You list a 4 oz t-shirt for $20. On Poshmark, the buyer sees $20 plus a $6.49 shipping label, a $26.49 total, even though the shirt would fit in a bubble mailer that costs a fraction of that. On Mercari, the same shirt costs the buyer $24.91. The buyer's total, not your list price, is what they compare, and it changes how likely the item is to sell.
Here is how shipping works for lightweight items on each platform, what the buyer pays, and what you keep. All rates are US rates as of October 2026, and several of them are scheduled to change, so check each platform's current table before you price.
The Short Version
| Platform | Who pays shipping | Label for a 4 oz item | Buyer pays at checkout (for a $20 item) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poshmark | Buyer | $6.49 flat (up to 5 lb) | $26.49 |
| Mercari | Seller's choice | $4.91 (USPS Ground Advantage) | $24.91 if the buyer pays shipping |
| eBay | Seller sets it | Depends on the service you buy | $20 plus whatever shipping you charge |
| Depop | Buyer (with Depop Shipping) | Not confirmed (see below) | $20 plus the label, plus a buyer fee |
| Vinted | Buyer | Not confirmed for 4 oz | $20 plus a buyer protection fee and the label |
Poshmark: One Price for Everything Up to 5 lb
Poshmark uses a single prepaid USPS Ground Advantage label paid by the buyer, at a flat $6.49 for packages up to 5 lb. Poshmark lowered it from $8.27 on September 12, 2025, according to its own announcement. There is no lighter tier, so a 4 oz item and a 4 lb item cost the buyer the same.
That is a good deal for a pair of boots and a poor one for a t-shirt, which is why light items are where Poshmark loses sales to platforms with cheaper labels. For a heavier package, Poshmark's upgrade tiers are paid by the seller, who pays only the difference: $5.00 for 5.1 to 10 lb and $10.00 for 10.1 to 15 lb, according to Poshmark's February 2026 announcement.
What you keep on a $20 item: Poshmark's fee is 20% of the item price, so $4.00, and you keep $16.00. The buyer pays the label separately. See our Poshmark fees guide for the under-$15 rules.
Mercari: You Choose Who Pays
On Mercari, the seller decides. With buyer-paid shipping, the label cost is added at the buyer's checkout. With seller-paid shipping, the label cost comes out of your proceeds.
Mercari's prepaid USPS Ground Advantage labels, effective May 7, 2026, run $4.91 for 4 oz, $5.66 for 8 oz, and $7.48 for 1 lb. Priority Mail is $5.49, $5.99, and $7.59 at the same weights. Mercari's help center shows a second rate table effective October 19, 2026, so recheck the current numbers before you set your prices.
One detail changes the math: Mercari's 10% fee applies to "the item price + buyer-paid shipping," not to the item price alone.
$20 item, buyer-paid shipping: the buyer pays $24.91. Your fee is 10% of $24.91, or $2.49, and you keep $17.51.
$20 item, seller-paid shipping (free shipping for the buyer): your fee is 10% of the $20 item price, or $2.00. After the $4.91 label, you keep $13.09. The buyer sees $20, which can help the item sell, and it costs you about $4.42 more than letting the buyer pay.
eBay: You Set the Shipping and the Fee Follows
On eBay, you decide what to charge, and the final value fee applies to the item price plus the shipping you collect from the buyer. The current rate for most categories is 13.6% up to $7,500, plus a $0.40 per-order fee on orders over $10 ($0.30 at $10 or under).
eBay Standard Envelope is the cheapest option for flat, light items, at $0.78 for 1 oz, $1.07 for 2 oz, and $1.36 for 3 oz, according to an eBay announcement from July 2026. It stops at 3 oz, so our 4 oz shirt does not qualify, and you would use a service like USPS Ground Advantage. eBay said in the same announcement that its Ground Advantage weight tiers under 1 lb were unchanged at that time, but it did not list the prices there, so look up your exact label cost in your eBay shipping tool.
Example only: if you charge a $4.50 shipping fee on a $20 item, the fee is 13.6% of $24.50 plus $0.40, which is $3.73, and you keep $20.77 before paying for the postage. Your postage cost depends on the service you buy. To see how a promoted listing changes this, try the optional ad-rate field in our fee calculator. eBay's seller tools show the label price for your package before you buy.
Depop: A Buyer Fee on Top
Depop dropped its US seller fee to 0% on July 18, 2024, according to Depop's announcement, and instead charges buyers a marketplace fee of up to 5% of the item price plus up to $1. Sellers still pay 3.3% + $0.45 in payment processing, calculated on the item plus shipping.
Depop Shipping is a prepaid USPS label paid by the buyer. We could not confirm Depop's label prices by weight from an official page, and sellers report different numbers for 4 oz, so check the shipping options in the app when you create the listing. See our Depop fees guide for the full breakdown.
Vinted: The Buyer Pays Everything Extra
On Vinted, the buyer always pays shipping, and also pays a Buyer Protection Fee of $0.70 plus 5% of the item price, according to Vinted's price list. Home delivery with USPS or FedEx starts from $0.99 for small and medium packages, per Vinted's shipping help page. The exact price for a 4 oz package depends on size and location, and we could not find a fixed figure. Sellers pay no commission (see our Vinted guide), so on a $20 item the seller keeps $20.00 and the buyer pays $20 plus $1.70 plus the label.
What This Means for Pricing Light Items
- Price against the buyer's total. A buyer comparing a $20 item on Poshmark ($26.49) and Mercari ($24.91) is comparing totals, not list prices. On a 4 oz item, Poshmark's flat label costs the buyer about $1.58 more than Mercari's.
- Free shipping is not free. On Mercari, offering free shipping on a $20, 4 oz item costs you about $4.42 more than buyer-paid shipping in this example, so build it into the price instead of eating it.
- Weight changes the winner. Poshmark's flat label looks worse at 4 oz and better as the package approaches 5 lb. Mercari's cost rises with each weight tier.
- Cross-listing helps. The same shirt can be a better buy on Mercari and a better payout on Vinted. Our guide to cross-listing tools covers how to list in several places at once.
To compare payouts with your own prices, use the fee calculator, and check your shop name is free before you commit to a platform with our username checker.
How much are platform fees really costing you?
Compare exact selling fees and payouts across eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, Depop, Etsy, Grailed, and Vinted.
Use the Fee Calculator →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Poshmark or Mercari cheaper for shipping lightweight items?
For a 4 oz item, Mercari's current prepaid label is $4.91 versus Poshmark's flat $6.49 label, so the buyer pays less on Mercari. Poshmark's label covers up to 5 lb at one price, so it is a better deal on heavier items.
Does Poshmark charge the buyer $6.49 even for a very light item?
Yes. Poshmark uses one flat prepaid label for packages up to 5 lb, so a 4 oz item costs the buyer the same $6.49 as a 4 lb one. Poshmark lowered the label from $8.27 to $6.49 on September 12, 2025.
Who pays for shipping on Mercari?
The seller chooses. With buyer-paid shipping, the label cost is added at checkout. With seller-paid shipping, the label cost comes out of the seller's proceeds. Mercari's 10% fee applies to the item price plus any buyer-paid shipping.
Can I use eBay Standard Envelope for a 4 oz item?
No. eBay Standard Envelope is limited to 3 oz, so a 4 oz item needs a different service such as USPS Ground Advantage.
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