Selling On Poshmark in 2021 | Tips For Making Sales

Last Updated on April 1, 2022 by Bree

Steps For Selling on Poshmark

Create a Poshmark Closet

To sell on Poshmark, you need to create an account with your email and choose a name for your store.

You can use your real name or make up a fun name, it’s up to you.

And you can change it later if you like but you’d have to contact Poshmark support to do that.

Apparently changing your name on Poshmark isn’t like Mercari. On Mercari, nobody cares if you change your seller name several times.

Anyway… moving on.

Find things to sell on Poshmark

Hold up, hold up… Don’t start running to the nearest Goodwill store to spend money yet.

If you’re thinking of selling clothes on Poshmark, check your closet first for clothing you haven’t worn for months.

And you can also check your living room, kitchen, in short, your whole house for other things to sell on Poshmark.

A few years ago, you could only sell fashion on Poshmark, but now Poshmark has a home goods marketplace where you can list rugs, plates, cutlery, etc.

So you’re not restricted on what you can sell on Poshmark. But make sure to check for prohibited items.

After making a few dollars on Poshmark, you can start considering places to buy things to resell.

Get shipping supplies for selling on Poshmark

Really, you do not have to spend money on shipping supplies to sell on Poshmark.

Just reuse what you already have at home – boxes and poly mailers that came with your online shopping.

Some online stores ship items in resealable poly mailer bags in case of returns.

Please save those bags to ship stuff on Poshmark.

Another way to get free shipping supplies is from USPS.

Since Poshmark ships with priority mail, order free shipping boxes on the USPS website, and they will be sent to your address.

But if you feel like buying attractive poly mailers for shipping small items, you can do that too.

Check out more reseller supplies you would need for selling on Poshmark.

List your items

Now that you’ve found stuff to sell and shipping supplies, it is time to list your products on Poshmark.

Don’t worry, listing on Poshmark is free, you only pay a selling fee after you make a sale.

So let’s list your first item.

How to list on Poshmark

• Take pictures and maybe a short video of the item from several angles, show the care labels (for clothes and shoes), and flaws if any.
• Take and show pictures of measurements as some buyers would ask for it,
• Then add the description, and how to style it if it’s a fashion item(optional),
• Choose the brand name, item category,
• Mention the condition of the item – new, like-new, good, fair,
• Add the cost, color, size, and hit publish.

Sell, ship, and get your money

When you make a sale on Poshmark, you’d get an email with the shipping label to ship the order.

Unfortunately, Poshmark sellers cannot ship on their own as far as I know.

It may be a drawback for some as per the cost of shipping, but I don’t really mind as I’m more focused on the convenience. The shipping is high, yup!

Anyway, pack the item nicely, print out and attach the shipping label, and drop it off at your local post office.

Or schedule a pick on USPS.com, and the mail person would pick it up.

When the buyer receives their order, they have 3 days to inspect, accept the item, and rate you.

Then your funds would be released to you in form of store credit which you can transfer to your bank account or use for shopping.

What to do when you make a sale

Clean the item.

If you’re selling clothes, make sure they are washed.

Some buyers prefer fragrance-free detergents on their clothes, and they may complain about fragranced detergents.

Now I’m not saying to buy fragrance-free detergent to sell on Poshmark, just make sure the clothes you ship to buyers are clean, that’s all.

Don’t overdo anything.

As a matter of fact, most people wash clothes they buy before wearing them. So…

And for household goods that need dusting, vacuuming and whatnot, make sure to tidy them up before shipping.

Then pack it up and get it shipped to the buyer, and update the order as shipped.

Track your sales when selling on Poshmark

If you intend to sell on Poshmark as a serious business, you should take the time to track your sales and inventory.

Download a free sales tracker to make it easier for you.

With the sales tracker, you can track your monthly sales, what you spend on inventory, and also track what sells and restock it.

I’m sure you’d find other smart ways to use the sales tracker in your Poshmark selling business.

Now let’s talk about why sometimes you don’t make sales on Poshmark, and what you can do to improve sales.

Reasons You’re Not Making Sales On Poshmark

As a Poshmark seller, it must be frustrating to go week after week without making any sales.

I know exactly how it feels as I have been there.

Even when I know I have done everything right, I still don’t make sales on Poshmark.

I have sold only 3 items since I joined Poshmark, but I have made over 30 sales on Mercari, and also on Facebook Marketplace.

So I decided to not worry about it anymore.

However, I know I am not the only Poshmark seller not making mulah on the selling app.

So here are possible reasons you are not making sales on Poshmark.

1. Shipping with poor supplies

One of the main reasons you’re not making sales on Poshmark is because you ship with rubbish shipping supplies.

While it is good to reuse shipping supplies, it doesn’t make sense to ship items in a worn-out shipping envelope and patch it up with tape.

