Poshmark Review: Is it Worth it for Making and Saving Money?

Whether you’re looking to buy secondhand clothes to save money or sell items you no longer want to make money, our Poshmark review has you covered.

In both cases, Poshmark can be a great platform. For buyers, it can be an amazing opportunity to get some higher end pieces at much better prices than if you were to buy them new.

And for sellers, earning some extra cash from items that are simply taking up space in your closet is a great way to boost your income.

That said, there are some things to keep in mind when deciding to buy or sell from Poshmark that may make the difference as to whether or not this is worthwhile for you – as we’ll cover below.

Poshmark review: Summary

Buying on Poshmark: review

For anyone looking to buy quality second hand clothing and other accessories, especially brand name items, Poshmark is one of the best places around to get pieces like this at huge discounts.

Whether it’s clothing, shoes, bags or more, it is going to be much better for your wallet (and the environment!) to check Poshmark before considering getting the same piece new.

When buying from Poshmark, this blessing can actually be a curse, in that it can be quite overwhelming when randomly scrolling through the site. However, if you have something specific in mind, like a certain brand or even, say, white sneakers, this will definitely help your Poshmark review of what’s on offer on their platform.

How does buying from Poshmark work?

When you see an item you’re interested in, either press “buy now” to purchase it at the listed price or press “offer” in the listing and enter the amount you want to offer for the piece. If the seller makes a counter-offer, you can then accept this or make your own counter-offer in response.

The mobile app makes this process incredibly easy to follow. And given how this works, it means that buying from Poshmark works basically like a negotiation, meaning that the usual strategies for a negotiation also apply here.

That is, as a buyer, it’s good to offer less than you’re actually willing to pay but be careful if the item is popular, as you may be outbid by another Poshmark user.

Benefits of buying on Poshmark

From our in depth Poshmark review, there are certainly a number of benefits of buying on Poshmark, especially if you’re a fan of second hand clothes (and a fan of saving money).

1. You can negotiate with sellers

The Poshmark app allows you to make an offer if you see an item you like but think the listed price is a bit high. This gives you the chance to really score some deals by negotiating with sellers until you get to a price you’re willing to pay.

You can, of course, choose to simply buy something outright or if it’s popular and you think you’ll be outbid. But the negotiation feature is great for helping you to save money on your clothes shopping.

2. Great range, including brand names

The range of clothes on Poshmark is almost unbeatable. With literally tens of thousands of items at all price points, you can find essentially anything you can think of on here.

This can almost be a negative in some ways as it’s pretty overwhelming when you open the app and have no idea where to start. This is why it’s a good idea to at least have something in mind when you start using Poshmark, to avoid buying everything you see as you scroll and blowing your budget.

3. Poshmark authentication is legit

Poshmark offers free authentication on all items priced $500 or more, so you can be sure your purchase is legit. The Poshmark review of the authenticity of an item generally takes between 24 and 48 hours to complete.

How it works is that when you purchase something at this price point, it’s shipped to Poshmark HQ for their review.

Unfortunately, no authentication review is available for items that cost less than $500, so there is an element of risk for buyers there.

4. Buyers are protected

If you receive an item that isn’t as described or is counterfeit, there are buyer protections in place. How it works is that you have three days from the date of receipt of the item to check it. If you see something that you think isn’t right, you can open a case and request a refund.

5. Easy and quick platform for finding items

The Poshmark platform is incredibly easy to use as a buyer, especially on the phone app. You can easily filter your searches based on almost any aspect of the item, including brand name, color, cost, type of item and more.

As mentioned, you also have the option of simply going to the check out to buy something quickly or taking a bit more time and negotiating the price.

Either way, once you’ve successfully bought an item, the process continues to be very fast and easy, as Poshmark’s aim is to have the item shipped as quickly as possible.

You may also be interested in: ThredUP Review: Is It Worth It for Making and Saving Money?

Negatives of buying on Poshmark

While buying on Poshmark is generally a very straightforward experience, there are a few key points to keep in mind before starting to use Poshmark to restock your closet.

