Quick Answer: To buy on Mercari in Japan, register an account, search for an item, and check photos, the description, price, who pays shipping, shipping method, handling time, and the seller’s ratings before tapping Proceed to checkout. Choose a payment method and delivery address, complete payment (and pay at a convenience store or ATM by the deadline if required), then inspect the item when it arrives and post a receive review only after confirming the contents. English UI covers only part of the app; comments and transaction messages are mainly in Japanese. Fees and rules change—confirm the latest official guides before you pay.
Who is this guide for?
This guide is for foreign residents in Japan who want to purchase used goods on Mercari for the first time, feel unsure about Japanese listings or seller communication, and want a step-by-step flow aligned with Mercari’s official help articles.
For what Mercari is and first-time setup, see
What should you prepare before buying?
- Why it matters
- Registration is required for your first purchase (see the intro guide for overview).
- Why it matters
- You register or select it at checkout. Incorrect addresses can cause delivery problems; Mercari’s buyer guidelines note that address issues may fall outside full compensation support.
- Why it matters
- Credit card, convenience store / ATM payment, carrier billing, Merpay balance, and others may appear on the checkout screen—not every method is available for every listing.
- Why it matters
- Mercari asks users to communicate in Japanese in comments and transaction messages. A translation app helps.
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Mercari account | Registration is required for your first purchase (see the intro guide for overview). |
| Delivery address | You register or select it at checkout. Incorrect addresses can cause delivery problems; Mercari’s buyer guidelines note that address issues may fall outside full compensation support. |
| Payment method | Credit card, convenience store / ATM payment, carrier billing, Merpay balance, and others may appear on the checkout screen—not every method is available for every listing. |
| Japanese support | Mercari asks users to communicate in Japanese in comments and transaction messages. A translation app helps. |
Mercari may require identity verification for some high-value purchases or when you pay by credit card for certain items. Other payment methods may not trigger verification in many cases (Mercari may ask again depending on usage). Foreign residents should follow the in-app instructions and official guides for acceptable ID.
Mercari’s credit card guide states that credit cards issued outside Japan cannot be used. Check the checkout screen for cards and payment options that work for you.
How do you find items?
Mercari’s official purchase guide suggests:
- Keyword search — product name, brand, model number, and similar terms.
- Categories — clothing, books, electronics, and more.
- Likes — save items and revisit them under liked products.
Use sort and filter controls on the results screen (price, condition, shipping, and so on). Wording and options can change with app updates.
What should you check on the product page?
Before Proceed to checkout, review the points Mercari lists as pre-purchase checks.
Photos, description, and condition
- Check multiple photos, wear, missing parts, and anything not obvious from the title.
- Used items may show age-related wear. Mercari recommends using comments before purchase when details are unclear.
- If you buy without being able to confirm details from the listing, full compensation support may not apply, per the buyer guidelines.
Price and shipping
- Confirm whether the price is shipping included (seller pays) or cash on delivery / buyer pays shipping (着払い).
- Missing a COD shipping label can mean unexpected shipping charges at delivery.
Shipping method and handling time
- Note whether the listing uses Rakuraku Mercari Bin, Yu-Yu Mercari Bin, or a non–Mercari Bin method.
- The buyer guidelines recommend Mercari Bin; for other methods Mercari may be unable to confirm delivery status, and full compensation may not apply.
- If the seller passes the stated days to ship window without shipping, use transaction messages to ask for an update or consider cancellation per official guidance.
Seller ratings
- Use ratings and public comments as context, but treat the listing text and photos as the main source of truth.
When should you comment before buying?
Comments are a public channel before purchase. After the transaction starts, you use transaction messages instead (you cannot add new product comments).
- Practical approach
- Size, accessories, defects, working condition, or asking the seller to switch to Mercari Bin for anonymous shipping.
- Practical approach
- Photos, description, shipping, and prior Q&A in comments already answer your questions.
| Situation | Practical approach |
|---|---|
| Consider commenting | Size, accessories, defects, working condition, or asking the seller to switch to Mercari Bin for anonymous shipping. |
| Often fine to proceed | Photos, description, shipping, and prior Q&A in comments already answer your questions. |
Sellers are not obligated to reply to comments. You can look at other listings if you need certainty.
Requests such as “comments required,” “hold for me,” or “list only for me” can conflict with Mercari’s rules on custom transaction conditions. Compare any seller-side rules with Mercari’s transaction manner guides.
What are the purchase and payment steps?
Typical flow based on Mercari’s official purchase guide:
- Open the listing, review details, tap Proceed to checkout.
