Why shipping is in the fee
Mercari US charges one selling fee: 10% of the item price plus any shipping the buyer pays. Sales tax is not included, and since January 6, 2025 there is no processing fee for listings created or updated on or after that date. Buyers pay a separate Buyer Protection fee, which does not come out of your payout. So on a cheap item the shipping can be a big share of what the fee is charged on.
A $20 item, four ways to ship
| Shipping | Fee base | Mercari fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buyer pays $5 | $25.00 | $2.50 | $17.50 |
| Buyer pays $7 | $27.00 | $2.70 | $17.30 |
| Buyer pays $10 | $30.00 | $3.00 | $17.00 |
| Free shipping, you pay a $7 label | $20 | $2.00 | $11.00 |
When the buyer pays, each extra dollar of shipping costs you $0.10 in fee (computed: $3.00 at $10 shipping versus $2.50 at $5). Offering free shipping lowers the fee to $2.00 but the label comes out of your pocket, leaving $11.00. On a $20 item that is the bigger decision.
Pricing to keep a round number
To keep a full $20 after the fee when the buyer pays $7 shipping, you would need to price the item at $23.00 or more (computed). The fee on shipping is the reason the answer is not simply $20 divided by 0.9.
Other Mercari costs
- Instant Pay costs $3 per payout; a standard direct deposit is free.
- Mercari publishes its own label prices; a new table takes effect October 19, 2026.
- Frequent cancellations can carry a fee of 5% of the item price, up to $25.
Enter your own price and label in the calculator above, or compare the same item on every platform with the fee comparison.
Estimates, fees as of Oct 2026. Not affiliated with any marketplace.