1. Second hand items always mean there’s a gamble on quality

Poshmark prides itself on selling quality items, but it’s also true that there’s always a gamble in terms of the quality of second hand goods you buy online.

Without having the opportunity to try something on, to feel what the material is like or to check for any faults, there is an element of risk that a piece may not be 100% what you expected.

2. Very difficult to return items

You can really only return items that you buy on Poshmark if the item isn’t as described. If it simply doesn’t fit or you don’t like it once you try it on, you’re unfortunately out of luck.

You’ll have three hours once you buy an item to back out and cancel the order but, after that, you’re essentially locked in. This is seen as the balance between the good deals you’re getting from buying on Poshmark, as there’s also a risk for buyers.

3. Buyer pays for shipping as the default option

If you’re used to sites offering free shipping, Poshmark may be a bit different for you. That is, shipping fees on Poshmark are paid by buyers, not sellers.

4. Poshmark shipping is too high

A common complaint in many Poshmark reviews is that Poshmark shipping is too high. They charge a flat rate of $7.11 on all orders as long as the total weight is less than five pounds. Any more than that and the seller pays the extra costs.

Whether or not this is really too high will depend on what you buy. If you purchase, say, one second hand shirt for $10, the shipping fee is going to be a large portion of your purchase cost.

If, however, you buy a dress worth several hundred dollars, then that shipping fee suddenly isn’t so bad. This means that whether or not these fees really are too bad are going to depend on your individual shopping experience.

5. Shipping isn’t as fast as claimed

Shipping is meant to take up to three days with Priority Mail, although they warn that issues with USPS can cause delays of up to two weeks.

Several Poshmark reviews say that it’s much more common for items to arrive much closer to the two-week mark than only three days. It’s also worth keeping in mind that while Poshmark recommends that sellers ship purchases within two days of the sale going through, they have up to seven days to do this.

There isn’t much you can do about this as a buyer, except that if they take longer than seven days, you’re entitled to cancel the order.

6. No live customer service

Things can go wrong on any site and it can always help to talk to someone to try to resolve a problem, even if it’s by chat rather than over the phone.

Unfortunately, Poshmark only allows you to contact their customer service team by email. This is pretty irritating, especially when your money is on the line as it can really delay resolution of the problem.

Is it safe to buy from Poshmark?

Poshmark itself is legitimate however, as with any site where you’re dealing with anonymous users, there is always a risk that the items you’ll receive won’t be authentic. That said, there are some protections for buyers in place making it very unlikely you’ll lose your money.

In particular, if you’re looking for items that cost more than $500, the Poshmark authentication service definitely helps to make sure that you’re getting what you thought you were paying for.

At the same time, $499 is still a lot of money to risk buying something that’s counterfeit. While it seems to be rare that this happens, it is something to be aware of when looking to buy higher end pieces.

Does Poshmark protect buyers?

Poshmark protects buyers by allowing you to return items that aren’t as described or that don’t arrive. Besides those cases, sales are final.

In addition, you do have the previously mentioned authentication service which also helps to protect buyers, where Poshmark reviews items worth more than $500 to check that they’re legit.

Buying on Poshmark: Reddit reviews

Reddit is usually a great place to source reviews on almost anything and its Poshmark reviews are no different.

In terms of buying clothes on Poshmark, reviews on Reddit are generally positive with the main points being that people think:

• “Selling on Poshmark is pretty easy as long as you take good pictures and you’re selling nice things […] Also, make sure you use detailed descriptions so people can find your items when they search for specific things. For pictures, include all angles of the item, any blemishes that may be present, and preferably a photo of you wearing the garment. Bonus points if you style the shoots. These help the buyer imagine themselves wearing it and they’ll be more likely to buy.” – from this comment
• There have, however, been difficulties in getting refunds if a buyer disagrees with how a seller has described an item (although some of the responses actually think the buyer was wrong here – see this thread)
• “I’ve been selling on Poshmark for 2 years and haven’t had a single issue.” – from this comment
• “[Poshmark isn’t] a scam but there are a few scammers on there just like with all the other platforms.” – from this comment
• “I really wish Poshmark would clean up sellers that haven’t been active. I’ve reached out to so many items I would love but I don’t get any responses and they don’t show a “Last Online” date. There have been over a dozen things in the past 2 weeks I want but either no response from the seller regarding questions or just not online in forever.” – from this thread

