/ Trade / English
What Does "Reserved for ..." (Senyou) Mean on Mercari? Why Reserved Listings Are Not an Official Feature, and the First-Buyer Rule
Based on Mercari's own guide to trading manners, this article explains listings marked "reserved for" a named user and requests to hold items: that Mercari has no such feature, that sellers must proceed with whoever completes checkout first, that refusing to proceed because of a private arrangement is prohibited, that such listings may drop out of search, what buyers and sellers should do, and how to ask questions on Mercari Shops.
Written by Koetsu Co., Ltd.
When browsing Mercari you may see listings whose title or photo says 〇〇様専用, meaning reserved for a named user. Sellers often add this after discussing a discount or a hold in the comments, so that one particular person can buy the item. Does that mean nobody else may buy it? Based on Mercari's own guide to trading manners, this article explains how reserved listings and holds are treated.
Reserved listings and holds are not Mercari features
Mercari's guide describes reserved listings (holds) as a way of listing that users have come up with among themselves. It means using messages or images such as "reserved for 〇〇" so that a particular buyer will purchase the item, or turning away other buyers for the sake of one buyer. The guide states clearly that Mercari does not provide any feature to hold or reserve a listed item.
In other words, even if the title says reserved, anyone can still go through checkout as normal. The label is only an arrangement between the seller and one prospective buyer, and Mercari has no mechanism to enforce it.
The rule: trade with whoever completes checkout first
Mercari's guide says the rule is that the seller proceeds with the person who completed checkout first. It also says that refusing to proceed with a transaction, or asking for a cancellation, because of a user's own arrangement or rule is a prohibited act. Examples of such private rules include reserved listings and holds aimed at trading with one person, "comment before buying" and "read my profile first", and demands for cancellation or for renegotiating shipping.
| Situation | What Mercari's guide says |
|---|---|
| Someone other than the agreed buyer checks out first | Proceed with the person who bought it (guidance for sellers) |
| You bought an item but the seller will not ship because of a private rule | Point the seller to the guide and ask them to ship (guidance for buyers) |
| Stopping a transaction or asking for cancellation because of a private rule | Counts as a prohibited act |
| You want to ask a seller to reserve an item for you | Avoid asking for private arrangements like this |
Reserved listings may not appear in search
Mercari's guide on setting prices says that because they often confuse buyers and lead to trouble, listings such as "reserved for 〇〇", "for checking" or "on hold" may not be shown in search results. Besides being harder for others to find, a reserved listing is also more likely to go unsold if the agreed buyer never purchases it.
What buyers should know
Mercari's manners guide asks users to avoid requesting private arrangements such as "please reserve this for me" or "please hold it". It also notes that the shipping method and price cannot be changed after checkout, so questions and requests about an item should be made before buying where possible. If you want an item, the basic approach is to ask your questions and then check out yourself, rather than asking for a hold.
After you buy, a seller might ask you to cancel because the item was reserved for someone else. Mercari's guide tells buyers that if a seller will not proceed because of a private arrangement or rule, they should refer the seller to the guide and ask them to ship the item. Before agreeing to cancel, it is worth checking this rule rather than deciding in a hurry.
What sellers should know
Sellers are told to proceed with whoever bought the item, even if they had promised beforehand to trade with someone in particular. If you want to accept a discount request, it is less likely to cause trouble later to tell the person you have changed the price and make clear that checkout is first come, first served, rather than relying on a reservation.
If you have questions on Mercari Shops
The rules in this article come from Mercari's guide for transactions between individual users. Mercari Shops product pages note that you cannot comment on shop items but can message the shop directly. If you want to check stock, shipping timing or anything else, ask through the option to send a question to the shop before buying, and check out once you have the answer.
- "Reserved for 〇〇" is an arrangement between users, not a Mercari feature
- The rule is to trade with whoever completes checkout first
- Stopping a trade or asking for cancellation because of a private rule is prohibited
- Reserved or on-hold listings may not appear in search results
- Ask questions before buying; on Mercari Shops, use the option to send a question to the shop
Rules and wording can change, so please also check the latest version of Mercari's guide before trading. The information in this article was checked on 17 October 2026.
