Mercari Increases Fees Again, Follows in eBay's Footsteps
Just 4 months after the last increase, Mercari marketplace is once again raising fees and is taking a page from eBay's book - not only increasing the per transaction fee but also now applying the payment processing fee to the total sale including shipping.
For now the shipping is only included when calculating the 2.9% payment processing fee, the 10% selling fee still applies to the item price only.
Users were sent the following notice in an email:
To our Mercari community,
We wanted to let you know that we’ve updated our Terms of Service. We’ve made these changes due to an increase in fees from our processing partner. As always, we strive to keep our fees as affordable as possible for our community.
Here's what you need to know:
Effective April 17, 2023, the calculation for the payment processing fee that is charged to sellers will change from 2.9% of the item sold price plus $0.50 per completed transaction to 2.9% of the combined item sold price and shipping price plus $0.50 per completed transaction.Note: The shipping price refers to both buyer and seller paid shipping using Mercari labels and Mercari Local delivery.
All transactions will automatically be updated starting April 17, 2023, to reflect the latest fees. For listings created before April 17, 2023, it may take several weeks from the effective date for updated fees to be fully implemented. Any sale transaction that is already in process before the fee updates are implemented will be completed with the existing processing fee.
Effective May 1, 2023, the Instant Pay processing fee will increase from $2.00 to $3.00 per Instant Pay transaction and the transfer limit will increase from $500 to $600 per month. The rate is displayed when you initiate the transfer. Use Payment Processing Fee and Instant Pay on the Mercari app to get paid in minutes.
More info was provided in the Payment Processing Fees help page:
Effective through April 16, 2023, Mercari will implement a 2.9% + $0.50 payment processing fee for sellers on all completed transactions, based on the sold price.
Effective starting April 17, 2023, Mercari will charge a Payment Processing Fees of 2.9% of the sale plus shipping price + $0.50 fee for every completed transaction.
Note: The shipping price refers to both buyer and seller paid shipping using a Mercari label and Mercari Local delivery.
The payment processing fee is only charged on completed transactions - it isn’t applied to declined or expired offers or canceled orders. All transactions will automatically be updated starting April 17, 2023, to reflect the latest fees.
Note: It may take several weeks for updated fees to be fully implemented for listings created before April 17, 2023.
What’s a payment processing fee?
Processing fees are charged by payment service providers to securely process and complete financial transactions. These fees can range depending on the type of: (1) transaction and (2) payment method used.Payment processing is usually arranged and contracted between a seller and the service provider directly. Mercari handles the processing and collects a consistent fee once each transaction is completed.
It is important to us that our users have competitive and transparent pricing and know exactly what fees are being applied.
As always, there are no listing, monthly, or hidden fees. All cards and payment methods will be charged the same payment processing fee, including American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Apple Pay, and PayPal. The processing fee is also applied when the buyer uses Mercari credit or their balance.
When does a seller pay the fee?
Effective through April 16, 2023, the seller will pay a processing fee based on the sale price of the item(s) sold once the transaction is complete. It will be deducted from the seller’s earnings as the “processing fee” along with the 10% selling fee. If a transaction is canceled or an item is returned, the seller does not pay a processing fee.Effective starting April 17, 2023, the seller will pay a processing fee based on the combined sale plus shipping price once the transaction is complete. Note: The shipping price refers to both buyer and seller paid shipping using a Mercari label and Mercari Local delivery. The processing fee will be deducted from the seller’s earnings as the “processing fee” along with the 10% selling fee. If a transaction is canceled or an item is returned, the seller does not pay a processing fee.
How are payment processing fees applied?
Effective through April 16, 2023, a processing fee is applied based on the item’s sold price. Effective April 17, 2023, a processing fee is applied based on the item’s sold price plus shipping price. Note: The shipping price refers to both buyer and seller paid shipping using a Mercari label and Mercari Local delivery. The processing fee doesn’t apply to separately stated taxes. The processing fee is charged once the transaction is complete. If a transaction is completed with multiple items, the payment processing fee is applied to the total amount of all the items sold plus shipping.The buyer isn’t impacted by the payment processing fee.
The payment processing fee is only required on completed transactions. It doesn’t apply to canceled orders or listing an item.
What happens to my transactions that are in process when the updated payment processing fee is implemented?
Any sale transaction that is already in process before the payment processing fee update is implemented will be completed with the existing payment processing fee. All payment processing fees will be updated automatically and there is no need to update any of your listings.
As always, I recommend all sellers should read the full updated Terms of Service.
How will this fee increase impact your selling on Mercari? Let us know in the comments below!
