As an e-seller, you must have been familiar with or already landed your business on Poshmark or eBay. But how could you decide which is the most suitable option between these best selling platforms?
Both Poshmark vs eBay offer incredible traffic with millions of users worldwide (159 million on eBay and 80 million on Poshmark). Traffic certainly contributes to the reasons why it is hard to choose one over the other, but that’s not all.
Understanding this matter, we have compiled a detailed comparison, including the latest updates within the eCommerce industry. The following sections will explain more thoroughly ideas which refer to:
- eBay and Poshmark basics
- 6 key differences between Poshmark vs eBay
- Conclusion on the best-selling channel.
Let’s now go further into this comparison!
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Poshmark vs eBay: The Basics
Before going into details about the key differences between these top marketplaces, it is crucial to acknowledge the basics and understand how Poshmark and eBay support your business.
eBay overview
eBay was established in 1995. Up to this moment, the marketplace has gained several notable figures, including 1.5 billion listings and 159 million active users as of 2022.
Considering marketplaces for consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer, eBay has been doing excellent. When selling on eBay, any eCommerce merchant can put anything, literally, on eBay as long as they comply with the regulations.
According to eBay reports and thorough research, the best selling items on eBay are:
- Automobiles
- Electronics
- Clothing, shoes, and accessories
- Collectibles
- Business and Industrial
- Home and Garden
- Jewelry and watches
- Health and beauty
- Sports goods
eBay pros and cons
Before learning how to make a store on eBay, it’s crucial to discover both its benefits and drawbacks.
Pros
- The massive audience for sellers;
- Diverse business sectors;
- Easy-to-use platform;
- Supported domestic and international shipping.
Cons
- Lower buyer trust;
- Limited free listings;
- Rough competition.
Poshmark overview
Known as one of the lucrative eBay alternatives, Poshmark is a selling channel offering 80 million users across the U.S. and its territories. This marketplace is claimed to be ideal for fashion and accessories consumption. There are now approximately 200 million listings on Poshmark in sections, including garments, accessories, electronics, and so on.
Although the marketplace is not the advocate within the eCommerce industry, it has earned some reputation regarding growth rates, net revenue, and merchandise value. Based on the sources collected, we have found out what is currently trending on the Poshmark.
- Shoes;
- Garments;
- Jewelry and watches;
- Beauty products.
Poshmark pros and cons
Pros
- Unlimited free listings;
- Flat rate fees for sellers;
- Supportive community;
- Advisable for high-value orders;
- Excellent selling channel for garments and accessories.
Cons
- Limited shipment (only in the U.S and its territories);
- Reduced profits due to high seller fees (especially for orders of under $15);
- Fewer business sectors.
Another comparison that you might want to read: eBay vs Facebook Marketplace – Which is Better for Your Business?
An Extensive Comparison Between Poshmark and eBay
Coming up on our articles, let’s focus on the detailed comparison of eBay vs Poshmark in these 6 key aspects. They are seller fees, customer base, ease of use, shipping, types of products, and payment.
#1. Poshmark vs eBay: Seller Fees
When deciding whether selling on Poshmark vs eBay is more beneficial, most sellers tend to look at the selling fees charged. This is evidently one of the tremendous factors since the fees directly affect your profit levels and even decide if your products are worth selling on the marketplace.
Poshmark selling fees
Based on the Poshmark selling fee policy, sellers don’t have to pay for insertion. You can have endless listings on Poshmark monthly without paying a penny. Nonetheless, the final value fees per order make quite a barrier for any e-seller.
Poshmark charges 2 different rates for an order processed. If your order’s value is $15 and below, you are likely to pay a flat rate of $2.95. On the other hand, as the order’s value goes beyond $15, Poshmark will take a portion of 20%, and sellers keep the remaining 80%.
Poshmark selling fees are considered muchly disadvantageous when compared to eBay, particularly for low-value orders. Therefore, if you tend to go on Poshmark, make sure your business matches its popular sections and the final selling values are capable of covering the 20% taken.
eBay selling fees
eBay has a more complex policy on seller fees. Firstly, you have to pay listing fees in case you have more than 250 listings per month. The listing fees on eBay are also calculated differently depending on the product types.
