Mercari has one main seller fee, and it isn’t 10% of your price. It’s 10% of the item price plus whatever the buyer pays for shipping, so a $40 item with a $7.99 label costs you $4.80, or 12.0% of the price. On top of that the buyer pays a separate 3.6% Buyer Protection fee, the buyer’s shipping money pays for the label, and Instant Pay takes $3 when you cash out. The calculator applies each charge to the base Mercari names and rounds each line to the cent; Mercari doesn’t publish its rounding, so a statement can be a cent off.
Every Mercari fee at a glance
These are the fees for listings created or updated since January 6, 2025. Mercari moved older listings to them automatically.
| Fee | Amount | Charged on | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selling fee | 10% | Item price + shipping the buyer pays (not sales tax) | When the order completessource |
| Buyer Protection fee | 3.6%, paid by the buyer | Item price + shipping the buyer pays | Added at the buyer’s checkoutsource |
| Payment processing | None | — | Listings created or updated since Jan 6, 2025source |
| Prepaid shipping label | From $5.39 (USPS Ground Advantage, 4 oz, Best rate) | Paid by the buyer at checkout, or taken from your earnings if you offer free shipping | Orders shipped with a Mercari labelsource |
| Media Mail label | $4.47 / $5.22 / $5.97 (1 / 2 / 3 lb) | Each label, one price (no Best or Standard rate) | Books, movies and music onlysource |
| First-Class Envelope label | $0 (1 oz), $0.49 (2–3 oz) | Each envelope label | Trading cards and paper collectibles; promotion until Jan 4, 2027source |
| Shipping adjustment | Label for the real weight − label paid | Overweight or oversized packages | When the carrier measures more than the labelsource |
| Old HAZMAT label on the box | $25 (half of USPS’s $50) | Taken from your earnings | Packages postmarked from Sep 1, 2026source |
| Direct deposit | Free ($2 if it fails) | Each cash-out to your checking account | Once a daysource |
| Instant Pay | $3 | Each cash-out to a debit card | Once a day, up to $600 a monthsource |
| Cancelation fee | 5%, max $25 | Item price | Sellers who cancel oftensource |
| Mercari Authenticate | $5 (+$10 certificate) | Each designer item submitted | Charged to your card at submissionsource |
Three things catch sellers out:
- The 10% includes buyer-paid shipping. “Price minus 10%” comes up short, most of all on cheap items: with a $7.99 label, the fee is 18.0% of a $10 price.
- Old numbers are everywhere. Many guides still list a 2.9% + $0.50 processing fee, or the 0% seller fee Mercari ran in 2024. Neither applies today.
- Shipping can cost more after the sale. If the carrier finds the package heavier or bigger than the label, Mercari deducts the difference from your earnings, even when the buyer paid for shipping.
What you keep at common prices
Each row assumes the buyer pays a $7.99 label (USPS Ground Advantage up to 1 lb, Best rate) and you cash out by direct deposit.
| Item price | Total fees | Fee rate | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $1.80 | 18.0% | $8.20 |
| $20.00 | $2.80 | 14.0% | $17.20 |
| $30.00 | $3.80 | 12.7% | $26.20 |
| $50.00 | $5.80 | 11.6% | $44.20 |
| $75.00 | $8.30 | 11.1% | $66.70 |
| $100.00 | $10.80 | 10.8% | $89.20 |
| $200.00 | $20.80 | 10.4% | $179.20 |
| $500.00 | $50.80 | 10.2% | $449.20 |
The 10% on shipping is a fixed amount per label, so it weighs most on cheap items: Mercari keeps 18.0% of a $10 price but 10.4% of a $200 one.
How the fees add up on one order
A $40 item with a $7.99 label the buyer pays for:
- Buyer pays in total$49.72
- of which shipping (prepaid label) (paid by the buyer)Added at checkout$7.99
- of which buyer Protection fee (paid by the buyer)3.6% × $47.99$1.73
- Sale amount$40.00
- Selling fee10% × ($40.00 item + $7.99 shipping)−$4.80
- You keep$35.20
The buyer pays $49.72: $40.00 for the item, $7.99 for the label and a $1.73 Buyer Protection fee, plus sales tax where it applies. Mercari’s fee is 10% of $47.99, or $4.80, which is 12.0% of your price. When the buyer rates the order, or 72 hours after delivery if they don’t, $35.20 lands in your balance. Direct deposit sends all of it to your bank; Instant Pay would leave $32.20.
