Last updated on July 8, 2026
You may have stumbled upon a somewhat…different Mercari JP listing while searching through their items. These listings are part of the newly added Mercari Auctions function introduced in 2025.
Mercari Auction is a new way to sell on Mercari Japan. Rather than setting a specific price, sellers can let buyers bid, making pricing more dynamic and negotiation simpler. Auctions end around 8 PM (JST) on the day after the first bid has been made, and the buyer who placed the highest price is declared the successful bidder.
In this article, we will:
- Point out the difference between a standard listing and an auction listing on Mercari
- Guide you on how you can place an order for Mercari Auctions through DEJAPAN, a Japanese proxy shopping service
- Compare Mercari Auctions’ and JDirectItems Auction’s (Yahoo! Auctions) features
Table of Contents
Mercari Auctions? DEJAPAN’s Got You Covered
As noted on Reddit, a lot of the Japanese proxy services out there don’t provide support for Mercari Auctions. But when that one special item you can’t find anywhere outside of Japan is only available on Mercari Auctions, it’s easy for despair to sink in.
But we have good news! DEJAPAN can get help you get those items from anywhere in the world!
What is DEJAPAN?
DEJAPAN is a proxy shopping service, helping overseas customers buy Japanese products that are hard to get outside of Japan. We understand that it can be tricky shopping from Japan, especially for foreigners. DEJAPAN makes it easy and simple for you to shop from Japanese online stores, flea markets, and auction sites.
DEJAPAN is able to place bids on Mercari Auction items, but you will need to place the order using our Request Form.
Note About DEJAPAN’s Request Form:
You must be a DEJAPAN member to use our Request Form.
How Do You Know the Listing is an Auction?
Mercari Auction listings look almost identical to regular Mercari item listings, so it’s easy to confuse them at first. The DEJAPAN order process is different for each listing type, so it’s important to understand these differences BEFORE placing your order.
Important Notes On Mercari Auctions
Here are some things to note about how Mercari Auctions work:
- The price on the page is the current highest bid. You will need to place a bid that is at least 100 JPY higher than this price.
- The amount you bid will be placed all at once. The bid price will not go up in increments.
- Please note that all bids on Mercari will be placed manually. We cannot do any automatic or snipe bids for Mercari Auctions.
- Once the order has been placed, we are unable to change the bid amount or cancel the order. Please be sure to double-check before sending a request!
How to Bid on Mercari Auctions
Step 1 – Enter Item URL
- Go to our Request Form.
- As the item URL, please enter the item URL for the auction.
Step 2 – Fill in the Auction Information
- As the item name, please copy and paste the auction listing name.
- Add a photo of the item or a screenshot of the page.
*If this information is missing, there will be a delay in processing your order. - As the item price, please enter the amount you wish to bid.
*Please note that you will need to bid at least 100 JPY more than the current displayed bid price. - Confirm the information you’ve entered on the Request Form, then click “Add to Cart.”
Step 3 – Complete the Purchase
- Go to your shopping cart and complete the payment for your order.
- You will receive an email once the request has been sent to us.
What Happens Next?
Once you submit your order, our Purchase Team will place a bid on the Mercari Auction listing for the amount you’ve specified.
If you are outbid, we will cancel and refund your order. If you are still interested in the item, please feel free to submit a new bid through our Request Form. Auctions will end a day after the first bid at 8 PM. If a bid is placed 5 minutes before the end of the auction, the time will be extended another 5 minutes.
Warning:
Since our team processes these orders manually, there may be a delay between when you’re outbid and when we notify you by email. By the time you receive the cancellation notice, the auction may have already ended. To avoid missing out, we recommend placing your highest possible bid from the start.
If you are the highest bidder when the auction ends, our Purchase Team will complete the payment with the seller and you will receive an email notification that your order has been completed. Your order will then proceed like any other order on our site.
Want to know the best way to shop on Mercari Auctions?
There’s a bit of an art to successful bidding on auction sites. Plus, Mercari Auctions operates a little differently than JDirectItems Auction (Yahoo! Auctions) does. Learn more about Mercari Auctions and tips for smart (and safe) bidding in our blog post below!
Key Differences Between Mercari Auctions and Yahoo! Auctions
Although the Mercari Auction feature is functionally similar to JDirectItems Auction (Yahoo! Auctions), there are some key differences to be aware of. The most notable of these is probably the lack of automatic and snipe bidding with Mercari Auctions.
You can review the following chart for a more detailed comparison between the Mercari Auctions and JDirectitems Auction.
| Feature | Mercari Auctions | JDirectItems Auctions (Yahoo! Auctions) |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Bid Amount | At least 100 JPY higher than the current bid amount | Same as the current bid amount |
| Bid Increments | ✕ | 〇 |
| Automatic Bidding | ✕ | 〇 |
| Snipe Bidding | ✕ | 〇 |
| Available on DEJAPAN’s platform | ✕ (Submit via Request Form) | 〇 |
| *As of 2026/07/02 |
Due to current system limitations, Mercari Auctions is significantly less automated than JDirectItems Auction. However, that doesn’t mean Mercari Auctions is completely inaccessible or useless.
In fact, Mercari Auctions may have unique items that aren’t available overseas or on JDirectItems Auction. In that case, Mercari Auctions may be worth considering for your Japan shopping needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Short answer? No. The minimum bid must be at least 100 JPY higher than the starting price shown on the item listing.
*Example: If the current price is 900 JPY, then you must bid 1,000 JPY or more.
The amount you bid will be placed all at once. Mercari Auctions does not place bids in increments like Yahoo! Auctions
All bids for Mercari Auctions will be placed manually by our Purchase Team as they come in. As such, we cannot place bids at specific times or do snipe bids.
Once an order is submitted, we are unable to change the bid amount or cancel the order.
Conclusion
Want to try bidding on Mercari Auctions? Place your bid through DEJAPAN’s Request Form*!
Just follow these 3 easy steps, and our team at DEJAPAN will take care of the rest!
- Enter the URL
- Enter the item information
- Bid at least 100 JPY more than the current price
Be sure to include an item image and copy-and-paste the Japanese name of the listing when submitting your request. This ensures our Purchase Team is able to process your bid in a timely manner.
*You must be a DEJAPAN member to use our Request Form.
You can read more details about Mercari’s auction function in Mercari’s Help Center (available in Japanese only).
👉 Mercari – Auction Function
If you have any questions about shopping from Japan or about a specific item, feel free to contact us.
We’re happy to help!
At DEJAPAN, our Customer Service team with native English speakers is available to assist with any problems or answer questions.
Hi! I have a quick question. What happens if I bid for an auction on Mercari and I lose? Will all the payments be refunded, including the transaction fee and DEJAPAN service fee and Auction Handling Fee?
Hi SJ,
Thanks for the comment!
When you lose an auction on Mercari, or we are unable to purchase the item on your behalf for any reason, your payment will be void and returned to you. This includes all fees attached to the items.
Please be aware that for Mercari Auctions, our Purchase Team processes them manually. Because of this, the cancellation of your order can only be processed during our working hours, 9am to 6pm JST.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to send us an email at contact@dejapan.com
We hope to hear from you soon.
Hi! I payed the step 1 yesterday night on an mercar I auction item. When are you going to place the bid, and when i am going to know if i won
Our Purchase Team usually processes orders as they receive them. For Auctions, we usually will know the results of the auction on 8pm after the first bid has been placed.
If you are outbid before the end of the auction, we will cancel and refund your order.
Let us know if you have any questions!
I was the one who emailed about this and you guys were so helpful I’m glad it’s in blog form now! 🙂
I’m a bit slow and I just wanted to check, so every single bid ends at 8pm? O_O
not like if I make the first bid at 3pm the previous day and then it ends 24 hours later , 3pm next day? just always 8pm? :O
thank you in advance
The auction will end sometime between 8 and 9 pm on the day following the first bid, and the bidder with the highest offer at that time will win the item.
Example:
First bid placed: 12/04/2025 at 3:15 pm
Auction ends: 12/05/2025 at 8:15 pm
Please note: If a new bid is placed within the final 5 minutes of the auction, the ending time will be extended by another 5 minutes.
Let us know if you have any questions!
thank you so much (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)
No worries! Glad we were able to help! XXD