have you heard of mercari? It is a Japanese eCommerce platform that launched in the United States in 2014. While it is relatively new to the reselling space, it is one of the first platforms designed specifically for mobile users.
To start selling on mercari, here are some things you need to know.
You are reading: Can you sell books on mercari
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Your account settings
mercari is a mobile first reselling platform, meaning it was designed to be used on your phone. download the app and create an account to get started. (If you prefer to use your computer, there is also a desktop version.)
creating your first listing
Unlike eBay, which is a search-optimized catalog-based platform, Mercari is a feed. this means that mercari will show results based on what is most likely to sell. To be successful on Mercari, you’ll need to pay attention to trends and what people are looking for.
category research
When I started selling on Mercari I realized that a lot of people were buying Rae Dunn mugs. honestly i had never heard of rae dunn until this moment. Apparently, some mugs sell for a lot of money.
Before creating your first listing, research the category first. certain things sell very well on mercari because it has become the platform that buyers go to first. Just like you might buy a pair of jordans at stockx, you might choose to look first at mercari for a rare rae dunn mug.
doing this research will tell you whether or not you have buyers on mercari. On the subject of the mug, if you have an old fire king mug to sell and you notice none have been sold recently, that will help you determine whether or not mercari is the right platform to post on.
images
When you’re ready to publish an article, the first thing you’ll be asked to provide is images. mercari is designed for mobile devices, which means you can take photos right from your phone.
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mercari is a feed-based platform, so you’ll want your image to be visibly attractive. It doesn’t have to be stylized as a fancy brand name or have a crisp white background, but the buyer should be able to tell what you’re selling.
For a high-demand category like video games, a good image probably doesn’t matter as much as a highly competitive category like womenswear. Study the category you plan to list items in and be strategic with your images to ensure your listing stands out.
description
Once you have a few photos of your item, you will be asked to provide a title and description. Please be as specific as possible by providing the brand name, size and features of your item. It’s important to note that Mercari only gives you 40 characters to use in your title, so you’ll want to choose your words wisely.
ad details
Depending on the category you sell in, you’ll be asked for specific details about your listing. most characters will ask you to select a subcategory and brand, while other categories, like sneakers, may ask for a specific style name.
fee structure
mercari does not charge a fee to list your item, but does charge a minimum 10% fee when it is sold.
At the end of 2020, Mercari also implemented a payment processing fee of 2.9% + 30 cents per sale. Believe it or not, you pay this fee every time you swipe your credit card. Most shopify store owners and physical merchants are charged this same fee. they simply include it in the price of their merchandise without you realizing it.
When it comes to fees, Mercari falls in the middle: charging half the poshmark fee but twice the facebook marketplace fee. mercari removes all the variable fees you find on ebay and amazon, making mercari a really attractive platform for new sellers.
sending your sales
When you create your first ad, you’ll be asked to select a delivery method. mercari has two options for you to choose from:
- merchandising
- shipping on your own
Sending with Mercari has some benefits. First, you will receive a label by email directly. all you have to do is print it out and drop it off at your nearest ups, usps or fedex carrier. When you select this option, you can either pay shipping (i.e. offer the buyer free shipping) or Mercari will charge the buyer a shipping fee based on the item weight and shipping dimensions you provide.
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mercari offers shipping protection when you ship with one of its prepaid labels. this is another great benefit of shipping through mercari. in fact i had an incident where i shipped a starbucks cup that was damaged on the way to the buyer. Because I used my own label, I had no recourse: Mercari automatically reimbursed the buyer. luckily i used flat rate priority mail that came with insurance and was able to get a refund through usps but that’s not always the case.
a big drawback to using mercari shipping is that your options are limited. you cannot use flat rate priority mail or send via media mail if you are selling books. this could cause you, or your buyer, to pay 2-3 times more for shipping than necessary.
despite the higher cost, mercari’s shipping program is easy to use and is ideal for a new reseller.
charge
once your item is delivered to the buyer, mercari will notify you that it has arrived. You will be prompted to leave feedback for the buyer so Mercari will release your payment.
mercari intentionally makes it difficult to transfer your earnings to your bank account. This is because they want to entice you to spend your hard-earned money on something within the app first. To release your money, click on your profile and then tap on your balance (it might not look like it’s clickable, but it is, never fear). from there you will be able to click on a button that says “transfer my balance”.
There are some fees associated with transferring your balance that you should be aware of. If you try to transfer less than $10 to your bank or use instant pay, Mercari will charge you a fee. You won’t pay any fees if you opt for the normal direct deposit process.
Depending on how long it takes for the item to be shipped to the buyer, how long it takes for the buyer to accept it, and how long it takes for mercari to process your deposit request, it could take over two weeks to receive your item. your money. This is a bit slower than eBay, but might not be a problem if you’re selling in a high-demand category where items can sell out instantly.
mercari is easy to use with a simple user interface, condensed listing requirements, and an in-house shipping schedule. To be successful on Mercari, you’ll want to sell in a high-demand category. While you could sell vintage WWII pins on Mercari, if there are no buyers using the platform to search for that item, it really won’t matter, right?
Do some simple research before you start to find out which categories are in demand and which shoppers are looking to buy from those categories.
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