Selling on Poshmark: review

If you have a lot of unwanted pieces that are good quality, making some money by selling these on Poshmark is a good idea. It’s one of the biggest and best websites for selling stuff locally online when it comes to secondhand clothing and accessories, meaning there’s a huge audience of potential buyers on there.

It’s also very easy to use the platform to sell, whether you prefer to use it on your phone or computer.

It can, however, take some time to get the hang of what’s needed to get your listings in front of as many eyes as possible, which can be annoying if you’re just looking to sell your items and be done with it. Keep reading to see how to make this as painless as possible.

How to sell everything on Poshmark

For selling any clothing or accessories on Poshmark, the process is very straightforward whether you choose to use the app or their computer-based platform. That said, there are some tips that will help you to sell on Poshmark:

1. Have detailed, honest descriptions – Buyers appreciate transparency, especially when it comes to used items.They also want to know what they’re getting, so being as honest and detailed as you can will help you sell your items quickly.
2. Take great, clear photos – Brightly lit photos are much better for catching the attention of potential buyers, but it’s also important to show things from every angle so people know what they’re getting.
3. Embrace the social aspect – By resharing both your and other people’s listings, you’ll make sure that your pieces show up at the top of searches more frequently – while also encouraging other people to share what you’re offering.
4. Update your Poshmark closet – If you add new items to your Poshmark “closet”, you’ll appear more frequently in other users’ feeds, helping you to sell more.
5. Only sell authentic pieces – Poshmark takes its authentication process seriously, not to mention that selling counterfeit goods is illegal. So don’t be tempted to test the system.

Benefits of selling on Poshmark

1. You can make money from cleaning out your closet

This is easily the biggest benefit of selling on Poshmark: the fact you can make money from things you don’t want anymore.

You could just have a few pieces to sell or want to clear out your entire wardrobe. And there are even people who’ve turned selling on Poshmark into a super profitable side hustle.

Whichever one applies to you, it’s clear from other Poshmark reviews that you can definitely make money selling on Poshmark.

Related: 22 Best Weekend Jobs To Earn Extra Cash

2. Strict returns policy

While this may be a negative for buyers, it’s definitely a positive for sellers. That is, unless the item isn’t as described, buyers basically aren’t allowed to return items they’ve bought. 

This means that once a sale goes through, the money is yours.

3. Great platform makes it easy to list items

Most Poshmark reviews highlight the fact that its platform is very easy to use as both a buyer and a seller. Their phone app in particular is very clear and simple, letting you set up your listings in no time at all to make money from your phone.

4. Listing an item is free

This is a great benefit of Poshmark: there are no listing fees. This means that you can list as many items as you want for as long as you want and you won’t be out of pocket.

Related: 27 Legitimate Stay at Home Jobs That Pay Well

5. Buyer pays for shipping as the default

You’re also not liable for shipping charges as the seller, making it even more cost effective for you to sell unwanted clothes and accessories on Poshmark.

There are some exceptions, such as if the package is over five pounds, but these are pretty rare.

6. You’ll receive payment quickly

Funds are released to you once a buyer receives and accepts their items. They have up to three days to do this and once they do this (or the three days pass), the money is yours.

Related: 29 Quick Tips on How to Make $300 Fast

7. You can advertise your status if you’re considered a reliable seller

Poshmark’s Ambassador status lets you display that you’re considered a good seller once you’ve met various criteria.

This is a good reward for holding up your end of the bargain in previous transactions, as it helps future buyers be more confident in what you’re selling. This, in turn, can lead to more sales.

8. Poshmark collects taxes for you

It’s a great weight off your shoulders that Poshmark collects any legally required taxes on your behalf, as it means you don’t have to worry about it. As these are generally determined on a state-by-state basis, it can be a huge pain to do this yourself, so the fact you don’t is a great benefit.