Next, eBay shipping fees is something you can not miss when considering whether to sell on this platform or not. Adding to that, eBay requires a portion of the final value fees (based on sales volume) and $0.30 for each order made on the marketplace. Here are the detailed eBay selling fees:
| Category | Insertion fee | Final value fee % + $0.30 per order |
| Parts & Accessories, Automotive Tools & Supplies, and Safety & Security Accessories. | The first 250 listings are free per month, then $0.35 per listing |
Final value fees are charged based on product types and sales volume, which usually cost from 5 to 15%. |
| Books & Magazines
Movies & TV Music |
||
| Bullion | ||
| Women’s Bags & Handbags | ||
| Jewelry & Watches | ||
| Watches, Parts & Accessories | ||
| Art NFTs | ||
| Business & Industrial categories | $20 | |
| Musical Instruments & Gear | Free | |
|
Clothing, Shoes & Accessories categories
|
Free if the starting price is $150 or more |
Also, for any seller in the motor section, you need to consult more with eBay policy. But that’s not all of how much eBay charges to sell on it, there are fees such as store subscription, currency conversion, listing upgrades, international fees, etc.
Key takeaway: Comparing Poshmark vs eBay, some may mistake that Poshmark offers much lower seller fees than eBay. But it is not our exact case because of numerous elements. Hence, you will need several pieces of information, such as average order values and sales volume to analyze precisely the Poshmark vs eBay fees.
#2. Poshmark vs eBay: Customer Base
The next criterion in our comparison of Poshmark vs eBay is the customer base. These two both offer excellent traffic, but this term is seemingly not specific enough. Let’s now look at our experts’ analysis regarding the matter.
Poshmark
Developed in 2011, Poshmark has presented an incredible growth rate with its 80 million registered users. In addition, Statista’s reports have shown that the largest audience on Poshmark is in the age range of 18 to 24. One factor contributing to this result is the popular product types on Poshmark, which will get explained later on.
One more age range you may witness on Poshmark is teenagers (under 18 years old). Besides, people assume that you can save a lot of money when buying secondhand items from the marketplace, making a good reason for more teens and youngsters to go on Poshmark.
Furthermore, some sellers of jewelry and garments would be glad to know that females make up 85% of the total audience and 15% of males.
eBay
eBay, on the contrary, appears to be a male-dominant marketplace, with approximately 62% of users being men and only 38% being women. Apart from this, the age range of users on eBay vs Poshmark is distinguished from one another. The most popular age range on eBay is from 35 to 64.
Nevertheless, experts predict there is a great chance this data will soonly shift because more youngsters are heading to platforms and marketplaces within the eCommerce industry, either as sellers or consumers.
One more remarkable fact about the customer base of Poshmark vs eBay is that eBay is currently open to more markets around the world, raising the shopping expenditures to its best potential.
Key takeaway: Consider your target audience in advance before you decide to sell on Poshmark or eBay. Poshmark can draw more female customers of 18 to 24 years old, while eBay will be ideal if you aim at those males from 35 to 64.
#3. Poshmark vs eBay: Ease of Use
Aside from Poshmark vs eBay fees and customer base, inexperienced sellers should also look at the ease of use to determine if Poshmark or eBay is the best sales channel.
Poshmark
Poshmark signup process is quite straightforward. It only takes you a few seconds to create a free account. E-sellers who first sign up to Poshmark can use either their emails or Facebook accounts to register and start selling.
After signing up to Poshmark, you will need to fill in your profile with information, including personal details, links to any selling platform if exists, and a profile picture. Once the process is completed, you can then start to create your listings and attract potential purchases.
The selling procedures are also simple when sellers use Poshmark. Setting pricing or creating listings is supported by the marketplace. There is a community for sellers on Poshmark and their blog to help whenever you are in need.
For an order made, Poshmark will send a confirmation email with a shipping label. As you ship the item, all you have to do is make sure your package is ready with a shipping label on it.
eBay
The process to register or sell on eBay is as simple as those on Poshmark. Registering takes a few seconds to fill in personal information and contacts. Verification on eBay even takes you less time. However, the listing process may take longer time than expected, especially for those who are looking to list multiple items on eBay. If that’s the case, you can utilize automated eBay CSV import or ask for help from eBay listing tools.
As you have the account, make any adjustments to attract customers. Then it would get down to your listings and necessary setups. eBay is muchly open to everyone. Hence, the selling process can be anything but complicated.
