That's the official name of the app for one of the world's fastest-growing online marketplaces. Mercari is free, and it offers savvy buyers access to goods that might not be for sale anywhere else. Then there's selling, which a Mercari user can do at the same time. The app allows you to set up your own online stall, sell things you make or own, and ship them to individual buyers.

Out with the old and in with the new

For buyers, the primary feature of an online marketplace is what it has to offer. Since anyone can sell on Mercari within reason, there are many items to be found on it in all categories, from computing to fashion. The app features a messaging system to allow buyers and sellers to communicate, and a rating system to help foster a trustworthy community. Likewise, Mercari provides the main payment methods you'd expect: credit cards, debit cards, and PayPal. For sellers, the picture is similarly favorable. Commission fees are either low or nonexistent, and listings are very easy to make, with snapping photos of your wares-to-be touted as a primary facet of using Mercari. Finally, Mercari provides sellers the option of shipping with USPS or FedEx, or shipping on one's own. Those shipping on their own need to provide valid tracking information, but that's par for the course with online marketplaces

Just a few growing pains

Originating from Japan and having already become a giant of its own there, Mercari has since done everything it can to spur adoption in the UK and the US, both in terms of advertising and in terms of the attractive features it offers. That includes charging no commission fees outside of Japan while it is in beta. As of this writing it is unclear exactly if and when commission fees will be levied elsewhere. Anyone using Mercari should pay some attention to how its policies and offerings change until it is out of beta and well-established overseas. As for the app itself, it is easy to use and quite functional. Although the interface could use a little polish in terms of appearance, it is not hard to find what you are looking for on Mercari, if it is listed

Money saved, money earned

When we refer to Mercari as "Mercari: the best shopping app", that doesn't mean we're saying, with certainty, that it is the best. After all, markets differ, needs vary, and a whole lot can change for an online marketplace from quarter to quarter. But overall, Mercari provides a ton of attractive features to sellers, which in turn provide subtler benefits to buyers. Anyone hoping to sell on the online market could benefit from giving Mercari a test run, and anyone shopping for new clothes or odd trinkets would benefit from expanding their search to include Mercari.