Mercari Guide for Foreigners in Japan: Buy Cheap & Sell Before You Leave

Quick answer (30 seconds): Mercari (メルカリ) is Japan's biggest flea-market app — the go-to place to buy used furniture, appliances, and electronics cheaply when you move in, and to sell everything before you leave Japan instead of dumping it. Signing up needs a phone number; to sell and cash out you'll do an identity check (本人確認) and link a Japanese bank account. Mercari takes a 10% selling fee (only when an item sells), and shipping is anonymous and flat-rate via convenience stores. The app is mostly in Japanese, so keep a translation tool handy.

ℹ️ Fees and shipping rates below are current/approximate and can change — confirm on the Mercari app before you buy or sell.

Why Mercari is perfect for foreign residents

Two moments in expat life are made for Mercari:

• Moving in: furnish an empty apartment for a fraction of retail — desks, microwaves, fridges, bikes, winter coats — often barely used.
• Leaving Japan: instead of paying to dump furniture, sell it in your final weeks and recover cash. (Combine with the disposal rules and your moving plan.)

It's also great for hobby gear, brand items, and electronics between those two points.

Setting up your account

1. Download the app and register with your phone number (SMS code).
2. To buy: you can start almost immediately, paying by card, convenience store, or Merpay (Mercari's wallet).
3. To sell and withdraw money: complete identity verification (本人確認 / eKYC) — typically with your residence card or My Number card — and link a Japanese bank account to receive your proceeds.

You can browse and buy with minimal setup; selling and cashing out is what needs the ID check and bank account.

Fees: what Mercari takes

• Selling fee: 10% of the sale price, charged (listing is free).