How to Ace Mercari Shipping

Made a sale on Mercari? You’ve joined the 10,000+ brands that use Mercari to sell new or used products. The beauty of this online marketplace is that listing an item is free. And you only pay a 10% sales commission plus minor shipping fees.

At the end of the day, the Mercari shipping option you choose has a big impact on your earnings. So how does Mercari shipping work? Well, three options exist:

• Mercari prepaid labels
• Mercari Pack and Ship
• Ship with your own

In this article, we help you understand all Mercari shipping rates and options so that you can decide which is best for you. Easyship is happy to bring you these Mercari shipping tips in our efforts to help merchants simplify shipping and save up to 91% on every shipment.

How Does Mercari Shipping Work?

Imagine you sold an iPhone on the Mercari mobile app. What happens next? Now it’s time to send the item to the buyer.

Once your iPhone sells, Mercari suggests a list of shipping boxes that correspond to the size and weight of the item. Mercari shipping boxes come in three sizes: small, medium, and large.

If we use Mercari shipping boxes, the small box is right for the iPhone. Mercari lets you ship using any boxes that meet their size and weight requirements.

This means you’re free to use your own boxes and packaging. A good option would be the free shipping boxes provided by top courier services. However, you may prefer the ease of shipping with Mercari boxes. In section 3, we’ll discuss whether this is the most affordable option.

The 3 Mercari Shipping Options

Mercari lets you ship in one of three ways:

• Mercari Prepaid
• Mercari Pack and Ship
• Your own shipping

Mercari Prepaid and Mercari Pack & Ship are certainly the most convenient options. This is because the platform emails you the shipping label, insures packages up to $200, and includes package tracking.

By contrast, shipping yourself means finding your own shipping service. You’ll also need to generate your own shipping label, as well as send the buyer a tracking number. As a tradeoff for the effort, you could save money on sourcing your own rates.

Here’s a full breakdown of all the Mercari shipping options.

1. Mercari Prepaid

Mercari Prepaid delivers to all 50 US states using Flat Rate shipping from USPS and FedEx.

Packages are limited to 150 lbs with a maximum length of 45,” and a maximum width of 20”. Packages over 45" may attract an additional courier surcharge of up to $120. Sellers in Alaska and Hawaii may only ship via USPS.

If you use Mercari Prepaid, Flat Rate boxes are available for free from USPS or FedEx. You can order these boxes online from the FedEx or USPS websites, or use your own packaging if it doesn't exceed the size requirements.

Mercari Prepaid Shipping Labels

With Mercari Prepaid, a prepaid shipping label is emailed to you following the sale. This label reflects the product weight and size provided on your product page. This label can also be accessed on your Order Status page.

But who pays for the shipping label? Well, it depends. First, you select who pays for shipping when you list an item on Mercari. If you want the buyer to pay, the cost of the shipping label will be added at checkout. If you pay, you’ll be charged a label fee based on the package size and weight. Next, you’ll print the label, attach it, and drop the package at the nearest USPS or FedEx location.

Follow these steps to ship with Mercari Prepaid:

1. Choose Mercari Prepaid when listing your item
2. Package the product, print the label, and attach the label
3. Ship within 3 business days of the purchase date, or risk losing your Mercari shipping protections (insurance and tracking)
4. Confirm your shipment in the app to let the buyer know it’s on its way

2. Mercari Pack and Ship

Mercari Pack and Ship is a great way to ship large, bulky, or fragile items. For orders that qualify, it’s even easier than Mercari Prepaid.

Mercari Pack and Ship is only available if you’ve decided to pay for shipping.

If buyers are paying, you’ll want to research the cheapest rates so you can provide these to buyers (to help drive sales). In the next section, we show you how to find the cheapest rates.

With Mercari Pack and Ship, you’ll be emailed a UPS shipping code after the sale. All you need to do is take this shipping code to the nearest UPS Store. The UPS Store associate uses the code to package and ship the product on your behalf. Your product will be sent via UPS Simple Rate, aka flat rate, including insurance for $200 and package tracking.

The maximum weight for Mercari Pack and Ship boxes is 150 lbs. The longest side cannot exceed 45” and the length plus width combined cannot exceed 108”. This Mercari shipping option is suited for bikes and guitars but not too much larger. Any package over 45" in length may attract an additional handling surcharge up to $90.

