How Long Does a Mercari Direct Deposit Take?

Thanks to its haggling and general ease of listing, many online sellers have turned to Mercari for selling their stuff, used or new. Mercari stores your earned cash as store credit unless you select direct deposit. But how long will it take for that cash to make it to your bank? 

How long does a Mercari direct deposit take? Mercari sends the direct deposit to your bank immediately. However, it may take up to 5 business days for your money to reach your bank account. Mercari Instant Pay can reach you within one business day. 

What Do I Need for Mercari Direct Deposit? 

Mercari has two methods of direct deposit: regular direct deposit and Instant Pay. We will cover the standard direct deposit first. 

To use Mercari’s direct deposit service, you need: 

• A working bank account. 
• A checking account number. 
• A routing number. 

To access direct deposit, go to your account settings, then click/tap “Balance.” Enter your banking information to “cash out” via direct deposit. Please note that if your bank account information is incorrect, or if you want to cancel your direct deposit, there is a $2 processing fee. 

As stated above, your money will appear in your bank account in up to 5 business days. The deposits go straight to your checking account. There is also a small fee if you transfer under $10. 

If you have waited 5 business days (not weekends or holidays) and believe there is something wrong with your direct deposit, contact Mercari’s customer service here. 

What is Mercari Instant Pay? 

On July 16th, 2019, Mercari introduced Instant Pay—an industry first. Instead of taking days to get money into your bank account, it became possible to transfer funds to your debit card instantly. eBay introduced a similar feature roughly 3 years later (June 2022), but Mercari did it first! 

So, what is this feature, and how does it work? If the reveals on the eBay version are anything to go by, Mercari Instant Pay is considered merchant credit. The service uses Mercari’s unique identification system as verification. 

Here is what you need for Mercari Instant Pay: 

• The Mercari app. 
• Feedback for the buyer. 
• A debit card. 
• A government-issued ID. 

But does it really send money that quickly? Yes, with a few catches. 

The first catch is that, as with direct deposits, Mercari’s Instant Pay feature is limited to a bank’s business days/hours. That means it may take longer to get your money if you want to cash out on a weekend or holiday. If someone rush-buys one of your items with Christmas money, you might not be able to access those funds immediately! 

Some people have expressed worry when their Instant Pay turns out to not be “instant” as they hoped. Customer service asserts that they send the money instantly. If you do not get your money within a day, it is probably a problem with your bank. 

How Does Mercari Compare to Amazon or eBay? 

A small number of people reading this will just barely have heard of Mercari. They will, however, have heard of eBay and Amazon—two older titans of the online marketplace. Mercari is a relative newcomer; established sellers on either website may be wondering if Mercari is worth it. 

One of the biggest things to bear in mind with Mercari is that it is an online marketplace for the modern age. Many of its features are exclusive to its smartphone app. If you are fine with 80% of your listings being made on your phone, Mercari may be worth considering. 

But we will also look at another angle: what do these companies do to attract and retain customers/sellers? Who takes the biggest cut of your sales? If you use one, should you switch to or list on another? 

This table will help you decide if Mercari or another big online marketplace is right for you: 

It shouldn’t be any surprise that Amazon takes the most (potentially) out of your profits, but some would say it makes up for that by having the widest audience of any marketplace by a large margin. If you prefer thrilling auctions, eBay is one of the best online auction sites. Mercari will be perfect for people who like selling on social media from their phones. 

What Does Mercari Do Differently? 

First, you must download the app to get the most out of Mercari. Mercari shines as an app on your mobile phone. It is excellent at taking pictures and turning them into listings on the spot. 

You may have already guessed from the table, but one of the most interesting features of Mercari is its efficient haggling system. While you can do this on eBay as well, it is nothing compared to how Mercari has it set up. You are expected to haggle. 

Lastly, you may have noticed that there are restrictions on Mercari’s direct deposit. If you use your funds as store credit, you don’t have to worry about those fees. It’s an incentive to shop on Mercari versus Amazon or eBay. 

Should I Cash Out or Keep My Credit? 

With all the limits Mercari places on direct deposit, you might be wondering: is it worth it to withdraw that money to your bank or card? That depends on you. 

First, if you have less than $10 stored, you don’t want to withdraw your funds. That is better as credit. Wait until it gets higher before worrying. 

But let’s say you have $20. The next question is “how likely are you to use it on Mercari?” You have to think. The right or wrong answer will depend on your shopping situation. 

Conclusion 

Mercari is a relative newcomer compared to sites like eBay and Amazon, but it has some novel features that make it appealing. Among them are two different options for direct deposit: standard direct deposit and Instant Pay, a Mercari invention. 

Standard direct deposit is what you expect: the site sends your money to your bank within 2–5 business days. Instant Pay is a whole other animal: with Instant Pay, you can have nigh-instant access to your funds after leaving buyer feedback. Both options have nuanced fees, and unless you need your money immediately, it’s tempting to leave the money in your account as site credit. 

If anything about Mercari sounds intriguing to you, give it a try. Just be sure you download the app. You wouldn’t want to miss out on Instant Payment.

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