Selling on eBay only gets more complex when your business thrives. There will then be more to manage. Hence, we highly recommend you use a tool for sales channel management and integration.
Key takeaway: In the competition of Poshmark vs eBay in terms of ease of use, the two marketplaces have offered users a fast register process and simple procedures before they can sell anything.
#4. Poshmark vs eBay: Shipping
Coming up as our fourth aspect for comparing Poshmark vs eBay is the shipping. When it gets down to shipping, eBay seems to have an advantage over Poshmark because it covers many more 3rd-party suppliers with several shipments to support international and domestic sellers.
Poshmark shipping
Poshmark shipments face a few limitations since the marketplace only supports shipping within the U.S. and its territories. Additionally, Poshmark shipping is unachievable for APO and military addresses. Hence, this can make 1 minus point for Poshmark if you are an international seller.
Moreover, Poshmark offers a fixed rate of $7.11 for any item sold of 5 lbs and under. Should your order weighs more than 5 lbs, you need to have upgrades. Finally, you cannot list any item weighing more than 10 lbs.
eBay shipping
eBay is available in 190 countries globally, which makes the marketplace an ideal sales channel for international e-sellers. Due to its vast coverage, eBay has launched eBay dropshipping and global shipping programs. Small businesses on eBay can learn how to ship on eBay in the blink of an eye and manage their own shipments for affordable eBay shipping fees.
However, the average eBay fees charged for shipping solely may be pricey for many sellers. This depends on the destination and shipping methods. Since buyers have to cover the shipping fees, it may affect the sales revenue.
Key takeaway: For local e-sellers, Poshmark and eBay both work great for you. But the situation does not stay the same once you have gone global. Up to this moment, Poshmark has yet to work on a shipping program that supports shipments beyond the US and its territories.
#5. Poshmark vs eBay: Types of products
It’s always a good idea to acknowledge well what are the best things to sell on Poshmark vs eBay. Choosing the right market and products may get you further than your expectations.
Poshmark
Selling on eBay vs Poshmark is anything but similar to one another. For Poshmark, it is wiser to sell fashion supplies (both male and female), bags, and accessories. The marketplace now allows home and gardening sections. But they are not the most profitable, as we have mentioned earlier. If you are on Poshmark, simply keep in mind about:
- Shoes;
- Garments;
- Jewelry and watches;
- Beauty products.
eBay
The product ranges on eBay are much greater than those on Poshmark. If you are looking for what sells best on eBay, there are clearly so many potential answers for an e-seller to start with. The 2022 best money-making items on eBay are currently clothing, mobile phones, cameras, and photos. You can literally sell anything on eBay but stay away from the prohibited items.
But that’s not the end. Have you ever heard of the term “selling through auction” on eBay? A seller on eBay can choose to run an auction for 1 or 10 days. Items that are ideal for auction sales can refer to event tickets and any relevant product type.
Key takeaway key: It appears to be more advantageous for sellers to go on eBay since the marketplace offers potent sales of all business sections. But if your target audience is fashion consumers, Poshmark will not let you down.
#6. Poshmark vs eBay: Payment
The last key difference in our analysis of Poshmark vs eBay refers to what payment methods are accepted and how sellers get paid to be exact. The process of payment overall is secure and timely for both sales channels.
Poshmark
In terms of buyers, they can shop on Poshmark and pay via several payment methods, including:
- Venmo;
- PayPal;
- Google Pay;
- Apple Pay;
- Affirm;
- Credit or Debit cards;
- MasterCard;
- Visa;
- America Express;
- Discover;
- JCB.
In general, the payment methods accepted by Poshmark are diverse and make it easy for both sellers and buyers during their shopping experiences and vice versa.
The payment process on Poshmark takes place from your first steps of selling till your order is completed. Once the buyer has received their purchased items and accepted them, you will instantly get paid by Poshmark. E-sellers on Poshmark can withdraw money from Poshmark within 2 or 3 days of delivery.
To withdraw the money, you can follow the steps below:
- Sign in to your Poshmark account and click the Account Tab (on either phone or desktop).
- Head to My Balance and check your earnings.
- Tab Redeemable and go for one available redeem option.
