The headline: Mercari is no longer free — and that changes the whole comparison
If you read an older guide, you might still believe Mercari is the free option. It isn’t. Mercari briefly ran $0 seller fees in 2023–24, then reintroduced a 10% seller fee effective 6 January 2025. A lot of comparison content never updated, so the single most useful fact to start with in 2026 is this: all three platforms now charge real seller fees, and the gap between them is smaller than the stale “Mercari is free” articles suggest.
With that corrected, the ranking on headline seller fee for a plain $50 item (item only, no shipping) looks like this, as of 2026:
- Mercari takes the least — a flat 10%.
- eBay sits in the middle — roughly 13.6% plus a small per-order fee.
- Poshmark takes the most — a flat 20%.
That’s the fee answer. But fees are only one input. eBay’s reach, Poshmark’s apparel-focused audience and each platform’s shipping model can easily outweigh a few percentage points. We’ll get to that. First, the numbers, because most competitors get these wrong.
How each platform’s seller fees work (as of 2026)
eBay
For sellers without a Store subscription, eBay’s final value fee (FVF) is about 13.6% of the total sale — that’s item price plus shipping plus tax — on the portion up to $7,500, then 2.35% on anything above $7,500. On top of the percentage, there’s a per-order fee of $0.30 for orders of $10 or less, or $0.40 for orders over $10.
Two things to note. First, eBay’s percentage is charged on the full amount the buyer pays, including the shipping they cover — unlike Poshmark and Mercari’s seller fee, which is calculated differently (more below). Second, eBay raised FVFs in most categories by up to 0.35% effective 14 February 2025, and some categories now run anywhere from 12.9% to 15%. The 13.6% figure is the current common baseline (up from 13.25% before that change); check your specific category. A Store subscription or Top Rated Plus status reduces the variable rate, which is why high-volume sellers often pay less than the headline number.
Poshmark
Poshmark keeps it simple and apparel-friendly: no listing fee, then a two-tier model.
- Under $15: a flat $2.95 per sale.
- $15 and over: a 20% commission — you keep 80%.
That cut covers payment processing and a prepaid shipping label, and the 20% is charged on the item price only, not on shipping. So the percentage looks high, but it’s buying you the postage label as well. If you want the full breakdown, see our Poshmark fees explained post.
Mercari
Mercari’s 2025 structure is the one most worth getting right. As of 2026:
- A 10% seller fee on the item price plus the buyer-paid shipping.
- Mercari eliminated the separate seller payment-processing fee that used to sit alongside the percentage.
- Buyers now pay a 3.6% Buyer Protection fee at checkout — that comes out of the buyer’s pocket, not yours.
So Mercari’s headline seller fee is the lowest of the three, and the processing fee that used to erode it is gone. The trade-off is the buyer pays a protection fee on top, which can nudge your asking price expectations.
Worked example: a $50 item, side by side
Let’s price the same item at $50 (item only, no shipping in the comparison) on all three platforms and see what lands in your account.
eBay
- Final value fee at 13.6%: $6.80
- Per-order fee (order over $10): $0.40
- Total eBay fees: about $7.20
- Your payout: about $42.80
Poshmark
- Commission at 20% (item is $15 or over): $10.00
- Total Poshmark fee: $10.00
- Your payout: $40.00
Mercari
- Seller fee at 10%: $5.00
- (The buyer separately pays a 3.6% Buyer Protection fee — about $1.80 — which does not come out of your $50.)
- Total Mercari seller fee: $5.00
- Your payout: $45.00
Side by side
| Platform | Seller fee on $50 | Your payout |
|---|---|---|
| Mercari | $5.00 (10%) | $45.00 |
| eBay | ~$7.20 (13.6% + $0.40) | ~$42.80 |
| Poshmark | $10.00 (20%) | $40.00 |
On a clean $50 item, Mercari leaves you $5 more than Poshmark and about $2 more than eBay. That’s the pure fee picture.
