmark, 20% x $30.00 = $6.00, so $30.00 - $6.00 = $24.00. Mercari, 10% x $30.00 = $3.00, so $30.00 - $3.00 = $27.00. The gap is $3.00 on a $30 sale and $10.00 on a $100 sale — it grows with the price, because 20% is double 10%.
The $15 crossover, and why the flat fee never wins
Poshmark's $2.95 flat fee looks like a bargain next to 20%, and on higher cheap-item prices it softens the blow — but compare it with Mercari instead: 10% of any price under $15 is under $1.50 (10% of $14.99 is $1.499), which is always less than $2.95. So within the band where the flat fee applies, Poshmark never beats Mercari on fee alone. On a $10 sale the flat fee is 29.5% of the price — the flat fee softens Poshmark's own 20% rate only in the sense that the 20% band does not apply under $15; it does not make Poshmark cheaper than Mercari.
At exactly $15 the bands switch: a $15 sale on Poshmark pays 20%, a $3.00 fee, keeping $12.00 — one cent less than a $14.99 sale keeps ($12.04). That one-cent quirk is real, but it is not a reason to price at $14.99: buyers, offers and shipping matter far more than a cent of fee.
The shipping trap: Mercari's fee base includes buyer-paid shipping
Take a $40 item with $6.00 of buyer-paid shipping on Mercari. The fee base is $40.00 + $6.00 = $46.00, the fee is 10% x $46.00 = $4.60, and you receive $46.00 - $4.60 = $41.40 before any label cost you pay yourself. If you instead offered free shipping and paid the label yourself, the fee would be 10% x $40.00 = $4.00, keeping $36.00 before the label cost. Either way you pay for shipping once — through a higher fee base, or through the label itself — so compare both versions before you choose.
On Poshmark the comparison is simpler: the fee is calculated on the sale price, and the buyer pays shipping separately, so shipping does not raise your fee base.
When Poshmark still wins
Fee is only one part of the sale. An item that sells on Poshmark and sits unsold on Mercari earns you more on Poshmark, whatever the fee table says. Poshmark's audience leans toward fashion and branded clothing, with social discovery that rewards active sellers; Mercari is a general marketplace where electronics, home goods and toys sit alongside clothing. Match the item to where its buyers already shop first, then use the fee table to price it.
Method and limits
Figures use each platform's published US seller-fee rules as of October 2026: Poshmark $2.95 under $15 and 20% at $15 and above, on the sale price; Mercari 10% on the item price plus buyer-paid shipping. Buyer-paid amounts (Mercari's 3.6% Buyer Protection fee, Poshmark's buyer-paid shipping) are shown for context and are not deducted from the seller's keep figures. Promotions, offers, returns and category exceptions are not covered here, and fee rules change — always check the platform's current fee page before you price.
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Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, Poshmark or Mercari?
On seller fees alone, Mercari is cheaper at every price in this comparison: 10% beats Poshmark's $2.95 flat fee under $15 and its 20% fee at $15 and above. Audience fit can still make Poshmark the better choice for a given item.
What do you keep on a $30 sale on Poshmark vs Mercari?
On a $30 sale you keep $24.00 on Poshmark (20% fee of $6.00) and $27.00 on Mercari (10% fee of $3.00), before your own costs such as packaging or a label you pay for yourself.
Is Poshmark's $2.95 fee ever cheaper than Mercari's 10%?
No, not within the band where it applies. The $2.95 flat fee only applies under $15, and 10% of any price under $15 is under $1.50, which is less than $2.95. The flat fee softens the 20% rate on cheap items, but it never beats Mercari's 10% on the same price.
Does Mercari charge its fee on shipping?
Yes, when the buyer pays for shipping. Mercari's 10% fee applies to the item price plus any buyer-paid shipping, so charging the buyer for shipping raises the fee base. Poshmark's fee is calculated on the sale price, with the buyer paying shipping separately.
Does the buyer pay anything extra on either platform?
Yes. On Mercari the buyer pays a 3.6% Buyer Protection fee on the item price plus buyer-paid shipping. On Poshmark the buyer pays shipping separately at checkout. Buyer-paid amounts do not change the seller fee maths above, but they do change what the buyer pays in total.
Estimates and general information only. Platform fees change — check the platform's current fee page before you price.
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