Mercari

Nine dimensions merchants should review before joining:

Merchant snapshot

Na Japan C2C second-hand number one, cross-border export dey high growth. From 2026.1 dem restore about 10% seller fee; e dey good for individual/small sellers an brands wey wan clear stock, no dey good for stable-pricing B2C.

Entry requirements

C2C individual seller register and start selling (phone number + identity verification, individual occasional selling no need used-goods dealer license). Legal entity/brand fit open shop through Mercari Shops (review system). Cross-region view: Japan site mainly face Japan sellers (registration, language, settlement all Japan entity); cross-border direction na Japan sellers dey sell to Taiwan etc overseas buyers through Mercari Global Shopping (cross-border transaction value >¥90B); overseas sellers directly entering Japan site dey restricted, as e dey for di official cross-border rules.

Fee structure

For 2022 dem once cancel seller handling fee (0%); from 2026.1 dem restore seller handling fee an adjust buyer charges (yilantop). Third-party fee guide show Japan site na fixed 10% of transaction price, no listing fee/monthly fee, withdrawal fee 200 yen per time (PayPay bank free, minimum withdrawal 200 yen, furima-navi 2026; Japan site exact fee rate as e dey for di official announcement). Competitor fee comparison (third-party): Rakuma 6%, Yahoo Auctions 8.8%–10% + Yahoo Premium monthly 508 yen. Mercari Shops corporate shop fee rate an Mercari US site structure dey different, as e dey for official.

Getting traffic

Mainly platform search + category browse; C2C two-sided liquidity (supply/demand) na di core natural traffic. Platform promotions (campaigns, coupons) an new-product recommendation positions fit improve exposure. Cross-border export reach Taiwan etc overseas buyers through Global Shopping. No open third-party ad system (qualitative), traffic allocation as e dey for platform algorithm an product rating (review count, reply speed).

Fulfilment & logistics

Mainly platform cooperative delivery: Rakuraku Mercari Bin (Yamato Transport: Neko Posu/express) an Yuyu Mercari Bin (Japan Post); shipping fee by size tier, good value. Cross-border export through Global Shipping international forwarding, overseas buyers fit order including shipping. Delivery time dey decided by chosen transport (usually 1–3 days domestic, cross-border 1–2 weeks).

Payments & settlement

Buyer payment support credit card, PayPay, pay-later, convenience store payment etc. Goods money enter seller sales balance (Merpay/Mercari Wallet system); after both sides rate each other, dem release money; seller fit withdraw to bank (withdrawal fee 200 yen per time, 1–3 working days, PayPay bank free) or spend inside platform. Settlement currency na yen; cross-border export settlement rules as e dey for official.

Compliance

Individual occasional selling usually no need used-goods dealer license, but resellers wey dey operate as business must get Used Goods Business Act license. Business sellers need JCT consumption tax invoice compliance. Platform get governance mechanism for fake goods, brand infringement, reselling (like game consoles) but public opinion dey continue (360game/JSTAGE analysis); seller need to watch intellectual property an truthful product description, avoid high dispute rate wey go lead to account restriction.

Key risks

1) Handling-fee policy dey flip-flop (2022 cancel → 2026.1 restore) dey damage seller trust, individual sellers fit move to free/lower-fee competitors (Rakuma, Yahoo Auctions etc); 2) Marketplace GMV growth slow (Morningstar), growth dey depend on fee adjustment an cross-border; 3) C2C fake goods/disputes an reselling governance na long-term cost, and Temu etc low-price new products dey hit second-hand price anchor; 4) Cross-border an US business expansion execution an compliance risk.

Best-fit sellers

E dey best for Japan individual/small sellers wey dey sell idle an second-hand goods, an brands wey wan clear stock/test second-hand channel through Mercari Shops. Cross-border sellers fit sell to Taiwan etc overseas buyers through Global Shopping. E no dey good for merchants wey need stable pricing, brand image an bulk B2C operation — C2C bargaining an low price anchor; after 10% handling fee restore, small low-order-value product profit dey squeezed.

Sources

research/sections/jp_platforms.md 5.2.4; 各地区电商平台Top5深度研究报告.md 5.1; yilantop https://www.yilantop.com/news/49695; furima-navi https://furima-navi.jp/en/blog/mercari-fees-explained; sellerfeecalc https://sellerfeecalc.com/mercari-fees/selling-fee; lifenews https://lifenews.com.tw/487122; Morningstar https://www.morningstar.com/company-reports/1262969-mercari-earnings-slowing-gmv-growth-in-marketplace-will-not-hurt-margins-shares-undervalued

Mercari appear for di Top-5 lists of 1 regions: Japan.

• Japan（#4）：C2C secondhand leader; dey expand enter cross-border and finance (Merpay)

Every figure come from dat region Top-5 report and source audit. No cross-region conversion or new estimates: