A Mercari invite code only needs to go in once, on the sign-up screen
You can enter it only while creating a new account, and it can’t be added later, so copy the code before you start. The points expire after 30 days.
Last checked: (Mercari Help Center “招待ポイント”, Mercari’s official column and more)
Tap the button below to copy it, then paste it into the 「招待コード」 (invite code) field on the sign-up screen of the official Mercari app.
What this guide covers
- Sign up with an invite code and get ¥500 in points, added within 14 days
- The code only works on the new-account screen; it can’t be entered after sign-up
- The points expire 30 days after they’re added, so plan how to use them
- Using a stranger’s code doesn’t reveal your name or address
- Selling fees, and why it’s worth checking buyback prices for new, unused items
Contents
- What the invite code gets you
- How to enter the invite code
- If you forget it or the points don’t arrive
- Is it safe to use a stranger’s invite code?
- How to use your ¥500 in points
- Once you’re in, you can invite others
- Fees when you sell
- For new, unused items, compare buyback prices too
- Mercari or Rakuma?
- FAQ
- Bottom line
What the invite code gets you
Mercari lets existing users invite friends and family with an invite code. When the invited person enters the code and completes a new account, both the new user and the inviter receive ¥500 in points.
| What you get | ¥500 in points (1 point = ¥1) |
|---|---|
| Condition | Enter the invite code during new account registration and finish signing up |
| When it arrives | Within 14 days of completing registration (you may be asked to verify your identity first) |
| Expiry | 30 days, counting the day the points are added |
| Where to check | In the app, 「メルペイ」 → 「ポイント」 |
Mercari sometimes runs limited-time campaigns that boost invite rewards. They change over time, so a quick look at the in-app notices before you sign up doesn’t hurt.
How to enter the invite code
There’s exactly one screen in the sign-up process where the code can go, so copy it first.
- Copy the invite codeTap the button in this guide to copy it.
- Install the official Mercari app and open 「会員登録」 (sign up)Get the official app from the App Store or Google Play. Only enter the code on the official app’s sign-up screen.
- Choose how to registerEmail, Apple or Google all work.
- Paste the code into the 「招待コード」 fieldThe new-account form has an invite code field. Once you move past this screen, you can’t enter it later.
- Finish signing upComplete phone verification and the rest of the steps, and the points arrive within 14 days.
If you forget it or the points don’t arrive
- You can’t enter it after registering: the official help page is explicit, and there’s no way to recover a forgotten code
- You may be asked to verify your identity before the points are added: complete it if prompted
- No points after 14 days: contact support from the app with your own invite code, the code you entered, and whether you were the inviter or the invitee
- One wrong character invalidates the code: copy and paste rather than typing
If you can’t find the invite code field
Check these three things in order:
- You haven’t already finished registering; the field doesn’t appear after sign-up
- You started from 「会員登録」 (sign up) in the official app, not the login screen
- You’re on the screen after choosing how to register; the 「招待コード」 field appears once you’ve picked email, Apple or Google
Is it safe to use a stranger’s invite code?
This is probably the most common worry. Mercari’s official column says no personal information such as your name or address is ever passed to the other person through an invite code. Neither side is notified of the other’s nickname, account details or transaction history.
The one precaution Mercari recommends: when using a code found online, copy only the code itself and type it directly into the official app’s sign-up screen. Don’t click links that use a code as bait to send you to another site. The button in this guide only copies the code; it doesn’t take you anywhere.
How to use your ¥500 in points
Invite points expire in 30 days, so decide what to use them on right after signing up.
Buy on Mercari
Put them toward any purchase. Plenty of listings cost a few hundred yen with shipping included, enough to try your first item.
Pay in stores with Merpay
They also work at shops that accept Merpay, such as convenience stores and drugstores.
After 30 days they disappear automatically, so don’t leave them for “something later.”
Once you’re in, you can invite others
After signing up you get your own invite code. In the app, open 「マイページ」 (My Page) → 「招待して500ポイントGET」 to see 「あなたの招待コード」 (your invite code), which you can copy with a tap. When friends or family register with it, you both get ¥500 in points.
