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E-Commerce · head to head

Mercari vs Vinted

Mercari logo

Mercari

E-Commerce

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vinted logo

Vinted

E-Commerce

Lithuania-founded secondhand fashion marketplace that charges the buyer, not the seller, a platform fee

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Vinted the Buyer Protection fee is not shown in the browsable item price, so comparing a listing price across Vinted and a commission-based competitor understates Vinted's true checkout cost unless the buyer manually adds the fee.
  • They diverge on capability: Mercari covers Flat seller commission, Vinted covers No seller commission.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mercari and Vinted actually diverge.

Attributes where Mercari and Vinted differ
AttributeMercariVinted
Pricing modelFree to list; 10 percent seller commission on sale price plus payment processing feeFree for sellers, no commission; buyer pays a variable Buyer Protection fee at checkout

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (iOS, Android, Web), 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 Vinted

  • No seller commission
  • Buyer Protection fee
  • Direct shipping via carrier partners
  • Item verification service
  • Bundle discounts
  • In-app messaging and offers

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

Vinted

  • A seller who wants to keep the full listed price of an item rather than losing a percentage to platform commissionnot Mercari
  • A buyer comparing item prices across marketplaces who understands the checkout total includes a protection fee not shown on the listingnot Mercari
  • Someone selling many low-value items where a commission-based platform fee would eat disproportionately into returnsnot Mercari
  • A shopper in a European market where Vinted has deep local inventory and established shipping partnershipsnot 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.

Vinted

  • The Buyer Protection fee is not shown in the browsable item price, so comparing a listing price across Vinted and a commission-based competitor understates Vinted's true checkout cost unless the buyer manually adds the fee.
  • The fee is proportionally larger on cheap items, so buying several low-value pieces separately costs more in fees relative to item price than buying one higher-value item.
  • Sellers keeping the full sale price shifts cost to buyers rather than removing it, so the platform is not free to use overall, only free for the seller side of a transaction.
  • Item authentication is optional and limited to eligible higher-value categories, so counterfeit risk on everyday clothing items rests mostly on buyer judgement of listing photos and seller history.
  • Market strength is concentrated in Europe, and inventory depth, shipping partnerships and buyer volume are considerably thinner in markets outside its established base.

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

Vinted

Free
  • SellingFree
    • No commission deducted from the sale price
    • Seller receives the full listed amount
    • Shipping label cost typically passed to the buyer or built into price
  • BuyingFree
    • Buyer Protection fee calculated from item price, added at checkout
    • Covers refund if item does not arrive or does not match description
    • Fee is proportionally larger on lower-priced items

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 Vinted if

  • You need no seller commission.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want buyer protection fee.
Vinted review

Questions people ask

Is Mercari or Vinted better?
Neither clearly leads. Mercari starts at Free and Vinted at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mercari or Vinted?
Mercari starts at Free and Vinted at Free.
Does Mercari or Vinted run on more platforms?
Both run on iOS, Android, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Mercari for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Vinted is typically brought in for.
What can Mercari do that Vinted cannot?
Mercari covers Flat seller commission, Prepaid shipping labels, Local pickup and offers, Smart pricing and price drops. Vinted covers No seller commission, Buyer Protection fee, Direct shipping via carrier partners, Item verification service.

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.

Vinted: Does Vinted charge sellers a commission?

No, sellers receive the full listed sale price with no percentage taken by the platform.

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.

Vinted: So how does Vinted make money?

From a Buyer Protection fee added at checkout, calculated from the item price, which the buyer pays on top of the listed amount and shipping.

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.

Vinted: Is the buyer protection fee shown on the item listing?

No, it is calculated and added at checkout, so the browsable listing price does not reflect the final total a buyer pays.

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