Softwr

E-Commerce · head to head

Mercari vs SamCart

Mercari logo

Mercari

E-Commerce

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SamCart logo

SamCart

E-Commerce

The number one checkout platform

From
$79/month
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.; SamCart no feature differentiation between CORE and PRO tiers, pricing tier based on expected transaction volume only
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mercari and SamCart actually diverge.

Attributes where Mercari and SamCart differ
AttributeMercariSamCart
Starting priceFree$79/month
Pricing modelFree to list; 10 percent seller commission on sale price plus payment processing feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb

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 SamCart

Nothing recorded that Mercari does not also cover.

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 SamCart
  • A casual seller who wants a flat, predictable commission rather than a tiered fee structurenot SamCart
  • A buyer looking for secondhand electronics or general goods alongside apparelnot SamCart
  • A seller using local pickup to avoid shipping costs on bulky itemsnot SamCart

SamCart

  • Increasing average order value through automated order bumps and upsellsnot Mercari
  • Recovering failed subscription payments with retry logic and dunning managementnot Mercari
  • Generating sales pages, emails, and ads with AI from product descriptionsnot Mercari
  • Sending cart abandonment recovery emails without customer re-entrynot Mercari
  • Migrating existing customer bases from competing platforms without data lossnot 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.

SamCart

  • No feature differentiation between CORE and PRO tiers, pricing tier based on expected transaction volume only
  • Transaction fees of 2.9% plus $0.30 apply to all plans

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

SamCart

$79/month
  • CORE$79/month
    • All features included
  • PRO$199/month
    • All features included

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 SamCart if

Nothing in the data separates SamCart from Mercari on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

SamCart review

Questions people ask

Is Mercari or SamCart better?
Neither clearly leads. Mercari starts at Free and SamCart at $79/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mercari or SamCart?
Mercari has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mercari and $79/month for SamCart.
Does Mercari or SamCart run on more platforms?
Mercari runs on iOS, Android, Web. SamCart runs on Web.
Can I use Mercari for free?
Yes. Mercari has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SamCart starts at $79/month.
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 SamCart is typically brought in for.
What can Mercari do that SamCart cannot?
Mercari covers Flat seller commission, Prepaid shipping labels, Local pickup and offers, Smart pricing and price drops.

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.

SamCart: How much does SamCart cost?

SamCart offers two subscription tiers: CORE at $79/month and PRO at $199/month. Both plans include all features with no restrictions between tiers.

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.

SamCart: What are SamCart's transaction fees?

SamCart charges a transaction fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction on all payments processed through the platform.

Source
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.

SamCart: Does SamCart offer a free trial?

Yes, SamCart offers a 7-day free trial available for both the CORE and PRO plans, allowing customers to test the platform before committing to a subscription.

Source
SamCart: Does SamCart offer migration services from other platforms?

Yes, SamCart offers done-for-you migration services for customers switching from Kajabi, ThriveCart, ClickFunnels, Shopify, and Teachable. Specific pricing for migration services is not listed on the main page.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Mercari

More on SamCart

Keep looking

Other head to heads