The evolution of Mercari: from its origins to mobile second-hand commerce

Mercari was founded in Japan in February 2013 and launched a smartphone-first marketplace designed to make person-to-person selling simple.

How Mercari developed

The app grew rapidly as mobile commerce spread, and the company expanded into payments and financial services through products including Merpay. Mercari listed in Tokyo in 2018 and also attempted to establish its marketplace in the United States.

Mercari in 2026

By 2026, Mercari remained a major Japanese consumer-to-consumer marketplace with adjacent fintech services.

Its success demonstrated how smartphones could reduce the friction of second-hand commerce by combining photography, listings, messaging and payments in one device.

Information was checked against public company material, regulatory filings and reputable independent reporting where available, using sources accessible on 18 September 2026.