If you are reading this, chances are you’ve read a few stories about people making money from Poshmark and thought about doing the same thing. But, is selling on Poshmark worth it? This review might make you think twice.
What Is Poshmark?
When Poshmark was first established in 2012, it was meant to be a second-hand marketplace to trade women’s clothing in the US. Now, the platform has expanded to selling men’s, children’s clothing and home products from all types of brands. So the selection of items is no longer just limited to your closet.
This site is widely visited by female users and fashion shoppers who are tech-savvy consumers. To get started, you just need to download the app onto your phone and proceed to create a free account.
Every seller gets to have their own boutique, which is just another fancy name for a storefront. When listing an item, you simply upload the pictures from your phone, set the pricing and description and you’re pretty much ready to sell.
When someone places an order from your store, you get a free shipping label from Poshmark to put on your package. This label comes with a tracking system so should your package get lost during transit, you’ll be fully covered.
Buyers generally have 3 days to confirm the purchase before payment is made to you. As part of the payout agreement, Poshmark takes a $2.95 commission on all sales under $15 and a 20% commission on any sales above $15. So that’s something you need to know.
If you prefer to jump straight to the point, here’s a video review from a seller, explaining the pros and cons of selling on Poshmark
How Much Can You Make on Poshmark?
Well, it depends on how you utilize the app. A casual user may make a few extra dollars while the serious entrepreneurial ones could make up to a few thousand dollars. These numbers aren’t the majority, but they do exist and those are probably the stories that attracted you to the app in the first place.
But their success didn’t just happen overnight. If you read closely, you’ll find that they have been doing this for years, probably 2 to 3 years or more. These times are spent taking good photos, researching fashion trends, comparing prices, and even scouring the thrift stores for stocks and see what they can flip for higher selling prices.
They are also very active on the app, participate in virtual parties, and are quick to respond to customers’ problems. They literally work on it day and night, treating it as a full-time online business almost and keeping a close tab on all their activities.
That’s how they come to achieve those envious figures. It’s fair to say that if you follow their tips, there’s a good chance you could have the same kind of results.
The Challenges for Poshmark Sellers Ahead
But we all know that opportunities aren’t created equal and the reality of selling with Poshmark isn’t as simple as the app itself. Before you get too carried away, it’s important to be aware of these downsides.
1 – Crowded Marketplace – 8 years since its inception, the site currently has about 25 million items and 4 million sellers. And guess what? The number is growing by the day. Shoppers love varieties but those numbers are tough competition to break into.
The marketplace is basically a listing site and as new items come along, older items just get pushed down. There’s no specific feature to boost listings – even if they do, you’ll need to pay for it – unless you make some changes such as sharing the item or drop the price, which presumably could shake up your listing for a moment.
2 – Profit Sharing – Poshmark’s take can cut into your profit over a long time, whether you are selling below or above $15. Selling at higher prices generally makes more money, but let’s face it, giving away $20 when something sells for $100, for example, can be very painful to the pocket.
Some experienced sellers reckon that you are better off selling on eBay, ThredUp or maybe better, create an online store under your own brand name. This is something you should consider if you have a lot of stuff to sell and want to make the most out of them.
3 – Buyer Biased – There’re plenty of complaints that Poshmark often sides the buyers when something goes wrong with the sale. Some cases will force you to do a refund even when there’s nothing wrong with the item.
That really sucks because you know the buyers just want their money back but the company will not hear your case about it. Doesn’t seem like a fair treatment to me, especially if the sale has been made upon mutual understanding.
4 – Lowballers – You can find these people everywhere on marketplaces and it’s no different in Poshmark. They aren’t the nicest to deal with because they don’t bother reading through the offer and will haggle until you give them the price they want. You’d probably find them a waste of time too.
Is Selling on Poshmark Worth It?
Yes, it is if you’re into selling and flipping clothing. Just remember that it takes time and smart planning to make a significant amount of earning so you need to be very patient with the process. While it doesn’t cost you anything to get started, you shouldn’t depend on it 100% to pay your bills or rent.