A couple of honest caveats so the comparison isn’t misleading:
- This example is item-only. Once shipping enters the math, eBay charges its percentage on the shipping the buyer paid, while Poshmark’s 20% is item-only and includes a prepaid label. The real-world gap shifts depending on who pays for postage and how much it costs.
- Poshmark’s 20% is buying you a shipping label. If you’d otherwise pay for postage yourself, part of that 20% is offsetting a real cost — it’s not all margin lost.
Fees aren’t the whole story
The lowest headline seller fee here is Mercari, but “cheapest fee” and “most money in your pocket over a year” are not the same thing. Three factors routinely outweigh a few percentage points:
- Audience and reach. eBay has by far the largest buyer base and the deepest demand for hard-to-find, collectable and niche items. A higher fee on a sale that actually happens beats a lower fee on a listing nobody sees.
- Category fit. Poshmark’s audience skews heavily toward fashion and apparel. The same dress can sell faster, and sometimes higher, on Poshmark than on a general marketplace — which can more than make up for the 20%.
- Shipping model. Poshmark’s prepaid label and Mercari’s shipping handling remove friction (and cost) that you’d otherwise manage yourself. eBay gives you more control but more to manage.
The practical answer for most sellers isn’t “pick the cheapest platform” — it’s list on more than one and let each item find its best buyer. That’s exactly what cross-listing is for: list once, publish to eBay, Poshmark, Mercari and more, and pay the fee only on the platform where the item actually sells.
Run your own numbers
Headline percentages only get you so far, because your real payout depends on your price, your shipping and your category. Model it before you list:
- eBay Fee Calculator — accounts for the FVF, per-order fee and the fact that eBay charges on the total including shipping.
- Poshmark Fee Calculator — handles the under-$15 flat fee and the 20% commission.
- Mercari Fee Calculator — applies the 2025 10% seller fee on item plus shipping.
Plug the same item into all three and you’ll see your true payout, not just the headline rate.
Frequently asked questions
Which platform has the lowest seller fees in 2026?
On headline seller fee, Mercari is lowest at a flat 10%, followed by eBay at roughly 13.6% plus a $0.30–$0.40 per-order fee, and Poshmark highest at 20%. On a $50 item, that’s a $5 Mercari fee, about $7.20 on eBay, and $10 on Poshmark.
Is Mercari still free to sell on?
No. Mercari ran $0 seller fees briefly in 2023–24 but reintroduced a 10% seller fee on 6 January 2025. It also removed the separate payment-processing fee and shifted a 3.6% Buyer Protection fee onto buyers. Any guide calling Mercari “free” in 2026 is out of date.
Does eBay charge fees on shipping?
Yes. eBay’s final value fee (around 13.6%) is calculated on the total sale — item, shipping and tax combined. Poshmark and Mercari treat shipping differently: Poshmark’s 20% is on the item price only, and Mercari’s 10% includes the buyer-paid shipping.
Why is Poshmark’s 20% so much higher?
Because it bundles in a prepaid shipping label and payment processing. Part of that 20% offsets postage you’d otherwise pay yourself, so the headline rate overstates the true cost on items where shipping is significant.
Should I just sell everywhere?
Often, yes. Cross-listing lets you reach eBay’s reach, Poshmark’s fashion audience and Mercari’s lower fee at the same time, and you only pay the fee on the platform where the item sells. The fee difference between platforms usually matters less than getting in front of the right buyer.
A note on tax
The figures above are platform fees, not your tax obligations. If you sell regularly, your marketplace income may be reportable, and US sellers should understand how 1099-K reporting works for sales across eBay, Poshmark and Mercari combined. We cover the current thresholds and what to track in our US reseller tax guide for 2026.
This article is general information, not tax advice. Fee figures are accurate as of 2026, but each platform can change them — confirm current rates on eBay’s, Poshmark’s and Mercari’s official fee pages before pricing. For your tax position, consult the IRS or a qualified accountant.