Buyer-paid shipping or free shipping?
When you list with a Mercari prepaid label, you choose who pays for it. If the buyer pays, the label is added at checkout and your 10% is charged on it. If you offer free shipping, the 10% is charged on the item price only, but the whole label comes out of your earnings. Here is a $25 item shipped free with a $5.99 label (USPS Ground Advantage, 8 oz, Best rate):
- Buyer pays in total$25.90
- of which buyer Protection fee (paid by the buyer)3.6% × $25.00$0.90
- Sale amount$25.00
- Selling fee10% × $25.00−$2.50
- Shipping label (you pay)Mercari prepaid label, taken from your earnings−$5.99
- You keep$16.51
Fees and the label take $8.49 of the $25.00 price. The two options pay the same once the label is in the price: a $47.99 item with free shipping and a $40 item with $7.99 buyer-paid shipping both leave you $35.20 and cost the buyer $49.72. So choose by what sells better, not by the fee.
The holiday promotion changes that for items of $50 or more. Until January 4, 2027, Mercari makes buyer-paid shipping free for the buyer on single items of $50 or more with a Best-rate label of 5 lb or less (USPS Priority Mail, UPS Ground and FedEx Home don’t qualify), and on $50+ bundles up to 5 lb. On a $60 item with a $7.99 label, paying shipping yourself leaves $46.01, while buyer-paid shipping leaves $53.20 and the buyer still sees free shipping. Mercari hasn’t said whether its 10% applies to shipping it waives; the calculator assumes it does.
Mercari shipping label prices
Mercari changed its prepaid label prices on October 19, 2026, for new and existing listings. Each cell shows the Best rate, for packages up to 1 cubic foot with the longest side 22 inches or less, then the Standard rate for bigger boxes or listings without dimensions:
| Label weight | USPS Ground Advantage | FedEx Economy | UPS Ground |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 oz | $5.39 / $6.49 | $7.94 / $9.19 | $14.99 / $17.99 |
| 8 oz | $5.99 / $7.49 | $7.99 / $9.29 | $15.09 / $17.99 |
| 12 oz | $7.39 / $8.49 | $8.04 / $9.39 | $15.19 / $17.99 |
| 1 lb | $7.99 / $8.99 | $8.09 / $9.79 | $15.49 / $17.99 |
| 2 lb | $13.09 / $14.99 | $8.49 / $9.99 | $15.99 / $18.49 |
| 3 lb | $13.99 / $16.99 | $8.69 / $10.49 | $16.49 / $18.99 |
| 5 lb | $15.99 / $18.99 | $9.39 / $12.99 | $17.29 / $19.99 |
| 10 lb | $21.99 / $23.99 | $12.49 / $20.99 | $18.49 / $24.99 |
| 20 lb | $35.99 / $38.99 | — | $35.99 / $42.99 |
UPS SurePost costs the same as FedEx Economy up to its 5 lb limit. Prices are the same to all 50 states, and labels include up to $200 of Shipping Protection ($20 for envelopes). Books, movies and music can go by Media Mail for $4.47 (1 lb), $5.22 (2 lb) or $5.97 (3 lb). Trading cards and paper collectibles ship in a First-Class Envelope for $0 up to 1 oz and $0.49 for 2–3 oz until January 4, 2027.
Over 1 lb, Mercari rounds up to the next pound, so a 3.25 lb package needs a 4 lb label, and above 20 lb it bills in 10 lb steps. For packages over 1 cubic foot or with the longest side over 22 inches, carriers charge the higher of actual and dimensional weight. If the label was too small, Mercari charges the right label minus what was paid.
Cashing out and other charges
Your money is released when the buyer rates the order, or automatically 72 hours after confirmed delivery. Direct deposit to a checking account is free, once a day, and usually arrives within 5 business days; only a failed deposit costs $2. Instant Pay sends the balance to a Visa or Mastercard debit card in about 30 minutes for a flat $3, once a day and up to $600 a month. The $3 is the same on any amount, so it costs 30% of a $10 cash-out.
Three other charges apply only in specific cases:
- Cancelations. Sellers who cancel often can be charged 5% of the item price, never more than $25, after a warning.
