The short answer
Mercari takes less from the seller than eBay does in a general category at every price in this comparison. Its 10% is lower than eBay's 13.6%, and Mercari has no per-order fee.
The comparison is fees only, with no item cost. The buyer pays $7.99 shipping on both and your label costs the same, so shipping nets to zero, but each site still takes its percentage of it.
Over a year the gap adds up. Selling 100 items at $25.00 each with the same shipping, eBay takes $159.00 more than Mercari in fees.
| Item price | Mercari fee | You keep on Mercari | eBay fee | You keep on eBay | eBay takes more by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $1.80 | $8.20 | $2.85 | $7.15 | $1.05 |
| $25 | $3.30 | $21.70 | $4.89 | $20.11 | $1.59 |
| $50 | $5.80 | $44.20 | $8.29 | $41.71 | $2.49 |
| $100 | $10.80 | $89.20 | $15.09 | $84.91 | $4.29 |
Computed by the Mercari and eBay calculators. Direct deposit is free on Mercari, and eBay uses the most categories rate with no sales tax.
How Mercari charges
Mercari charges a 10% selling fee on the item price plus any shipping the buyer pays, and no listing fee. Since 6 Jan 2025 the buyer also pays a 3.6% Buyer Protection fee on the same base.
On a $25.00 item the selling fee is $3.30 and the buyer fee is $1.19. Instant Pay costs $3.00 a withdrawal and direct deposit is free.
How eBay charges
eBay takes a final value fee on the total of item price, shipping and sales tax, plus a per-order fee of $0.30 on orders of $10 or less and $0.40 above that. Listings are free up to 250 a month, then $0.35 each, which is not in the receipt.
At $10 eBay takes 15.8% of the buyer's total and Mercari takes 10%. At $100 the shares are 14% and 10%.
Neither site charges the seller for the buyer's payment method, and neither adds a payment processing fee in this comparison. What differs is the percentage and the fixed per-order charge.
The per-order fee is why cheap items hurt more on eBay. It is a fixed amount, so it weighs more on a small order, while Mercari's percentage scales with the order.
What the buyer pays changes the answer
The Mercari buyer fee makes the same list price cost the buyer more, and eBay charges US buyers no fee of this kind. A fair test lowers the Mercari price until the buyer pays the same total as on eBay.
| Buyer pays | eBay price | You keep on eBay | Mercari price | You keep on Mercari | Mercari keeps more by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $17.99 | $10.00 | $7.15 | $9.37 | $7.63 | $0.48 |
| $32.99 | $25.00 | $20.11 | $23.85 | $20.67 | $0.56 |
| $57.99 | $50.00 | $41.71 | $47.98 | $42.38 | $0.67 |
| $107.99 | $100.00 | $84.91 | $96.25 | $85.83 | $0.92 |
The Mercari price is the highest whole-cent price whose buyer total does not exceed the eBay total.
Buyers who compare prices across apps may behave differently, and we do not model that.
eBay categories change the rate
Mercari charges one rate for everything. eBay's rate depends on the category, so the gap moves. This table holds the $25.00 sale fixed and changes only the eBay category.
| eBay category | eBay fees | Mercari fees | Lower fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most categories | $4.89 | $3.30 | Mercari |
| Books, movies, music | $5.45 | $3.30 | Mercari |
| Electronics | $4.89 | $3.30 | Mercari |
| Jewelry | $5.35 | $3.30 | Mercari |
Only a selection of categories is shown. The eBay calculator has the full list.
What to list at for the amount you want
Work backwards from what you need to keep. The table gives the price on each site that leaves you the amount shown, using Find price in each calculator.
Shipping is the variable you control. Mercari's change log says: New shipping label rates take effect, with a Best rate and a Standard rate per carrier. Selling and buyer fees are unchanged.
Enter the label you actually pay for, because both fees take a percentage of what the buyer paid for shipping.
| You want to keep | Mercari list price | eBay list price | eBay needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $12.00 | $13.29 | $1.29 |
| $20.00 | $23.11 | $24.87 | $1.76 |
| $50.00 | $56.44 | $59.59 | $3.15 |
Same assumptions as above: free direct deposit on Mercari, buyer-paid shipping on both, no item cost.
- Sales tax. eBay charges its fee on it in the US, and these figures assume none.
- eBay Store plans, which lower some category rates, and Promoted Listings.
- Mercari cancelation fees of 5% up to $25.00, and any label cost that differs from what the buyer paid.