However, selling on Poshmark may not be the best choice if you struggle to sell your stuff, get treated unfairly by the company or prefer to keep all the profit to yourself. In these cases, you should certainly look into other platforms or establish an independant brand for yourself.
Anyways, I hope this review has proven valuable in helping you decide whether Poshmark is worth your time or not. If you are interested in other ways of making money, check out how I use this platform to create an online business that pays me consistent income every month.
S.J says
Thanks for this review on Poshmark. Glad to discover another eCommerce platform where I can sell women’s clothing and jewelry. I am currently selling on eBay, Vinted, and Depop. Will download Poshmark and register to sell my stuff. During this festive period, it’s a good idea to open more online boutiques as it provides free exposure for my products.
Cathy says
Hi SJ, judging from your reference to other online marketplaces, I am guessing that you are based in the UK. Unfortunately, Poshmark only works in the US. Just to let you know.
Sipheni says
I was drawn to your post as I was searching for info on listing sites, and here I am, getting a pleasant surprise! I had no idea there is a platform named Poshmark and what I learned here is quite interesting. You mentioned that the platform has an app too. What’s the name of the app or is it Poshmark? I would like to try it out.
Cathy says
Hi Sipheni. I believe it’s called Poshmark Buy and Sell Fashion. This link should be able to bring you to the app on Google Play.
Sipheni says
Thank you Cathy 🙂
Isaac says
Sites like Poshmark makes starting a business look easy, but that wouldn’t make any sense. I can also see the appeal since Poshmark is free to start, so in people’s heads, that’s like free money. But, like in the examples you gave, it usually takes years to get a business rolling.
Also, it seems like Poshmark would be a pretty stressful business model vs models that involve affiliate marketing or ad revenue because you have to deal directly with the product fulfillment all the time. Not necessarily a bad thing but if you’ve no experience, I imagine it would be quite tough.
It may not be all that hyped up after all. Do you think you would ever try Poshmark for yourself?
Cathy says
I am not much into fashion and don’t really have a lot of nice items in my closet to sell anything in the first place, so nahh, I will pass.
Sue says
Hi Cathy, this article was extremely enlightening to me because I have wondered about Poshmark and whether or not it was worth a try. Some of my friends are doing it and they seem to enjoy the selling process. Judging from the video, it seems like a good idea. But after reading your entire post, it doesn’t seem like something I’d like to take the plunge with. I was kind of on the fence about the whole thing.
Cathy says
Hi Sue, I am glad you benefited from this review.
Stephanie says
I have heard a lot about, but I have never actually tried it myself. I’m curious though, you can only clothing items and home related things, or can you sell whatever it is that you’re selling? If you can sell other products, do digital products are included in the selection or you have to sell only physical products?
Cathy says
Hi Stephanie, the site is only for clothing and home items. If you are looking to sell used electronic products, I would suggest visiting Decluttr or Swappa.
Phil says
I have never heard of Poshmark. So you can buy and sell used clothing? Can you sell new clothing too?
I do not like how they take a 20% commission for the larger sales, boy that eats your profit big time! I also do not like how there are millions of sellers on their already, that is some stiff competition.
Cathy says
Yes, you can sell new clothes too but that will usually fetch a higher price in which paying that 20% to Poshmark is inevitable.
Lee says
Well, Poshmark seems to be worth the time and effort if you have the right clothing item and knowledge to make it work for you. It seems if you are really new to online selling through Ebay may be a better option. Just like with any other online opportunities, success with Poshmark is the result of work and patience.
Cathy says
I wouldn’t say so myself Lee. Selling from the app is generally easier than on eBay. There’s a lot of technicalities on eBay – trying to source for products and optimizing the listing. At least on an app, the interface is more user-friendly and it’s more like a social kind of interaction over the more serious seller-buyer relationship.