- Click Select Transfer Method and choose one (Instant transfer to bank accounts, Paypal, Venmo, Bank direct deposit, Request a check).
eBay
eBay does not allow payment methods, which are sending cash through emails and point-to-point cash transfer services. Apart from that, buyers on eBay can pay for their orders through:
- Credit or Debit card;
- Apple Pay;
- PayPal;
- Google Pay.
It is dependent on the product category and country that buyers may pay with:
- Checks;
- Money orders;
- Cash on pickup.
This is how you can pay for orders as a buyer. E-sellers on this marketplace experience convenience just like Poshmark for various payment methods offered by eBay.
For the sellers, payment methods on eBay are via PayPal, Credit or Debit card (primary payment methods), or Payoneer account. eBay is still processing and aims at completion for the second method, but that would not be a problem since you have already got a secure and timely one as a credit card.
Here is how your payment gets processed on eBay. Firstly, your fund statement will shift into Processing once the sale completes. Then, within 2 days of confirming the buyer’s payment, eBay will generally make your fund available for initiation. After that, you can schedule your payment according to your preferable timeline.
Key takeaway: Considering payment on Poshmark vs eBay, the two marketplaces have done a great job in terms of securing and ensuring their methods. Based on the process, eBay can have shorter periods of paying sellers, but Poshmark offers more ways for users to get paid.
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Poshmark vs eBay: Final Comparison
So, after our comparison of Poshmark vs eBay, which marketplace is your sales channel? Is Poshmark better than eBay, or the opposite? With all the research done, our experts assume that the best-selling channel is dependent on your target customers, product types, financial statements, and so on.
For e-sellers, whose target audience is females of 18 to 24 and mainly purchase fashion supplies as well as accessories, trying Poshmark is worth it. Via surveys and data collected on the marketplace, Poshmark sellers are likely to make money from categories such as garments, shoes, and high-end items. Also, don’t forget your business must also be a domestic one.
In the second case, eBay makes a great place for businesses from all over the world. Your target audience on eBay for the current moment should be from 35 to 64 years old. Although eBay offers e-sellers a more massive audience and amount of product lines, it is advisable to focus on electronics, clothing and accessories, collectibles, business, and industrial items.
However, we don’t see a reason to resist joining the multichannel-selling game and kicking it off globally. As you sell on more than one channel, your profit levels may double or triple. Not to mention, your brand identity will certainly boost up and makes it easier for customers to recognize.
Poshmark vs eBay: FAQs
- 1. How much does eBay take from your sales?
Depending on your product types, eBay may pose certain fees from your sales (normally 12-15%). You can consult more on the eBay fee policy here. Also, it is muchly based on your sales volume that the marketplace decides to take how much from the revenue. This can be either lower or higher in each case, compared to fees to sell on Poshmark.
- 2. Is selling on eBay worth it?
Yes, it is certainly worth selling on eBay for any e-seller. eBay has got an audience of more than 159 million users with 1.5 billion listings, and 1.7 billion visits. You can make a fortune from eBay and sell literally anything on it.
- 3. Are Poshmark fees higher than eBay?
Yes and no. It is not always the case of Poshmark has higher selling fees than eBay and vice versa. It is according to the sales volume and order values. Additionally, you must have shipping information, insertion number, and many more to assess accurately if fees on Poshmark are higher than on eBay.
- 4. What are the best things to sell on eBay?
The best things to sell on eBay:
- Automobiles
- Electronics
- Clothing, shoes, and accessories
- Collectibles
- Business and industrial
- Home and garden
- Jewelry and watches
- Health and beauty
- Sports goods
- 5. What are the best things to sell on Poshmark?
The best things to sell on Poshmark:
- Shoes
- Garments
- Jewelry and watches
- Beauty products
Conclusion
Is Poshmark worth it? It surely Yes. But is it better than eBay? We doubt that. In the battle of Poshmark vs eBay, we see neither a winner nor a loser. All it is left refers to a more compatible sales channel for your business.
As we mentioned, Poshmark is for fashion consumers who are likely to be a youngster, while eBay can aim at a higher age range from 35 to 64. But this status does not stay forever because our digital world keeps evolving. There will soon be changes in age ranges and shopping behaviors, and your choice of channels now may not be the same.
Going multichannel selling with LitCommerce
If you have any interest in multichannel selling, check out LitCommerce’s tool to integrate multiple marketplaces and eCommerce platforms all at once. We have been working on our solutions to bring up the best user experience, ensuring both effectiveness and affordability!
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