Imagine you as a buyer trying to break through several layers of tape to get to your item? It is frustrating.

Then imagine the item getting ruined in the process. Now, that’s heartbreaking.

And if you have several buyers complaining under your listings or ratings about your poor shipping supplies, you’d make fewer or no sales.

Some buyers even said sellers ship items in ziplock bags. That’s just not right.

Take advantage of the free priority-mail boxes on USPS and ship items to buyers with care.

Scroll to the comments and read Angela’s experience with sellers shipping poorly.

2. Buyers are returning your items

Poor shipping, inadequate descriptions, and dull pictures can cause conflicts between buyers and sellers.

And this can also lead to Poshmark returns.

Imagine you publish a listing and didn’t show pictures of the flaws, and the buyer receives it and sees the flaws.

They’d immediately open a case against you and ask for a refund.

And if the case goes in the buyer’s favor (in this case, it would) Poshmark would approve the return, and you’d lose money and time.

3. Window shoppers

Another reason why you are not making sales on Poshmark is because of window shoppers.

Most buyers and sellers on Poshmark are window shoppers.

We just browse through listings clicking like and moving on.

Or if you are like me, you are saving it for when you have money to buy it.

Hopefully!

But the thing is when you like a listing, the seller believes you’re interested.

Then they send an offer to likers with a discounted shipping, and all ye likers go quiet.

Trust me I know the feeling when you send out an offer to maybe 3 or even 10 likers, and none of them accepts.

It just takes your hopes up and crashes it again.

But don’t beat yourself up about it.

4. You are not selling on Poshmark because your pictures are blurry

Blurry pictures are a possible reason why you are not making sales on Poshmark.

I have seen this so many times.

The worst is when the seller has just one picture and it is blurry.

OMG! It drives me crazy.

Not everyone has the patience to ask you for more pictures.

Most buyers would walk away *singing* walk on by, walk on by!

How do you expect anyone to see and want to buy what you are selling if the pictures are not clear?

Or do you have other plans?

Please let me know in the comments.

5. Not replying to questions on your listings

The way the Poshmark app works is that the buyers and sellers communicate under the listing comments.

So every buyer sees all the questions other customers are asking about your listing.

And can easily tell if you’re not replying because it is clear for us to see.

Honestly, when I see such listings I just keep scrolling and continue my search.

Imagine if every buyer on Poshmark ignores your listings, how do you expect to make sales?

So you may lose sales if you are unresponsive to your buyers.

6. Poshmark shipping cost is a possible reason you are not making sales

This reason may not resonate with all sellers and buyers, but it is true as…

Poshmark recently increased their shipping cost to $7.45, and I personally am not happy with that change.

So even if I find something I like on Poshmark, that shipping cost would discourage me from buying it.

Imagine if there are many other buyers like me…

For someone living on a budget, that calculates every dollar spent; the $7.45 shipping is a lot.

This is why I prefer Mercari because I can compare prices and also shipping fees before making purchases.

7. Low-ballers may be the reason you’re not selling on Poshmark

Who are low-ballers?

Low-ballers are buyers that offer outrageously low prices for your listing.

For example, you list an item for $10 and someone offers to pay $6 or even $5.

Some would even ask for free shipping on an already low-priced item.

Remember that the Poshmark selling fee is $2.95 for items under $15 and 20% of sales from $15 up.

So tell me how sellers are supposed to make sales or profit if they get low-ballers all the time.

Some low-ballers send offers while some ask for messy discounts in the comments.

Now those are the kind of comments you ignore. Yes, I said it!

8. You are not sharing your listings

Poshmark encourages you to share your listings as often as you can for free.

You can share your listings on Poshmark with your followers, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

So if you are not sharing enough, it could be the reason why you are not making sales.

I am guilty of this too.

Now I am not saying it is guaranteed that you’d make sales when you share your listing frequently.

But there’s a possibility that you’d make sales if you did.

So use the share button and share your and other sellers’ listings too.

Some sellers will return the love and share yours too.

9. Unclear descriptions

Unclear descriptions could be another reason you are not making sales on Poshmark.

It is possible you’re not naming and describing your listings properly.

Are you one of those sellers that lists a pair of American Eagle boots but just name it “black boots”?

And you don’t even take the time to search for the brand name on Poshmark.

Okay, if I am searching Poshmark for a pair of black boots, your listing may pop up.

But it won’t be found in search results if I am searching for American Eagle boots.

Why list an item if you won’t even make an effort to describe it and increase your chances of selling?

Poshmark shoppers love popular brands, so most of the time they’d type in a brand name in the search bar.

10. Sometimes selling sucks

Maybe you’re not making sales on Poshmark because sometimes selling sucks.

There will be high and low days.

Sometimes shoppers are broke or shopping from other selling apps.

You’ll never know.

You may also love to read Poshmark Returns: What To Do When A Buyer Opens A Case, How To Avoid It.