- Mercari Authenticate. Designer bags, wallets, shoes, eyewear, jewelry and watches cost $5 to authenticate, charged to your card when you submit photos, plus $10 for an optional certificate (not offered for jewelry or watches). Authenticated items can be listed up to $5,000 after an extra ID check; everything else tops out at $2,000.
- Old HAZMAT labels. USPS charges $50 when a box still shows a hazardous-materials label; since September 1, 2026, Mercari deducts half, $25, from the seller.
Ways to keep more of each sale
- Add your package dimensions. Listings without dimensions get the Standard rate, which is $1.00 more for a 1 lb USPS Ground Advantage label and much more for heavy boxes. Older listings only get the Best rate once you edit them and confirm the size.
- Weigh after packing. The box, padding and tape count. An adjustment for an underweight label comes out of your earnings even when the buyer paid shipping.
- Compare carriers between 2 and 10 lb. A 2 lb box costs $8.49 by FedEx Economy against $13.09 by USPS Ground Advantage at the Best rate.
- Cash out by direct deposit, or wait and cash out several sales at once if you need Instant Pay.
- Budget for Promote. Promote and Offer to Likers are free, but they work by cutting your price: Promote needs a permanent cut of at least 5%, Offer to Likers and time-limited sales at least 10%. Run the lower price through the calculator first.
Recent Mercari fee changes
- January 4, 2027UpcomingFree shipping for buyers on $50+ orders ends at 4:59 p.m. PT.source
- January 4, 2027UpcomingFirst-Class Envelope promotion for trading cards ends at 11:59 p.m. PT: $0 (1 oz) and $0.49 (2–3 oz) labels go back to the then-current rate (the fees page lists $0.74, $1.03 and $1.32).source
- October 22, 2026Holiday promotion: buyer-paid shipping is free for the buyer on $50+ single items with a Best-rate label of 5 lb or less (not USPS Priority Mail, UPS Ground or FedEx Home) and on $50+ bundles up to 5 lb.source
- October 19, 2026New prepaid label prices for all new and existing listings, buyer- and seller-paid. USPS Ground Advantage 1 lb: $7.48 → $7.99 (Best rate), $7.59 → $8.99 (Standard). Media Mail 1 lb: $4.99 → $4.47.source
- September 17, 20261 oz First-Class Envelope labels for trading cards and paper collectibles became free, and the 49¢ rate for 1–3 oz was extended to January 4, 2027.source
- September 1, 2026USPS charges $50 when a package still shows an old HAZMAT label. Mercari now deducts half of it, $25, from the seller’s earnings.source
- May 7, 2026USPS Ground Advantage and Priority Mail label prices went up to reflect USPS’s 8% fuel surcharge (Media Mail and First-Class Envelopes unchanged).source
- March 19, 2026Seller Tiers beta until May 14, 2026: some sellers paid a lower selling fee as their completed sales grew. Mercari showed the reduced rates only to participants; the standard fee stayed 10%.source
- January 20, 2026Standard-rate label prices went up (about 4.7% on average across all labels); Best-rate prices didn’t change. Existing listings updated from February 16.source
- July 28, 2025Best-rate labels introduced for packages up to 1 cubic foot with the longest side 22 inches or less, about 6% cheaper than Standard on average. USPS labels rose 2% on average.source
- March 10, 2025An 8% penalty on the adjusted shipping price was added for underpaid (overweight or oversized) labels. Mercari’s current fee and overweight-package pages no longer list it.source
- February 18, 2025Prepaid labels up 1% on average; USPS Ground Advantage extended to 20 lb.source
- January 6, 2025Selling fee reinstated: 10% of the item price and buyer-paid shipping (it had been 0% on new listings). Buyers now pay a flat 3.6% Buyer Protection fee instead of a service fee plus 2.9% + $0.50 processing. Direct deposit became free (was $2 per cash-out).source
- March 27, 2024Selling fee dropped to 0% on new listings, so sellers kept the whole item price; buyers paid a service fee plus a 2.9% + $0.50 payment processing fee instead (until January 5, 2025).source
We re-check Mercari’s fee and shipping pages every day and update this calculator when they change; to see how the same sale does elsewhere, try the eBay fee calculator or compare every marketplace.