Negatives of selling on Poshmark

1. High fees for selling items

This is easily the biggest negative of selling on Poshmark, as most Poshmark reviews will emphasize.

Specifically: 

• For sales under $15, the fee is $2.95
• For sales above $15, the fee is 20% of the selling price

This is a significant portion of your sales going to Poshmark as commissions, so you should do the math to check whether it’s worth selling your item on Poshmark compared to another site with lower fees.

In particular, lower priced items may not be worth selling on Poshmark, given that a $10 t-shirt that you sell would result in almost 30% of the selling price having to be paid as a commission.

2. Low bids as the starting point

The negotiation aspect of selling items on Poshmark may be good for buyers, but it can make selling more time consuming – as well as often leading you to make less money than you expected.

In particular, most potential buyers will start with a very low bid. While they may not expect you to accept this, it can be tough to see when you were hoping to make a set amount of money on an item.

This means that when pricing your items, you need to strike a balance between listing a price that you think you could get and the fact that this will likely be used by a buyer as the starting point for negotiations.

You may also be interested in: 43 Amazing Under the Table Jobs that Pay Cash

3. It takes time to nail the social aspect of the platform

The social aspect of Poshmark is a nice feature, especially in terms of it helping you to get eyes on your listing. But there’s no question that it takes time to do and some practice to get it right.

This means that for anyone hoping to just list an item and wait for the offers to start rolling in, it may not be as simple as that.

For some tips on how to do this well to make money as quickly as possible, take a look at this video.

Can you actually make money on Poshmark?

You can definitely make money on Poshmark, with many sellers reporting making thousands of dollars from selling high end items. However, it’s important to be aware of Poshmark’s relatively high commission rates.

That is, for anything about $15, 20% of your selling price will go to Poshmark. You should factor this in when calculating whether it’s worth using Poshmark as a way for you to make money.

Related: 41 Easy Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month

What sells best on Poshmark?

According to the most recent Poshmark Trend Report, the best selling brands on Poshmark at the moment are:

1. Lululemon Athletica
2. Nike
3. Free People
4. Victoria’s Secret
5. American Eagle Outfitters
6. PINK Victoria’s Secret
7. Coach
8. J. Crew
9. Anthropologie
10. Old Navy

Do I have to pay taxes if I sell on Poshmark?

Poshmark will collect and remit sales tax in accordance with any state or other local tax laws. This means that while taxes may be payable in relation to what you sell on Poshmark, you won’t be responsible for collecting these.

In terms of whether you have to pay any taxes based on any profit you make from selling on Poshmark, this will depend on your local tax laws and it’s best to check with a CPA. This Reddit thread may give you some guidance though.

Is selling on Poshmark worth it?

Selling on Poshmark is worth it primarily for higher priced items, as you have a large audience of potential buyers. For lower priced items though, the high fees may not make it worthwhile.

That is, paying over 20% in fees for items worth less than $15 may not make it worth your time to list items, interact on the platform and negotiate with buyers just to get a sale.

However, for items above $15 – especially pieces priced well above that amount – your earnings start to make the whole process much more worthwhile. This essentially means that when figuring out if selling on Poshmark is worth it, do the math to see how much you’ll likely earn to determine whether the time that you’ll have to put into doing this makes it worthwhile.

Is Poshmark worth it: Reddit opinions

Some of the most honest Poshmark reviews can be found on Reddit, so here is a sample of people’s opinions on whether Poshmark is worth it:

• “It’s also not rare to be successful on Poshmark, depending on what you think is successful. For me, that’s between 500-1000 a month.” – from this comment
• “I personally think that you can still make a living off of Posh.” – from this comment
• “I hate Poshmark” – a list of one person’s very honest opinion on everything they don’t like about selling on Poshmark.
• “I agree that Poshmark is a lot more work [than eBay]. They’ve tried to add a social media aspect that isn’t for everyone.”- from this comment

Related: 41 Ways to Make $1,000 Fast (That Actually Work)

Is Poshmark legit?