- Select a payment method (see the next section).
- Register or choose a delivery address (for Yu-Yu Mercari Bin convenience store / post office pickup, the listing must be Yu-Yu Mercari Bin from the start—configure pickup on the checkout screen when available).
- Confirm totals and tap Purchase.
- If you chose convenience store / ATM payment, complete payment by the displayed deadline.
- Wait for shipping; track status on the transaction screen when Mercari Bin tracking is available.
- Inspect the package and post a receive review if everything matches the listing.
You cannot change to a different payment type after checkout (only changes Mercari explicitly allows, such as switching between certain convenience store / ATM options). Double-check payment and address before you tap Purchase.
What payment methods can buyers use?
Mercari documents many options; availability depends on the item and your screen. Common methods include:
- Buyer notes (official guides at time of writing)
- Charged when checkout completes. Brands such as VISA, MasterCard, JCB, AMEX, Diners, and Discover are listed; overseas-issued cards are not accepted. Installments may be available from ¥3,000 on the app only.
- Buyer notes (official guides at time of writing)
- Pay after purchase in store or at an ATM. Deadline: 23:59:59 on the third day counting from the purchase date (purchase day = day 1). A payment fee applies in addition to the item price.
- Buyer notes (official guides at time of writing)
- d payment, au easy payment, SoftBank consolidated billing, etc. Fees vary by amount (see Mercari’s fee article).
- Buyer notes (official guides at time of writing)
- Rules for combining balance and points appear at checkout.
- Buyer notes (official guides at time of writing)
- Apple Pay, FamiPay, Amazon Pay, Merpay postpaid, Mercard, and more—see Mercari’s payment category in the help center.
| Method | Buyer notes (official guides at time of writing) |
|---|---|
| Credit card | Charged when checkout completes. Brands such as VISA, MasterCard, JCB, AMEX, Diners, and Discover are listed; overseas-issued cards are not accepted. Installments may be available from ¥3,000 on the app only. |
| Convenience store / ATM | Pay after purchase in store or at an ATM. Deadline: 23:59:59 on the third day counting from the purchase date (purchase day = day 1). A payment fee applies in addition to the item price. |
| Carrier billing | d payment, au easy payment, SoftBank consolidated billing, etc. Fees vary by amount (see Mercari’s fee article). |
| Merpay balance / points | Rules for combining balance and points appear at checkout. |
| Others | Apple Pay, FamiPay, Amazon Pay, Merpay postpaid, Mercard, and more—see Mercari’s payment category in the help center. |
Convenience store / ATM and carrier payment fees (from Mercari’s fee article at time of writing; amounts apply to the balance due after points or balance use):
- Fee (approx.)
- ¥100
- Fee (approx.)
- ¥200
- Fee (approx.)
- ¥300
- Fee (approx.)
- ¥500
- Fee (approx.)
- ¥700
- Fee (approx.)
- ¥880
| Amount due (approx.) | Fee (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Up to ¥5,000 | ¥100 |
| ¥5,001–¥10,000 | ¥200 |
| ¥10,001–¥20,000 | ¥300 |
| ¥20,001–¥30,000 | ¥500 |
| ¥30,001–¥40,000 | ¥700 |
| ¥40,001 and above | ¥880 |
Confirm current numbers in Mercari fees before you pay.
What should you do after delivery?
- Inspect the item (and test functions if reasonable).
- If it matches the listing, check I have confirmed the contents, choose Good or Bad, and submit your receive review.
- After the seller rates you, the transaction completes.
Even if the app prompts you to rate after a shipping notice, do not rate before the item arrives. Mercari warns that early receive reviews can lead to problems if the package is missing or wrong. After you complete a receive review, cancellation is generally no longer available.
What if the item does not arrive or does not match?
Late or missing delivery
- Message the seller in the transaction thread.
- For Mercari Bin, check delivery status on the transaction screen and contact the carrier if needed.
- For non–Mercari Bin shipping, Mercari states it cannot confirm delivery or investigate with carriers; you typically work with the shipping company directly.
- If you are prompted to rate while the item has not arrived, look for Do not auto-complete this transaction (wording may vary) to pause automatic completion.
Wrong item, damage, or major mismatch with the description
- Do not post a receive review.
- Explain the issue (stains, damage, wrong size, etc.) and what you hope for (return, cancellation) via transaction messages.
- If there is no reply, wait about 24 hours as a rough guide, then contact Mercari support through the help center if you still cannot resolve it.
