A must-read for cross-border beginners: A complete guide to Mercari operating skills in the US

Mercari is a global second-hand goods trading platform, especially in the US market, with a huge user base. It provides sellers with a low-cost, high-traffic sales channel, and is an ideal choice for novice sellers to enter the cross-border e-commerce field. The following are some methods and suggestions for cross-border sellers on the Mercari platform to operate and optimize their stores, which I hope will be helpful to all cross-border novices.

one, Platform status and advantages

(1) status quo

Mercari is a second-hand goods trading platform with a large user base and active transactions, with more than 20 million active users and a monthly transaction volume of more than US$ 100 million.

(2) Advantages

1) The platform provides powerful marketing tools, such as smart pricing and promotion features (the smart pricing feature automatically lowers product prices to increase competitiveness, and the promotion feature increases product visibility by reducing prices), but at no additional cost.

2) The platform also provides seller protection, flexible sales options and a good community atmosphere, encouraging user reviews and ratings to create a healthy trading environment.

3) Compared to many cross-border e-commerce platforms, there is less competition among sellers on Mercari , making it easier for sellers to stand out in a specific category.

two, Operational preparation

(1) Registration information preparation

1) ​Individual Sellers

l US physical mobile phone number ( Google Voice/TextNow virtual number)

l US address (can be generated using USPS virtual address generator)

l Common email addresses ( Gmail/Outlook is preferred, QQ/163 email addresses are disabled)

l Real-name authentication information: SSN or ITIN tax number (can be applied for by a third-party service)

l Payment account: PayPal (US certified account required) or Merpay wallet

2) ​Enterprise Sellers

l EIN Employer Identification Number (apply through the IRS website)

l U.S. company registration documents ( Delaware registration is recommended)

l Business bank account ( Wise/TransferWise multi-currency account recommended)

(2) Network environment

1) IP Requirements:

Use a dedicated and clean static IP proxy to ensure that the IP address is consistent with the registered address. Be careful to avoid using shared IP or airport nodes to avoid account abnormalities or bans due to unstable or frequent IP switching.

It is recommended to use a native residential IP or a static residential IP proxy, such as IPFoxy , to ensure the stability and security of your account.

2) Network stability:

Ensure that the network connection is fast and stable to avoid data loss or transaction failure due to network interruption. You can use network monitoring tools to monitor network traffic and connection status to detect and solve problems in time.

3) Account environment isolation:

Configure an independent IP and network environment for each account to avoid account association risks. You can use fingerprint browsers to create independent browser environments to further isolate accounts.

three, Operational skills

(1) Account maintenance

After using IP proxy and fingerprint browser to isolate the device, remember to still simulate the following behaviors:

1) Daily login time: 8-10AM Pacific Time , operation interval ＞ 30 minutes .

2) Simulate real buyer behavior : such as adding items to your favorites or following other sellers .

3) During the novice period ( 0-7 days), put 1-3 low-priced items on the shelves every day and complete 2-3 small transactions.

(2) Product Selection

1) Product selection direction

① High potential categories:

l Fashion: Retro jeans, Y2K millennial style clothing.

l Electronics: Second-hand Switch OLED , iPhone accessories.

l Home furnishings: Nordic-style decorative paintings, smart small appliances.

l Collections: out-of-print porcelain, limited edition game cartridges.

② Blue Ocean Market:

l Automatic pet feeder, ergonomic chair.

2) Risk Aversion

① Prohibited sales categories: imitation goods, e-cigarettes, prescription drugs, ivory products (fine of $1,000 per time).

② Sensitive categories: Jewelry needs to provide an appraisal certificate, and second-hand underwear needs to be marked with cleaning records.

(3) Available

1) Time to put products on the shelves: 2-3 days after you have maintained your account, you can start putting products on the shelves, and you should do it in different time periods to avoid batch operations. Put a small amount of products on the shelves for the first time, and then increase the amount of products appropriately after observing the platform's reaction.

2) Product information optimization: The product title should be as vague as possible, without the brand, but the model number can be included. It is recommended to take photos of the product with a mobile phone, and it is not recommended to use pictures from the Internet. Remember to bring relevant tags to increase exposure.

(4) logistics

1) Shipping method: It is recommended to use Mercari 's shipping order and avoid choosing Ship on your own to avoid store restrictions due to domestic shipping.

2) Pay attention to logistics tracking: ensure timely delivery and provide buyers with logistics tracking information to improve buyer satisfaction.

(5) Promotions

1) Use platform tools

① Relist function: re-publish products daily to improve search rankings ( exposure weight of new products in the first 3 days + 30% ).

② Promote Tools:

Public promotion: Improve search ranking (cost $0.5/ time).

Private promotion: Automatically send a 10% discount to favorite users .

Pricing strategy: When listing, set the price 10-20% higher than expected to leave room for negotiation.

2) Off-site traffic

① TikTok seeding: Use IPFoxy US node to publish short videos with Mercari links.

② Instagram cooperation: cooperate with niche bloggers with 5k-10k followers on a CPS basis .

(6) After-sales

1) Return response: Confirm the return reason within 24 hours and send a prepaid label (virtual address).

2) Dispute resolution: Remember to keep the logistics receipts and product photos, and use the overseas agent IP to simulate the US customer service environment. The arbitration success rate is 92% .

Four, Data analysis and optimization

(1) Sales data analysis: Analyze product sales trends, seasonal changes, promotional campaign effects, etc., adjust sales strategies in a timely manner, and optimize product mix and promotion plans.

(2) User data analysis: Understand users' geographical distribution, age group, purchasing preferences, etc., conduct targeted marketing and customer service, and improve user satisfaction and loyalty.

(3) Competitor analysis: Pay attention to competitors’ store data, such as product prices, sales volume, user reviews, etc., learn from competitors’ strengths, discover your own shortcomings, and develop differentiated competitive strategies.

five, Platform Rules (Anti-Blocking Guidelines)

Here are some anti-blocking rules that sellers on the US Mercari platform need to pay attention to:

(1) Use an independent and clean static IP proxy to ensure that the IP address is consistent with the registered address and avoid frequent switching of IP or devices.

(2) When operating multiple accounts, ensure that each account has one IP and one fingerprint to avoid account association.

(3) Product titles and descriptions should be as vague as possible and avoid directly mentioning brands, especially for high-risk categories (such as big-name jewelry) .

(4) Use high-quality pictures to ensure that product information is authentic and avoid infringement or false advertising.

(5) Avoid selling prohibited items, infringing goods, or unauthorized goods.

(6) Do not use unfair means such as empty packages and false orders to avoid being punished by the platform.

(7) Avoid using dynamic IP . It is recommended to use static IP to ensure a stable environment.

Through the above measures, sellers can effectively reduce the risk of Mercari store being closed and ensure the long-term stable operation of the store.

The above are some tips for novice cross-border players to operate stores on Mercari in the US . Thank you for watching, and you are welcome to share and communicate in the comment section.