11. You’re not using the video feature

After taking several pictures of your item, you may be too tired to make videos. And I get it.

But if you’re not using the video feature when listing on Poshmark, you may be holding yourself back from possible sales.

So think about it.

How To Make Sales on Poshmark

Reply comments on your listings

Make sure you are replying to comments promptly.

Yes, some buyers ask questions and never return, but serious ones are also in the comments.

So do the best you can to answer customers’ inquiries about your listings.

Ship items with good shipping supplies

When you make a sale on Poshmark, it is critical that you ship that purchase with good shipping supplies.

One thing I love about Poshmark is that sellers can get free shipping supplies from USPS (shipped to your door).

Order the priority boxes that say $0.00.

So you have no reason to ship in a crappy box.

The USPS priority mail shipping boxes come in several sizes. There’s a regular one for clothes, bags, and other items, then a different shape and size for shoes.

It doesn’t mean you can’t reuse your amazon shipping boxes and envelopes. Just make sure they’re in great condition.

Because when you ship items poorly and they get ruined, you make your customer unhappy and they’d never buy from you again.

Even worse, they’d leave a negative comment about their experience shopping with you and you may lose future buyers.

If you have a minute, scroll to the comments below, and read Angela’s experience shopping on Poshmark.

Send offers to likers

When you see a lot of likes on your Poshmark listings, there’s a chance that people are interested in that item.

So you can send an offer to your likers but with a lower shipping rate.

How to send offers to likers on Poshmark

Take note: the buyers may accept, counter, decline, or even ignore your offer.

Show several pictures of your items and describe them well

Some sellers take only one picture of their items, and it may work for them.

But it is always better to have more pictures that show what you’re selling from different angles.

And if you don’t have these pictures, buyers will either ask for them or move on to the next listing with more details.

Also, make sure you are describing your listings thoroughly. Give as much information as you can.

Little things like that help Poshmark buyers decide if they want to buy your product or not.

Add a video of your listing

You can add up to 12 pictures of your listing when selling on Poshmark, and there’s also the video feature.

I’ve seen lots of sellers use it and I think it’s really neat as it shows the item more than pictures do.

And if you’re selling fashion items like clothes or shoes and want to model them for your buyer, a video would work way better than pictures.

So I believe adding videos of your listing can increase your chances to make sales on Poshmark.

Share your listings

Now and then, try to share your listings to your Poshmark followers, on Posh parties, Twitter, and even Pinterest.

And I believe there are apps that can help you share your Poishamrk listings daily or something like that.

I’ll look for them and update this post accordingly.

But you can do a quick Google search, you may find something.

Crosslist on other reselling marketplaces

Yeah, it’s about selling on Poshmark.

But you may want to explore other reselling apps and increase your chances of making more sales.

So look for the places your buyers hang out and list your items there as well.

Try Facebook marketplace, Mercari, eBay, Depop, and so many others.

Here’s a post comparing Poshmark VS, Mercari I think you’d love. Also, check out Thredup VS. Poshmark.

Now, what are the benefits or downsides of selling on Poshmark?

Perks of selling on Poshmark

• First, you’d make money selling on Poshmark just like you would selling on Mercari or Ebay or even Facebook marketplace.
• Secondly, most resellers love selling on Poshmark because it is posh… In my opinion it is the Instagram of reseller marketplaces in terms of the outlook of the app, the fashion, and how some sellers showcase their listings. It is very cute. This is just me, it might be different for others. Anyway…
• It’s a good way to declutter your closet or home, and make side money if you dislike donating.

Downsides of selling on Poshmark

• When you make a sale, Poshmark takes 20% of the cost. That’s higher than 10% on Mercari or even lower on the Facebook Marketplace. Read more about Mercari VS Poshmark – Which Is Better For Selling Online?.
• Another drawback is that you have to share your listings for buyers to see them. Like, who has time to share their listings several times every day? Some people do, actually…
• Also, the Poshmark flat rate shipping of $7.45 is way higher than other reselling platforms. So imagine selling a shirt for $10 and the buyer has to pay almost $8 for shipping, I think it’s kind of…
• You can only send offers to buyers with a discounted shipping. I think that’s too much for a seller to carry. You’re selling on Poshmark to make money not to pay $3 out of $7.45 shipping even after offering the buyer a lower price, and also paying Poshmark 20% selling fee. You see what I mean?

Conclusion on Selling on Poshmark

So that’s how to start selling on Poshmark as a beginner, and tips to make sales.

Remember, you don’t have to spend any money on your Poshmark closet just yet.

Start with the things in your home, then later branch out to shopping from thrift stores to resell.

I hope you find this post helpful.

If you have any questions about how to sell on Poshmark, please ask. I’ll be right here to answer them

Thanks for reading.

Please share this post on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

xx, Buayifa.

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