Are you looking into thrifting? You might be looking to thrift more to save money or become more sustainable. Or maybe you’re a seasoned flipping professional and want to learn about the latest thrifting platforms out there. Whatever your reason, thrifting is a great way to save money and to save the environment. Did you know that 11.3 million tons of textile waste (that’s 85% of all textiles) ends in landfills on a yearly basis in America alone? And an average household spends an average of $120 per month on clothing! We can do our part and help mitigate the waste while saving money by thrifting. Here are five of the best thrifting apps to save money and maybe even make money while you’re at it!
If you’re looking for other ways to go green, check out my tips to go green while saving money!
Table of Contents
5 Best Thrifting Apps to Save Money
There are a variety of thrifting apps to save money out there but here are some of the most popular ones today. The platform you decide to use may vary depending on if you’re a buyer or seller so make sure to read the article through to the end!
Poshmark
Poshmark has been around since 2011 and is considered one of the original online thrifting platforms out there. They are a public company and operate under the stock ticker symbol POSH. The company operates as an independent subsidiary of Naver Corporation since January 2023.
Poshmark fosters community with the use of Posh Parties, in which you can share items in your closet that are similar to the Posh Party’s theme. You can also share items in your closet to your followers as much as you want and other people can share your items as well!
In October 2021, Poshmark acquired Suede One, a platform for checking the authenticity of sneakers.
Thrifting on Poshmark
Thrifting on Poshmark can be a little like having an account on another social media platform. You can follow various sellers, like their items, and write comments on their listings. You can also offer sellers a lower price than what the item is listed for and they can counteroffer if they wish. I personally list a ton of my Urban Outfitters clothing on here and they sell extremely well!
Items bought on Poshmark that are $500 are over are automatically sent to Poshmark before the item gets sent to you for a Posh Authenticate process. This makes sure that you’re actually receiving authentic products for what you paid for.
You can start thrifting on Poshmark with $10 by signing up with this link here!
Seller Fees on Poshmark
Building your community by gaining followers, sharing other people’s listings, and participating in Posh Parties is a big part of being a successful seller on Poshmark.
If you’re planning to sell your items on Poshmark, it’s important to be aware of the fees that they charge. Listings are always free on the platform and you only pay once your item sells.
- For sales under $15, there is a flat fee of $2.95.
- For sales over $15, there is a 20% fee.
When you sell on Poshmark, they cover the credit card processing fees, provide you with a pre-paid shipping label, and submit sales tax for you on your behalf. There’s nothing you need to do other than cash out!
Read more about Poshmark here!
Mercari
Mercari is also an online reselling app similar to Poshmark and originally started as a Japanese e-commerce company in 2013. It expanded to the United States in 2014 and the United Kingdom in 2016.
Thrifting on Mercari
Buying items on Mercari is similar to buying on Poshmark. You can do the same things like like an item and follow different sellers. Instead of commenting publicly on their listings, you can message the seller directly for any questions you have on their listings.
Selling on Mercari
Selling items is a little bit more forgiving on Mercari than on Poshmark. The fee when you sell an item is simply 10% of the item’s selling price. However, withdrawing your balance to your bank account requires a $10 minimum otherwise you incur a $2 fee.
Depop
Depop was also founded in 2011 (similar to Poshmark) and is a thrifting app that originated in Italy and moved the United Kingdom in 2012. However, its items are much more catered toward people looking for “vintage” pieces. This platform caters more towards a younger audience Many sellers model the clothes they sell themselves.
Depop was voted by teenagers as their favorite resale app and is one of the best thrifting apps to save money for Gen Z. It was acquired by Etsy in June 2021 but still operates as a standalone brand independent from Etsy today.
Thrifting on Depop
Thrifting on Depop is a bit like being on a social media app. It has an interface like Instagram and allows you to message sellers privately to negotiate sales, similar to Mercari. The listing and offer process is the same as Poshmark and Mercari.
Selling on Depop
When you list an item on Depop you can add up to four photos and an optional video. Sellers are encouraged to upload photos of themselves to model the items.
After you sell an item on Depop, you get charged a flat 10% fee of the item’s selling price. They use PayPal as their transaction provider and also charge 2.9% and an additional $0.20 for every item in the United States. For sellers in the United Kingdom and the European Union, it’s an additional 3.4% and $0.25.
thredUp
thredUp is partnering with leading retailers in the United States, making the platform different than the previous three, which has consumers selling their own personal items.
Resale-as-a-Service
thredUp’s Resale-as-a-Service partners with leading retailers in the United States, making the platform different than the different three, which mostly has consumers selling their own personal items. They partner with some huge retailers such as Madewell, Gap, Macy’s, and more and offer them things such as store credit in exchange for a shipment of items.
Thrifting on thredUp
thredUp is a great platform to get started thrifting on because you know that all the pieces you get will be of high quality. All items listed on thredUp are vetted through the platform’s 12-point inspection process, which means you can rest assured that everything you buy will be worth it.
Selling on thredUp
Selling on thredUp is completely different from the other thrifting applications. Here’s the process for selling on thredUp.
- You get sent a kit with a prepaid label to fill with your items.
- Ship the used clothing and wait for thredUp to evaluate your clothing. thredUp goes through a 12-point inspection process to make sure your clothing meets their standards. To get the highest chance of making money with sales on thredUp, check their quality guide here.
Premium and designer brands, such as Gucci, lululemon, and J. Crew are given 45 days to sell and you can earn up to 80% of the sale price. Mid-priced brands such as Nike, Zara, and Gap are given 30 days to sell and you can earn up to 60% of the sale price.
Some brands are ineligible for payout so if you want to make some money on your clothing, be sure to check the ineligible brands list.
Curtsy
Curtsy is a newer online platform and was launched in 2015. Curtsy operates as more of an auction style thrifting platform rather than items having a set price.
Thrifting on Curtsy
Curtsy is a little different than other apps in that it makes the buyer share the fee of listing an item with the seller. The buyer is charged $1 along with 5% of the selling price whenever they purchase an item.
Selling on Curtsy
Curtsy is friendly to sellers just starting out because it treats all sellers’ content the same, regardless of how long you’ve been on the app. When you upload an item onto Curtsy, you a recommended a listing price based on previously sold items. You can choose to fork over the shipping fee out of your earnings to make the experience more buyer friendly as well.
When you sell items on Curtsy, you pay $1 as well as 5% of the listing price, just like the buyers. You also pay a 2.9% processing fee that goes directly to the payment provider.
Best Thrifting Apps to Save Money
The thrifting app you use may differ depending on if you’re a buyer or seller. I personally cross post a lot of my items on multiple platforms and check multiple apps before I make a purchase. After all, you’re looking to save money when thrifting so what’s a few more seconds to check another platform? If I’m looking for a specific piece, I also check all the different platforms!
Happy thrifting! Do you use any thrifting apps not listed here?
Did you enjoy this article about the best thrifting apps to save money? Read more like it here! As always, thank you for reading and please subscribe to get notified of the latest posts.
Hello, I’m Chloe! I’m the primary author of Off Hour Hustle. Currently, I work as a software engineer, sell products through eBay, Etsy, and OfferUp, have 26+ credit cards, and am always working to diversify my income streams. In my spare time, I enjoy climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities.