Here are the steps for using Mercari Pack and Ship:

1. Choose Pack and Ship when listing your item, but only if you’re paying for shipping
2. Select the weight range from the suggestions in the app
3. Bring the item and your  shipping code to a UPS Store location
4. Your package will be labeled and shipped by the UPS Store; the buyer will be automatically notified that the shipment is on the way

3. Use Your Own Shipping

Mercari lets merchants ship any way they like.

The benefit of this is being able to access cheaper shipping rates than what’s offered by Mercari. Plus, if you’re sending items that exceed the Mercari Pack and Ship weight and size restrictions, shipping on your own will be your cheapest option.

When shipping by yourself, Mercari requires you to take a few extra steps, including:

• Provide your own shipping label
• Share the tracking number with the buyer
• Pay for returns on items above 20 lbs

Want to offer insurance on an order? Make sure you choose a shipping option that includes insurance, like USPS Flat Rate. You can also use Easyship to insure packages up to $10,000.

The Price of Mercari Shipping Rates

Mercari shipping rates vary based on your package weight and size, and the shipping option you’ve chosen. Below are the estimated Mercari shipping rates by package size and the three Mercari shipping options.

Mercari recommends the cheapest shipping option based on the item weight and size provided in your listing. Your Mercari shipping rate is determined by whichever is greater: the actual weight or the shipping weight also called the volumetric weight.

To calculate the volumetric weight of your package, you’ll need to find the total volume. Multiply the package (Length x Width x Height) and divide this number by 139.

These pricing estimates are above a solid starting point. But can we find a cheaper rate than Mercari? Yes. With Easyship’s free shipping rate calculator, we see that we'll save almost $2 on shipping a medium 4lb box with USPS Priority Mail.

With Easyship, you can save nearly 20% off Mercari shipping rates. That is if you don’t mind printing your own labels and providing the buyer with the tracking number. Priority Mail is also only insured to $50, as opposed to Mercari’s $200.

Feel free to use Easyship’s rate calculator when picking between Mercari shipping options. Our rates come directly from courier services at up to a 91% discount, meaning they’re usually cheaper than Mercari’s.

It’s smart to consider the cheapest shipping rates when deciding how you want to ship. If you’re going to pay, especially on oversized packages, it’s always nice to save on shipping.

5 Mercari Shipping Tips

Shipping on Mercari is best done right after the sale and with full transparency. Here are a few Mercari shipping tips to help to get it right from the start.

1. Mail items within 3 business days of the sale, as shipping protections may be nullified after this three-day window
2. Communicate with the buyer if you can't meet the 3-day shipping window
3. Save money by shipping lightweight items in poly mailers
4. Order free shipping boxes from courier services to keep costs low
5. Compare Mercari shipping rates vs. Easyship when deciding which shipping method is right for you

Mercari Doesn’t Offer International Shipping

Unfortunately, Mercari doesn't offer international shipping. The Japanese version of Mercari is limited to those who have domestic Japanese addresses, while the US version only ships within the US. Mercari shipping services are limited to those who have physical addresses in these countries.

If you’re shipping internationally with Mercari, global shipping platforms like Easyship can help. Our all-in-one solution gives you the cheapest rates on cross-border shipments, an automated duty, and a tax calculator, plus helps you generate all your customs documents in minutes.

The Best Mercari Shipping Rates with Easyship

Mercari provides two native shipping options to merchants or lets you ship on your own. Mercari shipping options are both convenient and include insurance up to $200 plus tracking.

You can save money on your next Mercari shipment with Easyship. Though you’ll need to print your own labels and share the tracking details yourself, you could save 20-70% on Mercari shipping rates – especially on larger items. You'll also gain instant access to features such as the following:

• Shipping Dashboard: Manage orders and create shipments instantly in the Shipping Dashboard. Plus, keep track of all your delivery lead times in one place for your business
• Easyship Branding Suite: Easyship provides a delivery experience consistent with your brand. Add your logo and advertising materials to your packing slips, landing pages, and tracking emails
• Shipping Policy Generator: Our shipping policy generator helps merchants and crowdfunding campaigns generate their shipping policy by providing tracking and insurance options, plus other vital information for your shipping process

Ready to start shipping with Easyship? Create a free account and save up to 91% off on shipping rates!

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