Poshmark vs Mercari vs Depop: Fashion Resale Fees Compared

Poshmark charges $2.95 flat for items under $15 and 20% for items at $15 and above. Mercari takes 10% of the total including buyer-paid shipping. Depop charges only 3.3% plus $0.45 in payment processing for US sellers, with no commission. These differences create dramatically different payouts on the same item.

A $50 item illustrates this clearly: Poshmark takes $10.00, Mercari takes roughly $5.80 (with $8 shipping included), and Depop takes about $2.27 (with $5 shipping). That is a $7.73 difference between the cheapest and most expensive option on a single sale.

For US sellers, Depop has the lowest fees at virtually every price point. At $25, Depop costs about $1.44 versus Mercari at $3.30 and Poshmark at $5.00. At $100, Depop costs roughly $4.01 versus Mercari at $10.80 and Poshmark at $20.00.

The only place Depop fee advantage narrows is on very cheap items where the $0.45 flat per-transaction fee takes a larger percentage. But even on a $10 item, Depop at $0.78 is still far cheaper than Poshmark at $2.95.

Poshmark commands the largest fashion-focused buyer base and has strong social selling mechanics. For branded women fashion, shoes, and accessories, Poshmark buyers are often willing to pay a premium over what the same item fetches on Mercari or Depop.

If a Coach bag sells for $120 on Poshmark but only $95 on Mercari and $90 on Depop, the Poshmark seller keeps $96 (after 20%) versus $85.50 on Mercari (after 10%) and $87.28 on Depop (after 3.3% + $0.45). In that scenario, Poshmark wins on profit despite being the most expensive on fees. The buyer audience is doing the heavy lifting.

Mercari at 10% is cheaper than Poshmark and more expensive than Depop. Its advantage is flexibility: Mercari supports a broader range of categories than either Poshmark or Depop, and the buyer base is diverse enough to move fashion, electronics, home goods, and collectibles.

For fashion sellers specifically, Mercari often sits between the other two platforms on both fees and audience size. It can be a solid second listing destination when you cross-list from Poshmark or a primary choice when you want the simplicity of a single platform with moderate fees.

Cheap items expose the biggest differences between these platforms. At $12, Poshmark charges $2.95 (24.6% effective rate). Mercari charges about $1.20 to $1.70 depending on shipping setup. Depop charges roughly $0.85 (about 7.1%).

For sellers who move a lot of low-priced items like basic tees, accessories, or clearance finds, Depop is dramatically cheaper. Poshmark $2.95 flat fee is almost punitive on items priced close to $10. If your average sale price is under $20, this threshold issue alone should push you toward Depop or Mercari.

On a $200 item, Poshmark takes $40, Mercari takes about $20.80, and Depop takes roughly $7.23. That is a $32.77 difference between Poshmark and Depop on a single sale. For sellers working with premium vintage, designer fashion, or high-value sneakers, this difference is enormous.

At $200+, the fee math alone justifies cross-listing on Depop even if you primarily sell through Poshmark. If one out of every three sales happens on Depop instead of Poshmark, you save over $10 per sale on average across your business.

Poshmark uses buyer-paid flat-rate shipping that does not enter the seller fee calculation. Mercari charges its 10% on buyer-paid shipping, which increases the fee on heavier items. Depop charges 3.3% processing on shipping, but the small percentage makes it negligible.

This means Mercari becomes relatively more expensive as shipping costs rise. A $50 item with $15 shipping on Mercari costs $6.50 in fees (10% of $65), while the same item with $5 shipping costs $5.50. On Depop, the same range only changes fees by about $0.33. Shipping sensitivity is another reason to compare platforms using your actual shipping assumptions.

Depop skews youngest, with a core audience of Gen Z shoppers interested in streetwear, vintage, Y2K fashion, and unique pieces. Poshmark buyer base is broader in age and leans toward branded women fashion, shoes, and closet discovery. Mercari attracts a general audience that shops across categories.

Matching your inventory to the right audience is more important than saving a few percentage points on fees. A vintage Nike windbreaker probably sells fastest on Depop. A Lululemon jacket probably moves quickest on Poshmark. A general household item with no fashion angle probably belongs on Mercari.

Most serious fashion resellers list on at least two of these three platforms. The optimal strategy depends on your inventory mix. If you sell trendy and vintage fashion, Depop plus Poshmark covers the widest buyer range. If you sell a mix of fashion and non-fashion items, Mercari plus Poshmark or Mercari plus Depop gives you category flexibility.

The practical workflow is to list the item on your primary platform first, then duplicate the listing to one or two alternatives. When it sells on any platform, remove the other listings. This maximizes your exposure and lets you capture the fee savings whenever the lower-fee platform wins the sale.

Your primary platform should be wherever your inventory sells fastest and at the highest price, regardless of fee rate. Track your actual sell-through rate and average sale price across platforms for 30 to 60 days. The data will show you which platform deserves your most active attention.

Use FlipCalc to compare the fee impact before each listing, then let real sales data guide your strategy over time. The initial fee comparison tells you what to expect, and the actual results tell you what is really happening.

Depop is the cheapest and best for trendy or vintage fashion targeting younger buyers. Poshmark is the most expensive but has the strongest branded fashion audience and social selling tools. Mercari sits in the middle on everything: fees, audience breadth, and category flexibility.

There is no single best platform for all fashion resale. The right answer is the platform that delivers the best net profit on your specific inventory. Run the numbers before you list, cross-list when it makes sense, and let your sales data refine your strategy over time.