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E-Commerce · head to head

Mercari vs Retail Pro

Mercari logo

Mercari

E-Commerce

Japan-founded peer-to-peer resale marketplace with a flat seller commission

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Retail Pro logo

Retail Pro

E-Commerce

Comprehensive retail management software

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mercari has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Mercari the flat 10 percent commission plus payment processing fees applies even to very low-value items, so selling something for a few dollars can leave the seller with proportionally little after fees and packaging.; Retail Pro pricing details not disclosed; requires sales consultation
  • They diverge on capability: Mercari covers Flat seller commission, Retail Pro covers Point of sale.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mercari and Retail Pro actually diverge.

Attributes where Mercari and Retail Pro differ
AttributeMercariRetail Pro
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree to list; 10 percent seller commission on sale price plus payment processing feeUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebiOS, Android, Windows
FoundedUnknown1988

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Mercari

  • Flat seller commission
  • Prepaid shipping labels
  • Local pickup and offers
  • Smart pricing and price drops
  • Mercari authenticity guarantee
  • Instant or standard payout

Only in Retail Pro

  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Customer database
  • Employee management
  • Sales analytics
  • Promotion management
  • Multi-store support
  • Reporting tools

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mercari

  • Someone clearing out a wide mix of household items, not just clothing, in one listing appnot Retail Pro
  • A casual seller who wants a flat, predictable commission rather than a tiered fee structurenot Retail Pro
  • A buyer looking for secondhand electronics or general goods alongside apparelnot Retail Pro
  • A seller using local pickup to avoid shipping costs on bulky itemsnot Retail Pro

Retail Pro

  • Multi-location retail POS operations (1 to 250+ stores)not Mercari
  • Inventory management with serialized product trackingnot Mercari
  • Customer loyalty programs via AppCard integrationnot Mercari

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Mercari

  • The flat 10 percent commission plus payment processing fees applies even to very low-value items, so selling something for a few dollars can leave the seller with proportionally little after fees and packaging.
  • Shipping is the seller's responsibility to arrange and package correctly, and disputes over item condition or damage in transit are common friction points in buyer-seller resolution.
  • Instant payout carries its own fee on top of the selling and processing fees already deducted, so getting money out quickly costs more than waiting for standard transfer.
  • Buyer protection and authenticity verification are limited outside the specific luxury authentication programme, so counterfeit risk on unverified categories rests largely on buyer judgement of listing photos and seller ratings.
  • Market depth and typical sale prices vary significantly between the Japan and US versions of the app, and the two operate as largely separate marketplaces despite the shared brand.

Retail Pro

  • Pricing details not disclosed; requires sales consultation
  • No published technical requirements or system specifications
  • International deployment requires fiscal/tax compliance consultation per region

Pricing, plan by plan

Mercari

Free
  • SellingFree
    • 10 percent selling fee on final sale price
    • Separate payment processing fee, roughly 2.9 percent plus a fixed amount
    • Instant payout carries an additional fee versus standard bank transfer

Retail Pro

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Retail Pro review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Mercari if

  • You need flat seller commission.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want prepaid shipping labels.
Mercari review

Choose Retail Pro if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want inventory management.
Retail Pro review

Questions people ask

Is Mercari or Retail Pro better?
Neither clearly leads. Mercari starts at Free and Retail Pro at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mercari or Retail Pro?
Mercari has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mercari and On request for Retail Pro.
Does Mercari or Retail Pro run on more platforms?
Mercari runs on iOS, Android, Web. Retail Pro runs on iOS, Android, Windows.
Can I use Mercari for free?
Yes. Mercari has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Retail Pro starts at On request.
What is Mercari best used for?
Mercari is most often used for someone clearing out a wide mix of household items, not just clothing, in one listing app, a casual seller who wants a flat, predictable commission rather than a tiered fee structure, a buyer looking for secondhand electronics or general goods alongside apparel, a seller using local pickup to avoid shipping costs on bulky items. Of those, someone clearing out a wide mix of household items, not just clothing, in one listing app and a casual seller who wants a flat, predictable commission rather than a tiered fee structure are not what Retail Pro is typically brought in for.
What can Mercari do that Retail Pro cannot?
Mercari covers Flat seller commission, Prepaid shipping labels, Local pickup and offers, Smart pricing and price drops. Retail Pro covers Point of sale, Inventory management, Customer database, Employee management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mercari: How much does Mercari charge sellers?

A flat 10 percent selling fee on the final sale price in the US, plus a separate payment processing fee, both deducted from the seller payout.

Retail Pro: How much does Retail Pro cost?

Retail Pro does not publish specific pricing on its website. The company describes a 'Pay As You Grow' model but directs interested retailers to request a consultation or brochure to obtain actual pricing quotes customized to their business needs.

Source
Mercari: Does the buyer pay any extra platform fee?

No separate platform fee is added at buyer checkout the way Vinted adds a buyer protection fee; the buyer pays the listed price plus shipping if not included.

Mercari: Is Mercari the same marketplace in Japan and the US?

No, they operate as separate marketplaces under the same brand, with different inventory, pricing and fee history.

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