Mercari Likes and Saved Searches: How Price-Drop and New-Listing Alerts Work, and Why One Might Not Arrive

You find something on Mercari but are not ready to buy. If you want to wait for a lower price, or you are looking for an item nobody has listed yet, the tools to use are likes and saved searches, both of which can send alerts. Based on Mercari's official help pages, this guide explains when each alert is sent, where to switch it on, and what to check when one does not arrive.

What a like does

A like is a way to bookmark items: tap the like icon on an item page and you can find it later under Liked items on the likes screen. To remove one, tap the icon again on the item page or delete it from the list.

Mercari also adds a like automatically when you comment on an item, bid in an auction, or leave the checkout screen without buying (app only). This auto-like can be turned on or off under My page > Settings > Notification and feature settings (app only).

Price-drop alerts for liked items

Switch on Price drops on liked items in Notification and feature settings, and you will be notified when a liked item is reduced by more than a certain amount. The help page notes that this alert currently appears only in the Notifications for you list, and that sellers may change the price again after a reduction.

In other words, a small reduction may not trigger an alert, and by the time you see one the price may have changed again. Always check the current price on the item page before buying.

Mercari Shops items work a little differently

You can like Mercari Shops items too (they show a black Mercari Shops band at the top of the item page). However, the help page says you will not be notified when a liked Shops item's sales status, stock or visibility changes. If you want to know about restocks, do not rely on likes alone; see our guide to Mercari Shops restock alerts.

For price drops, Mercari Shops items can also send an alert to buyers who liked them. It arrives as a Mercari app push notification and in Notifications for you, and is sent only when all of the following apply.

• The price was cut by more than a set threshold relative to the item price
• The price is now lower than when you liked the item
• No price-drop alerts are sent between 23:00 and 9:00

According to the help page, for items you liked before this feature launched, an alert is sent on a reduction regardless of the price at the time you liked it. If you would rather ask the seller for a lower price, see how price-reduction requests work.

Saved searches for new listings

If the item you want has not been listed yet, save your search. After searching, tap Save this search at the bottom of the results; you can save up to 100 searches. Saved searches are under Profile > Following > Searches, and in the search bar at the top of the home screen (app only).

To receive alerts, turn on New listings for saved searches under My page > Settings > Notification and feature settings, then choose how and how often to be notified when you save. The options differ as follows.

Note that these alerts cover newly listed items only. The help page states that updates to existing listings, including price changes, do not trigger them. To wait for a price drop on an item that is already listed, like that item rather than relying on a saved search.

If an alert does not arrive

• The relevant switch is on (blue) in Notification and feature settings
• Alerts reach the app only; the website lets you change settings but does not deliver alerts
• Push and LINE alerts for a saved search have not passed 30 days since you set them
• The reduction was not too small, and (for Shops) did not happen between 23:00 and 9:00
• Check your connection, restart the app or phone, or reinstall the app

Alerts are only a prompt, and an item may already be sold by the time you see one. When you decide to buy, check the price, condition and shipping method on the item page once more before checking out.

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