Mercari intends invite codes to be shared between family and friends. If someone around you is thinking of trying Mercari, mention your code before they sign up.
Fees when you sell
Listing on Mercari is free. Knowing the costs once something sells helps you price without losing money.
| Selling fee | 10% of the sale price (deducted automatically when it sells) |
|---|---|
| Shipping | Paid by the seller if you list with shipping included. らくらくメルカリ便 and ゆうゆうメルカリ便 let you ship anonymously |
| Withdrawal fee | ¥200 when transferring sales to your bank account |
| Withdrawal deadline | Unused sales are automatically transferred to your registered bank account by the deadline (they expire if no account is registered or the balance is ¥200 or less). Completing in-app ID verification removes the deadline |
For example, if something sells for ¥3,000, the 10% fee takes ¥300, and shipping comes out of the rest. Work out roughly what you’ll keep before listing.
For new, unused items, compare buyback prices too
Mercari often gets you a better price than a buyback shop, but there’s the 10% fee, shipping, and the time spent photographing, listing, messaging and packing. For brand-new items still in the box, or unused items, selling to a buyback shop (買取店) can leave you with about the same amount, or sometimes more.
Kaitorix (買取X, in Japanese), which we run, lines up buyback prices from multiple shops for new and unused items. Before listing on Mercari, check what the same item would fetch. If Mercari still comes out ahead, list it with confidence.
- The difference between 「未開封」 (unopened), 「新品」 (new) and 「未使用」 (unused) is explained in this guide to avoiding lower offers (Japanese)
- Selling by simply shipping from home is covered in the mail-in buyback guide (Japanese), with a comparison to flea market apps
Mercari or Rakuma?
Japan’s other big flea market app is Rakuten’s Rakuma. A simple way to think about it: Mercari has more users, so things sell faster; Rakuma’s selling fee drops to as low as 4.5% based on your sales, and it’s tied into Rakuten Points. Plenty of people use both and move unsold items from one to the other. Rakuma has an invite code too; see our Rakuma invite code guide.
FAQ
- Where do I enter a Mercari invite code?
- In the 「招待コード」 field of the new-account form in the official Mercari app, on the screen after you choose how to register.
- Can I enter an invite code after signing up?
- No. Mercari’s help page states that invite codes can’t be entered after registration is complete.
- How much do I get with an invite code?
- The new user and the inviter each receive ¥500 in points. Limited-time campaigns sometimes increase this.
- When do the points arrive?
- Within 14 days of completing registration. You may be asked to verify your identity first.
- Do invite points expire?
- Yes. They expire 30 days after being added, counting the day they arrive.
- Is it safe to use a stranger’s invite code?
- Mercari’s official column says an invite code never passes your personal information to the other person, and nicknames, account details and transaction history aren’t shared either. Copy only the code and enter it directly in the official app.
- Where do I find my own invite code?
- In the app, go to 「マイページ」 and open 「招待して500ポイントGET」 to see 「あなたの招待コード」. The wording may differ slightly by app version.
- The invite code field isn’t showing. Why?
- It won’t appear if you’ve already registered. If you’re mid-sign-up, start from 「会員登録」 in the official app and look on the screen after choosing how to register.
- Is there any downside to using an invite code?
- Mercari’s official column says there’s no particular downside for the invited person. The one thing to watch is that the points expire.
- My points haven’t arrived after 14 days. What should I do?
- Contact support from the app with your own invite code, the other person’s code, and whether you were the inviter or the invitee.
- What can I use invite points on?
- Purchases on Mercari, and payments at shops that accept Merpay.
- What is Mercari’s selling fee?
- 10% of the sale price. Transferring your sales to a bank account costs a separate ¥200 fee.
Bottom line
A Mercari invite code only has to be entered once on the sign-up screen to earn ¥500 in points. Forget it and there’s no getting it back, so copy the code before you start. The points expire in 30 days, so spending them on your first purchase wastes nothing.
Once you start selling, compare buyback prices for anything new or unused. After fees and effort, the answer can change.
Sources: Mercari Help Center: invite points / Mercari Column: getting started with invite codes / Mercari Help Center: withdrawals / Mercari Help Center: automatic transfers