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E-Commerce · head to head

Mercari vs Shopkeep

Mercari logo

Mercari

E-Commerce

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shopkeep logo

Shopkeep

E-Commerce

Cloud-based POS for small businesses

From
$89/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.; Shopkeep all plans require 24/7 phone and chat support; no tiered support options
  • They diverge on capability: Mercari covers Flat seller commission, Shopkeep 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 Shopkeep actually diverge.

Attributes where Mercari and Shopkeep differ
AttributeMercariShopkeep
Starting priceFree$89/month
Pricing modelFree to list; 10 percent seller commission on sale price plus payment processing feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebiPad, Web
FoundedUnknown2008

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 Shopkeep

  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Inventory management
  • Customer profiles
  • Sales analytics
  • Employee management
  • Mobile POS
  • Reporting

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

Shopkeep

No use cases recorded yet. See the Shopkeep review.

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.

Shopkeep

  • All plans require 24/7 phone and chat support; no tiered support options
  • Prices vary by business type and industry with additional service fees possible
  • Extra locations and registers incur additional charges beyond base plan cost

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

Shopkeep

$89/month
  • Basic$89/month
    • Retail POS platform
    • 1 register included
    • Integrated Payments 1.5%
  • Core$149/month
    • All Basic features
    • Advanced management tools
    • Business growth support
  • Plus$289/month
    • All Core features
    • Advanced customization
    • Established retail operations support

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 Shopkeep if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You work on iPad, Web.
  • You also want payment processing.
Shopkeep review

Questions people ask

Is Mercari or Shopkeep better?
Neither clearly leads. Mercari starts at Free and Shopkeep at $89/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mercari or Shopkeep?
Mercari has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mercari and $89/month for Shopkeep.
Does Mercari or Shopkeep run on more platforms?
Mercari runs on iOS, Android, Web. Shopkeep runs on iPad, Web.
Can I use Mercari for free?
Yes. Mercari has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Shopkeep starts at $89/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 Shopkeep is typically brought in for.
What can Mercari do that Shopkeep cannot?
Mercari covers Flat seller commission, Prepaid shipping labels, Local pickup and offers, Smart pricing and price drops. Shopkeep covers Point of sale, Payment processing, Inventory management, Customer profiles.

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.

Shopkeep: What is included in the Lightspeed Retail Basic plan at $89 per month?

The Basic plan includes 1 register, retail POS platform, integrated payments at 1.5% card-present rate, inventory management, Lightspeed Wholesale access, NuORDER Catalog with 5 million+ products, built-in eCommerce, loyalty programs, and 24/7 support.

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.

Shopkeep: How much can I save by paying annually instead of monthly?

Shopkeep (Lightspeed Retail) offers up to 18% discount when paying annually instead of month-to-month. All three plans (Basic, Core, Plus) qualify for this annual discount.

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.

Shopkeep: What additional costs should I budget beyond the monthly subscription?

Beyond the monthly plan cost, extra locations require additional charges, extra registers incur per-register fees, and hardware (terminals, scanners, iPad devices) have separate costs. Integrated payment processing charges 1.5% per transaction.

Source
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