Comparison · general
Facebook Marketplace vs Mercari
Which marketplace has lower fees for resellers — and when does each one win?
Local-first selling on Facebook versus shipped national selling on Mercari. Often complementary rather than competing.
Quick verdict on fees
Across 6 common sale prices ($25-$1,000), Facebook Marketplace nets more on 6 and Mercari nets more on 0. Overall: Facebook Marketplace is the cheaper choice in this band.
Net payout at common sale prices
| Sale price | Facebook Marketplace fees | Facebook Marketplace net | Mercari fees | Mercari net | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25.00 | −$1.25 · 5.0% | $23.75 | −$3.73 · 14.9% | $21.27 | +$2.48 |
| $50.00 | −$2.50 · 5.0% | $47.50 | −$6.95 · 13.9% | $43.05 | +$4.45 |
| $100.00 | −$5.00 · 5.0% | $95.00 | −$13.40 · 13.4% | $86.60 | +$8.40 |
| $250.00 | −$12.50 · 5.0% | $237.50 | −$32.75 · 13.1% | $217.25 | +$20.25 |
| $500.00 | −$25.00 · 5.0% | $475.00 | −$65.00 · 13.0% | $435.00 | +$40.00 |
| $1,000.00 | −$50.00 · 5.0% | $950.00 | −$129.50 · 13.0% | $870.50 | +$79.50 |
Net payout = sale price + shipping charged − platform fees. Both platforms calculated with default options and no shipping charged to buyer.
Fee structure
Facebook Marketplace
Open calculator →Local pickup and shipped sales via Meta's marketplace
- Selling fee is 5% per shipment with a $0.40 minimum per order.
- Local pickup transactions are FREE — Facebook Marketplace charges no fees when buyers and sellers arrange the pickup locally. This calculator models shipped sales only.
- Payment processing is bundled into the 5% selling fee — there is no separate processing charge.
- Buyers pay shipping at checkout for shipped items; that amount is included in the fee base.
Mercari
Open calculator →Casual marketplace for general goods
- The selling fee (10%) applies to the item price only — shipping and sales tax are excluded from this charge.
- Payment processing (2.9% + $0.50) applies to the full amount the buyer pays, item plus shipping.
- Mercari Shipping Label deducts the discounted label cost directly from your payout. Enter that cost in 'Your shipping cost' to see accurate profit.
- Mercari Shipping Protection covers eligible packages up to $200 at no extra cost to the seller — it does not change the calculator math.
Audience & fit
Facebook Marketplace's local pickup is free — unbeatable for furniture, large items, or anything where shipping eats your margin. Mercari's strength is shippable items where you want national reach without the eBay learning curve. Many resellers list on both: Facebook for local, Mercari for shippable. They serve different distribution flows.
Frequently asked
Is local pickup on Facebook Marketplace really free?
Yes. Facebook Marketplace charges zero fees on local pickup transactions where the buyer and seller arrange the exchange directly without using Facebook's payment or shipping integration. The 5% fee only applies when you use Facebook's shipping option for delivered orders.
What is the $0.40 minimum fee for?
Facebook applies a minimum fee of $0.40 per order on shipped sales to cover payment processing costs that don't scale with low sale prices. So a $5 sale would normally incur $0.25 (5%), but the minimum of $0.40 applies instead. The minimum only matters for sales under $8.
How much does Mercari take from each sale?
Mercari charges a 10% selling fee on the item price only (not shipping), plus a payment processing fee of 2.9% + $0.50 on the buyer's total payment (item plus shipping). For a $30 item with $5 shipping, you'd pay $3.00 selling fee plus $1.52 processing — about $4.52 total, or roughly 13% of the gross.
Does Mercari charge fees on shipping?
Partially. The 10% selling fee applies only to the item price, but the 2.9% + $0.50 payment processing fee applies to the buyer's full payment, which includes shipping. So shipping is partially fee-free on Mercari, unlike eBay where all fees apply to item + shipping.
More comparisons
See all comparisons →Want to run the numbers on your specific sale?