Poshmark is definitely legit. Transactions generally proceed smoothly with both parties receiving their items and money respectively.

Of course, no site can guarantee that all of its users are legit and issues can arise with scammers or, for example, counterfeit pieces. However, Poshmark reviews online indicate that this is relatively rare and there are protections in place to prevent such problems.

How to see seller reviews on Poshmark?

Sellers and buyers can see their individual ratings in their My Closet Stats, although these aren’t displayed publicly.

This means that you aren’t able to see other people’s ratings, including the seller reviews of someone from whom you’re considering purchasing an item.

Can you get scammed on Poshmark?

Like any online marketplace, you can get scammed on Poshmark. This may include people trying to steal from you, such as by selling you a counterfeit item or through phishing attempts.

For some tips on how not to get scammed on Poshmark, take a look at this article.

Can a seller get scammed on Poshmark?

Sellers can certainly get scammed on Poshmark in various ways, such as when someone requests a refund due to an item not being as described then returns an empty box. Other buyers may receive an item they don’t want, damage it and blame the seller.

These are all clearly unfortunate consequences of working on any online marketplace. For some strategies on how to avoid being scammed as a seller, this article has some good ideas.

How long does Poshmark take to ship?

Poshmark sellers must ship items within seven days or else a buyer can cancel and if they don’t ship within 21 days, then Poshmark can cancel the order. Packages are sent by priority mail so should be received within three days, although can take up to two weeks.

Reports online do indicate that it’s actually much more common for you to not receive your item until closer to the two-week mark. This means that if an item hasn’t arrived within the three day limit, some more patience may be needed as it’s probably on its way.

Can a seller cancel an order on Poshmark?

A seller can cancel an order at any time before it is shipped.

This means that sellers – perhaps understandably – have much more freedom on this point than buyers. That said, it’s not the best customer service so if there’s an issue, it may be better to discuss it with the buyer to see if they want to go ahead with the sale anyway.

Is it worth selling on Mercari and Poshmark?

It can be worth selling on both Mercari and Poshmark by cross-listing items on both platforms to give yourself the best chance of selling your pieces.

Poshmark is generally considered better for selling higher end items, but there’s no reason why you can’t advertise on Mercari too. In particular, Mercari fees for selling are far lower than Poshmark so if you manage to make the sale on there instead, it means more money for you!

Related: Make $200 a Day Online: 17 Ways That Are Proven To Work

What’s better: Mercari or Poshmark?

In the question of whether Mercari or Poshmark are better, there are a bunch of things to consider that make one better than the other, including depending on what you’re selling.

To see a full comparison, take a look at our article on Poshmark vs Mercari.

Is Poshmark better than eBay?

Poshmark can be better than eBay for selling higher end items as this is what most of its visitors are looking for. However, eBay’s fees tend to be lower and it has more daily visitors, which may work in your favor depending on what you’re selling.

The question will ultimately come down to what works for you based on what you’re selling. You can see this article for a comparison of Poshmark vs Mercari vs eBay.

Poshmark review: Final thoughts

Overall, Poshmark is a great platform for either buying second hand clothes at a discounted rate or for making money from things you no longer need or want.

For buyers, this a great chance to grab pieces that you may not be able to afford at full price – or simply don’t want to pay full price for. And when many of these purchases are just as good quality as if you were to buy them new, then this is definitely a good money saving strategy.

In terms of selling, plenty of people have made a lot of money from selling on Poshmark, making it an easy way to make extra cash. 

There is, however, the need to be aware of the relatively high fees to make sure that you’re getting your money’s worth for what you’re selling. But once you’ve done the math and determined that it’s worthwhile, this is definitely a good strategy for making money from your unwanted items.

A consistent criticism in most Poshmark reviews is the time involved for both buyers and sellers. Interacting on the social media-like platform takes a lot of time to make sure people are seeing your listings and the negotiation period can also take a lot of time for everyone involved. This simply means it’s another factor to go into your calculation of whether Poshmark is worth it for you.