Returns for buyer’s remorse (changed mind, “looks different than imagined”) are generally not allowed. Returns with seller agreement follow Mercari’s return procedure article.
Anonymous shipping and pickup options
Anonymous shipping on eligible Mercari Bin services lets buyers and sellers ship without sharing names, home addresses, and phone numbers with each other.
- If the listing starts with a non–Mercari Bin method, the seller may see your address until they switch to Mercari Bin. Ask before purchase if you need anonymous shipping.
- Yu-Yu Mercari Bin listings that were Yu-Yu from the start may allow home delivery or convenience store / post office / Hokoposu locker pickup when you configure pickup at checkout. If the seller switches to Yu-Yu after the transaction starts, store pickup may not be available—home delivery to the address on file applies.
- For convenience store pickup, tracking and authentication numbers appear on the transaction screen. Rating before pickup can make those numbers harder to recover—wait until you have the parcel.
Official guides cite pickup deadlines such as 7 days at a post office window and 3 days at convenience stores or Hokoposu after arrival—confirm the article for your service.
Useful Japanese phrases (before and after purchase)
| Japanese | Reading | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| 購入させていただきます | kounyuu sasete itadakimasu | Polite note that you are buying (comment or message). |
| コメント失礼します | komento shitsurei shimasu | Opening line before a pre-purchase comment. |
| 状態を教えてください | joukyou o oshiete kudasai | Ask about condition. |
| 付属品は揃っていますか | fuzokuhin wa sorotte imasu ka | Ask whether accessories are included. |
| 発送までの日数はいつ頃ですか | hassou made no nissuu wa itsu goro desu ka | Ask when they will ship. |
| メルカリ便への変更は可能でしょうか | Mercari-bin e no henkou wa kanou deshou ka | Ask to switch to Mercari Bin. |
| 商品が届きました | shouhin ga todokimashita | Tell the seller the item arrived. |
| 受取評価をしました | uketori hyouka o shimashita | Let them know you posted a receive review. |
| 説明と異なるため相談させてください | setsumei to kotonaru tame soudan sasete kudasai | Start a message about a mismatch—stay factual. |
Mercari recommends Japanese for user-to-user messages even if your app language is English.
Next steps
- Register and try language settings if you are new (
intro guide ). - Search, verify shipping and seller details, comment if needed, then purchase.
- Track payment deadlines and shipping on the transaction page.
- Rate only after inspection.
- To sell items, open the
selling guide .
FAQ
Can I complete a purchase using only English?
Only part of the app (including some listing and purchase screens) is available in English; notifications may stay in Japanese. Comments and transaction messages should be in Japanese for smooth communication. Listing text may show reference translations in English mode, but verify photos and the original description.
What happens if I miss the convenience store payment deadline?
The deadline is 23:59:59 on the third day counting from the purchase date. Payment may still be possible after the deadline in some cases, but if payment is not confirmed in time, the seller may be able to cancel. Pay within the deadline when you can.
What is the difference between shipping included and COD shipping?
Shipping included means the listed price covers shipping (seller pays). COD / buyer-pays shipping (着払い) means you pay shipping when you receive the item. Always read the shipping line on the listing.
Should I avoid listings that are not Mercari Bin?
Mercari’s buyer guidelines recommend Mercari Bin and state that other methods may be outside full compensation support. Balance price, risk, and whether you can ask the seller to switch to Mercari Bin before you buy.
Sources
- How to buy on Mercari (official flow) (verified 20 July 2026) — Search through checkout and address registration
- Buyer guidelines (verified 20 July 2026) — Pre-purchase checks, Mercari Bin, reviews and returns
- Mercari fees (verified 20 July 2026) — Convenience store / ATM and carrier payment fees
- After purchase with convenience store / ATM payment (verified 20 July 2026) — Payment deadline and flow
- Credit card payment (verified 20 July 2026) — Charge timing and eligible cards
- Language settings (verified 20 July 2026) — English UI scope and message language
- About comments (verified 20 July 2026) — Pre-purchase comments
- Receive review steps (verified 20 July 2026) — How to post a receive review
- Anonymous shipping (verified 20 July 2026) — When addresses stay hidden
- Post office / convenience store pickup (Yu-Yu Mercari Bin) (verified 20 July 2026) — Pickup eligibility
- Item not as described / damaged (verified 20 July 2026) — Contact steps
- Item not received (Mercari Bin) (verified 20 July 2026) — If tracking shows delivered but you have no package
- ID verification for credit card purchases (verified 20 July 2026) — When verification appears