As I have worked on this blog I have often brought up Mercari. So I thought I’d write a blog just about Mercari.
Introduction
In this article I will be answering the question “What the Heck is Mercari?”. I will also talk about my personal journey with Mercari, Mercari tips and tricks (for buyers and sellers) and Mercari’s referral program.
I’ve made over $2000 using this free phone app! Everything you need to know about Mercari
What the Heck is Mercari?
Mercari is an online marketplace where can you can buy or sell items from or to other users. Mercari can be accessed by downloading their free phone app or visiting the Mercari website.
If at any time while you are reading this blog you would like to sign up for Mercari you can do so through my referral link below. Signing up through my referral link will give you $10 off your first purchase. A pretty good deal I think! *NOTE This link only works on phones. If you want the coupon sign up using your phone through this link. I am not sure why Mercari does this.
I like to think of Mercari like, you know. You know when you go to a garage sale and they do not have anything cool? Well Mercari is the place to find all the cool stuff you wish you saw at garage sales. I have found tons of stuff on Mercari that I just could not have found any other place. I really think you should check it out just to see what is for sale.
Well let’s jump into the two sides of this coin, the buyers and the sellers. As a user of Mercari you can easily be a buyer, a seller or both. At the end of every sale after the item has been delivered the buyer and sell both rate each other, so behave yourself.
Buying on Mercari
There are a few ways to buy stuff on Mercari. Once you have found something you like you can buy the listed price, make an offer for a lower amount or message the seller for a different price. You can also as the seller to bundle more than one listing they have together to save money on shipping.
Shopping on Mercari is pretty fun. You can just search for something and look at the results. Shopping by category, brand, or even color are options. Mercari can also save what you search for so to recommend similar things when they are listed.
You can pay for you Mercari purchase using PayPal, a credit or debt card.
After you have made your purchase the Mercari app will send you notifications as your item is shipped and when it is delivered.
Selling on Mercari
To sell something on Mercari you will need photos of the thing you are trying to sell. You can take them within the Mercari app while creating a listing. You can also take pictures with a camera and upload them to the Mercari website while creating a listing.
I suggest using a cell phone if at all possible.
So you take your awesome pictures and upload them to your listing, next you need to add in all the listing information. The more information you can add the better.
Once you listing is all squared away post it. I may take some time for you listing to sell, however, Mercari favors new listings. If you have the pictures, title, info and price right you could make a sale very quickly.
When you make a sale you will need to print out the shipping label as well as package and ship the item. Once the item is received by the buyer they will rate you and you will get paid.
You payment goes on to your Mercari account. You can withdraw this money using PayPal. It can take up to 5 business days for this withdrawal to go through.
Here is a short video I made about how to post an item on Mercari. The sign up code in this video is no longer valid but you can sign up through the link under the video to get a $10 coupon.
This sign up link works best on mobile phones.
My Mercari Journey
My Mercari Start
I have been using Mercari since it came out in Beta in 2016. I was drawn in by the slick design and how easy it looked to use. Over time I have received a total of 138 reviews on Mercari, so I have had my far share of selling and buying on this app.
As soon as I downloaded the Mercari app I stated posting things for sale and I made sales! It felt awesome, and still does, to make a sale using Mercari. I want to share Mercari with people even before I knew about their referral program. Once I had found out about that the game changed!
Back then Mercari offer a $2 credit for any one you referred. That person got a $10 coupon. This was like magic to me. Share a tool I love to use and get credit for it, awesome. I became so pumped about sharing Mercari I hit their referral limit within 3 months. At the time it was 100 referrals, so I had earned $200 in credit on Mercari.
Some of my favorite things to shop for on Mercari are cameras, silver coins and 3d printers. I like these things because they maintain value well over time so I can sell them later if I need to.
When I first started using Mercari there was no sales fee. This means profit was much easier to make if you were selling smaller items. I was selling Magic the Gathering cards as well and 3d prints. Mercari has since started charging a 10% sales fee which scared me off Mercari for a while.
Returning to Mercari
As it goes my home has collected more valuable things I do not want anymore, so I took up posting things on Mercari again. The sales I have made on Mercari recently have helped me get this blog up and running. To counter at the cut in profit from the sales free I list more items in a single listing.
I will keep using Mercari because I like the platform and the way it is set up. I will keep talking about Mercari because I think most anyone can use it to make some extra money.
Mercari Tips and Tricks
Take Good Photos
Having great photos makes a huge difference in sales on Mercari. When I started selling I did not pay the photos quality much mind. After doing some research on what is working for others I make my first Mercari investment.
I got myself a photo light box. If you do not know what this is I have an affiliate link below for one. This link pays me commissions at no extra cost to you. There are other sizes and prices on amazon. Keep in mind the size of the things you will be selling when you pick one. After I got my photo light box my Mercari listing photos looked 100 times better and my sales spiked.
Mercari is a very visual marketplace that is why this is tip number one.
Master Mercari SEO
Most people purchasing on Mercari do so using the search tool. If you want to show up in more search results you need to master Mercari SEO. This is easier than it sounds. Just make sure to include as much information and keywords as you can in your listings descriptions.
If you really put some time into your title and description your listing will preform better and get seen by more people.
Resell Undervalued Items
When I get really board I surf Mercari for undervalued items that I can resell on Mercari. This type of item does not stay on Mercari for long so a good place to look is in the recently posted section. I also look for cameras and coins that are undervalued. If you know the value of some tip of collectable, Mercari is a great place to find it undervalued.
Keep It Clean
Cleaning up your item and the area you photograph it in make a huge difference. This is an easy fix that some miss, I see it all the time. Don’t be like them. Keep It Clean. Good lighting helps too.
Offer Free Shipping
Mercari allows the selling to pay for shipping. This means the buyer gets free shipping. Listing with free shipping just sell better. If you can afford to do this and still make a profit I suggest it.
Does Mercari Have An Affiliate Program?
No, Mercari does not have an affiliate program. They do have a referral program though! What to know all about it? Keep reading!
The Mercari Referral Program
Mercari’s current referral program offers you $10 in credit for every person you refer through your link that makes at least one purchase. Mercari gives you a referral link after you sign up. The people you refer get a $10 coupon off their first purchase on Mercari.
If you would link to sign up through my referral link you can do so below.
If you would like to read more about what I have wrote on Mercari check out the following blog post.