You have a pair of Lululemon leggings, a vintage Pokémon card binder, and a kitchen stand mixer to sell. Three items, three very different products. Where do you list each one? The answer isn't the same platform for all three, and knowing why saves you weeks of watching things sit unsold in the wrong marketplace.
Mercari, Poshmark, and eBay each take a cut of your sales, attract different buyers, and reward different types of inventory. This isn't about which platform is "best." It's about matching inventory to marketplace.
The Fee Breakdown: What Each Platform Actually Takes
Fees are the first thing sellers compare, and for good reason. The difference between platforms can be $5-15 per sale. Multiply that across hundreds of transactions and it shapes your entire business model.
Mercari: 10% Flat
Mercari charges a flat 10% selling fee on the total sale amount (item price plus buyer-paid shipping). Payment processing costs are now borne by the buyer as a 3.6% "Buyer Protection" fee, so sellers no longer pay the old 2.9% + $0.50 processing charge.
On a $50 item with $8 shipping: Mercari takes $5.80 (10% of $58). You keep $44.20.
Poshmark: 20% Above $15
Poshmark takes a flat $2.95 on sales under $15 and 20% on everything above. No additional processing fees. Shipping is a flat rate paid by the buyer ($6.49 for most packages), so it doesn't factor into your fee calculation.
On a $50 item: Poshmark takes $10. You keep $40.
eBay: 13-15% (Category Dependent)
eBay's fee structure is the most complex. Most categories have a final value fee of around 13.25% plus $0.30-$0.40 per order, with payment processing included. Some categories run higher — women's handbags and jewelry under $5,000 hit 15%.
On a $50 item: eBay takes roughly $7.00 (13.25% + $0.40). You keep about $43 before shipping costs.
eBay store subscriptions reduce fees slightly and make sense once you're selling enough volume to offset the monthly cost ($7.95-$350/month depending on tier).
The Winner by Price Point
The "cheapest" platform depends entirely on what you're selling:
- Under $15: Poshmark's $2.95 flat fee is often more expensive than Mercari's 10% at this range. A $12 item costs $2.95 on Poshmark (24.6%) vs $1.20 on Mercari (10%). Mercari wins for cheap items.
- $15-$50: Mercari is consistently cheapest at 10%. eBay is middle at ~13.5%. Poshmark is most expensive at 20%.
- $50-$200: Same pattern, but the dollar difference becomes more significant. A $100 sale nets you $90 on Mercari, ~$86 on eBay, and $80 on Poshmark.
- $200+: Mercari's 10% still leads. But at this price point, the platform with the most qualified buyers matters more than the fee savings.
The cheapest platform isn't automatically the best. A $100 item that sells in 3 days on Poshmark (netting $80) beats the same item sitting 6 weeks on Mercari (netting $90 eventually). Speed of sale and total volume often matter more than per-transaction fees.
Where to List What: Category-by-Category Guide
Women's Fashion (Contemporary Brands)
Best: Poshmark. This is Poshmark's core market. Lululemon, Madewell, Free People, Anthropologie, J.Crew — the 25-45 female demographic shops here specifically for these brands. Poshmark's social features (sharing, parties, bundles) drive fashion sales in ways Mercari and eBay can't match.
Cross-list to Mercari as secondary. Skip eBay unless it's a hard-to-find size or style.
Men's Fashion
Best: eBay or Mercari. Poshmark's men's market exists but is much smaller. eBay has the widest men's audience, especially for workwear, streetwear, and vintage. Mercari does well with sneakers and branded sportswear.
Sneakers
Best: eBay, with Mercari close behind. eBay's authentication service for sneakers over $100 builds buyer trust for high-value pairs. Mercari attracts casual sneaker buyers at lower price points. Poshmark is viable but not the first choice for most sneaker sellers.
Designer and Luxury
Best: Poshmark or eBay. Poshmark's authentication service covers items over $500. eBay's Authenticity Guarantee applies to handbags, watches, and sneakers. Both build buyer confidence for high-ticket purchases. Mercari lacks a comparable authentication program, which limits buyer willingness to spend big.
Electronics
Best: eBay, then Mercari. Don't bother with Poshmark — it's fashion only. eBay has the deepest electronics market with the most price-aware buyers. Mercari is solid for phones, gaming gear, and tablets, especially when priced competitively.
Collectibles, Trading Cards, and Toys
Best: Mercari or eBay. Mercari's Entertainment & Hobbies category accounts for 40%+ of their transactions. Pokémon cards, Funko Pops, K-pop merchandise — Mercari buyers are actively hunting for these. eBay is strong for higher-value collectibles where auction format can drive prices up.
Home Goods and Kitchen
Best: Mercari or eBay. Again, not Poshmark (fashion only). Mercari is surprisingly good for kitchen appliances, home decor, and small household items. eBay has broader reach for niche home items.
Kids and Baby Items
Best: Mercari. Budget-conscious parents love Mercari for gently used kids' gear. Strollers, carriers, toys, and children's clothing all move well. Poshmark's kids' market exists but is much smaller.
The Selling Experience Compared
Listing Effort
Mercari is the fastest to list on. Snap photos, fill in basic details, set a price, done. Poshmark is slightly more involved with its structured form. eBay is the most time-intensive, especially if you use item specifics, shipping calculators, and auction features properly.
Daily Maintenance
Poshmark requires the most: daily sharing is non-negotiable for visibility. Depop requires refreshing. Mercari is the most hands-off — use Smart Pricing to keep listings active and respond to messages. eBay falls in between, with occasional relisting and offer management.
Buyer Communication
Poshmark buyers negotiate through offers. Mercari buyers mix messages and offers. eBay buyers ask the most questions, especially for electronics and collectibles where specs matter. Budget your time accordingly.
Getting Paid
Poshmark releases funds after the buyer accepts or 3 days after delivery. Mercari is similar — payment held until delivery confirmation. eBay pays out on a rolling schedule, usually within days of sale. All three have holds that can delay access to your money, so don't count on same-day payouts.
The Case for Selling on All Three
The most successful resellers in 2026 aren't single-platform loyalists. They cross-list inventory across 2-3 platforms and let the marketplace with the best buyer for each item make the sale.
The math is simple: if an item has a 20% chance of selling on any given platform, listing on three platforms gives you roughly a 49% chance of selling (1 - 0.8^3). More exposure = faster sales = better cash flow.
Cross-listing used to be a nightmare — manually creating each listing on every platform. Now tools exist that let you list once and push to all three. Inventory syncs automatically so when something sells on eBay, it's marked sold on Poshmark and Mercari. The operational overhead of multi-platform selling has dropped dramatically.
A Practical Multi-Platform Strategy
- Fashion → Poshmark (primary) + Mercari (secondary)
- Electronics → eBay (primary) + Mercari (secondary)
- Collectibles → Mercari (primary) + eBay (secondary)
- Designer/Luxury → Poshmark or eBay (primary, based on authentication needs)
- Everything else → Mercari + eBay
The Bottom Line
There's no universally best platform. There's only the best platform for a specific item. Poshmark dominates women's fashion. eBay has the broadest reach and handles complexity well. Mercari sits in the middle with the simplest experience and the lowest fashion fees.
Pick your primary based on what you sell most. Add a secondary for coverage. As you scale, cross-listing tools make the third platform nearly effortless. The sellers who thrive are the ones who stop asking "which platform?" and start asking "which platform for this item?" That shift in thinking changes everything.