Selling used items in Japan as a foreigner: Mercari, Yahoo Flea and recycle shops

As a foreigner you can sell on Mercari (メルカリ) with a residence card. Its in-app ID check accepts a residence card (在留カード) or a special permanent resident certificate with at least 60 days left. Mercari keeps 10% of each sale and charges 200 yen per bank payout, to an account in your own name. Sales proceeds expire after 180 days unless you finish the ID check. Yahoo!フリマ charges 5%. Selling ordinary household goods is not taxed. All as of October 2026.

Can foreigners use Mercari?

Yes. The ID check is where foreign residents differ from Japanese users.

Key points from Mercari’s help page:

• The check (アプリでかんたん本人確認) is done in the app. The web version cannot do it.
• If the address on your ID is out of date, you must add a supplementary document. Update your address first; see changing your address on your residence card.
• Review takes 1 to 2 days on average and up to about 5 days, sometimes more. You cannot request a payout while it is under review.
• In some cases, the check must be finished before you can list.

Leaving Japan soon? If your residence card has fewer than 60 days left, you cannot pass the check. Start early.

Fees and payout

Example: an item sold for 5,000 yen leaves 4,500 yen after the fee, before shipping. Cashing it out alone would cost 200 yen more. Group your sales into one payout.

Payout limits. Per business day, with the ID check done you can transfer up to 1,000,000 yen including the fee. Without it, the limit is 50,000 yen including the fee.

Your bank account must:

• be in your own name
• not be a virtual account (use the parent account)
• not be a Japan Post Bank (ゆうちょ) savings account (貯蓄口座)
• not have its holder name written in the alphabet

If you do not have a Japanese bank account yet, read opening a bank account as a foreigner. Before you leave, see closing your bank account when leaving Japan: request your payout first.

Do the proceeds expire?

Before you finish the ID check, proceeds appear as 売上金 (sales proceeds) with a 180-day payout deadline. If you do nothing, Mercari tries to transfer them to your registered bank account automatically, up to twice, with a 200 yen fee each time. If you have no account registered, or the proceeds are 200 yen or less, they expire.

After you finish the ID check, the display changes to 残高 (balance) and there is no expiry. You can also spend proceeds by buying Mercari points.

How a sale works

1. A buyer pays. If they pay at a convenience store or ATM, do not ship until the payment is complete. If unpaid after 3 days, message them.
2. Pack and ship. Tap the shipping notice only after the parcel is actually sent.
3. The buyer confirms receipt.
4. You rate the buyer. The sale completes and the profit enters your balance.

After completion, you cannot cancel the transaction. Messaging closes 2 weeks after the last message.

What you cannot sell

Mercari bans many things people clear out when moving. These include:

• medicines and medical devices, tobacco, living creatures
• counterfeit or unverifiable brand goods
• cash, receipts and official certificates (領収書や公的証明書類)
• items you do not have in hand
• pedal-assisted e-bikes and electric mopeds
• mobile phones or SIM cards that are restricted, under contract or not fully paid off

Restricted, under-contract or unpaid phones and SIM cards are banned, so settle any installments first.

Yahoo!フリマ

Yahoo!フリマ (formerly PayPayフリマ) charges a 5% sales fee (tax included) when the transaction completes, and buyers pay no fee. A transaction completes when the buyer rates you, or at 7:30 on the 15th day after purchase. A courier pickup costs 50 yen. You need a Yahoo! JAPAN ID with a mobile phone number and SMS verification before you list. New sellers who first list on or after 19 May 2026 can get fees waived under a promotion with conditions: 3 sales within 30 days, then 90 days of fee-free sales up to 50 items.

Items posted on Yahoo!オークション carry a 10% system fee instead.

Recycle shops and bulk sales

Secondhand shops (リサイクルショップ) pay cash on the spot, which can be faster when you are leaving. Under the Secondhand Goods Business Act, dealers must verify your identity for purchases of 10,000 yen or more. For some items it applies at any price: motorcycles, game software, CDs and DVDs, books, and since October 2025 wire, metal gratings and air-conditioner outdoor units. Bring photo ID. We found no official list of IDs accepted for foreigners, so ask the shop.

For large items nobody will buy, see garbage and recycling rules. For a car, see selling or scrapping your car.

Is it taxed?

The National Tax Agency says income from selling movable property needed for daily life (生活用動産), such as furniture, kitchenware and clothing, is not taxed. Exceptions:

• precious metals, jewelry, paintings and antiques worth more than 300,000 yen per item or set
• selling other assets continuously over a considerable period, which is treated as business or miscellaneous income

If you are selling in volume, or reselling items bought to sell, talk to a tax accountant (税理士). See also tax returns for foreigners.

A leaving-Japan timeline

• 3 to 2 months before: check your residence card expiry (60+ days needed), complete the ID check, list big items first.
• 1 month before: request your payout while the Japanese bank account is open.
• Final week: take leftovers to a recycle shop with photo ID. See the leaving Japan checklist.