Receive Mercari verification SMS online

Two services

Mercari Japan and Mercari US are separate apps with separate accounts

Signup check

A code sent by SMS to a number from that service's country

Japan

Japanese mobile numbers; payments and proceeds tied to identity checks

United States

US numbers; payouts go to a bank account in the seller's name

Numbers per account

One number is tied to one account

Overseas buyers

Japanese listings reach other countries through separate channels, not the domestic app

Mercari Japan and Mercari US are two different places

Mercari started in Japan and is still one of the country's best-known flea-market apps. The United States has its own Mercari: a separate app, a separate marketplace in US dollars, and a separate account system. People searching for "Mercari verification" are often mixing up the two, and the answer depends entirely on which one they mean.

An account made on one cannot sign in on the other, listings do not cross over, and the phone numbers each expects come from their own country. Deciding which Mercari you are signing up for is therefore the first step, before any number is chosen.

People most often use one of our numbers for Mercari to:

• Opening a buyer account without adding a personal number to a resale marketplace
• Trying the app before deciding whether to use it long term
• Keeping a collector's buying account separate from a personal line
• Checking listings and prices in the country you are staying in

Many apps expect the number you keep. We help with the cases above; we do not help anyone reach an account that is not theirs — see our acceptable use policy.

Japan: an SMS code to a Japanese mobile number

The Japanese app confirms a new account by sending a code to a Japanese mobile number. The check is there to keep one person to one account and to cut down on throwaway accounts used for fraud, which is why the number is tied to a single account and why re-registering with the same number is refused.

The code step itself is only the start. Using the sales balance, paying with the linked payment service, or withdrawing proceeds to a bank account all bring identity verification into play, and those checks are against the person's own documents and bank. A rented Japanese number can open a buyer account; it cannot carry the account through those later steps.

United States: a US number and payouts in your own name

Mercari US also sends a text code to a phone number when an account is created, and it can ask for the number again when it sees a new device or unusual activity. Sellers are paid out to a bank account or card in their own name, and larger or more frequent sales bring identity and tax-reporting requirements with them.

A buyer account is the only sensible home for a rented US number. The moment an account starts selling, its payout details and its contact number need to belong to the same real person for as long as the account exists.

Mercari checks again when something changes

Both Mercaris lean on the phone number beyond signup. A sign-in from a new device, a change to payment details or activity their fraud systems do not like can bring back a request for a code to the number on file. That is ordinary account protection, but it is exactly when a lapsed rental turns into a locked account.

Update the number in account settings before the rental ends if the account is one you plan to keep. An account opened only to buy one item can simply be left alone once the item has arrived and been rated.

Buying from Japanese Mercari while living abroad

A large share of people asking about Mercari numbers live outside Japan and want Japanese listings: collectibles, fashion, games and anime goods. The domestic app is built for people with a Japanese address, a Japanese payment method and a Japanese phone number, and a rented number does not fix the address or the payment side.

Mercari has made its Japanese listings reachable from abroad through dedicated channels for overseas buyers, and long-standing proxy-buying services exist for the same purpose. Those routes handle the Japanese address and payment for you, which is usually a better answer than trying to run a domestic account from another country.

Anonymous shipping keeps personal details off the parcel

Both Mercaris offer shipping options that let a sale go through without buyer and seller exchanging home addresses or phone numbers directly, and both keep payment in the platform until the buyer confirms receipt. For buyers, that means a private phone number on the account does not get in the way of a normal purchase.

It also means there is no reason to hand a seller your personal number outside the app. Anyone who asks to move a Mercari deal to a private chat or a direct payment is taking it outside the protections the platform provides.

Installing Mercari and verifying the number

When the code does not arrive

In order of how often each one is the real cause:

1. The number is from the wrong country for this Mercari
   Mercari Japan wants a Japanese mobile number and Mercari US a US number. Match the number to the app you installed.
2. The number is refused as already registered
   Each number opens one account. Pick a different number rather than trying to recover this one.
3. The number was typed with the domestic leading zero
   After the +81 country code, a Japanese mobile starts 70, 80 or 90 — not 070, 080 or 090.
4. Several codes were requested in a row
   Wait before asking again. Repeated requests are slowed down and the newest code replaces the older ones.
5. Your connection is far from the number's country
   A Japanese number used from a connection on another continent looks unusual. Use a connection in or near the number's country where you can.
6. The app asked for identity documents
   That is for selling, payouts or payment features. It cannot be completed with a rented number; keep the account to buying.
7. A code request came back weeks after signup
   Mercari re-checks the number on new devices or unusual activity. If the rental has ended, change the number before that happens next time.
8. A seller asked to continue outside the app
   Decline. Deals moved off Mercari lose its payment protection, and requests for your number or a code are a common scam opener.

Working out which case you are in

1. Do you want Japanese listings or US listings? Yes Japanese: Mercari Japan with a Japanese number — or an overseas-buyer route if you live abroad. No US listings: Mercari US with a US number.
2. Will you sell or withdraw money on this account? Yes Use your own long-term number and identity; a rental is not suitable. No A rented number can cover a buyer account.
3. Do you live in the country of that Mercari? Yes A local buyer account works normally. No Consider an overseas-buyer channel instead of the domestic app.
4. Will you keep the account after this purchase? Yes Change the number in settings before the rental ends. No Finish the purchase and rating, then leave it.
5. Has a seller asked for your number or a code? Yes Refuse and report the listing. No Carry on inside the app.

Before you request another code

• Decide between Mercari Japan and Mercari US before anything else
• Use a number from the same country as that Mercari
• Enter the number in international form without the leading zero
• Request the code once and enter the latest one
• Use the account to buy, not to sell or cash out
• Keep all messages and payments inside the app
• Change the number in settings before the rental ends if you keep the account
• From abroad, compare an overseas-buyer route with the domestic app

Which kind of number to use

Checked 2026-09-28 by the FreeSmsOtp team. Prices, stock and delivery figures on this page are live and come from our own orders — how we measure.

Countries with Mercari numbers now

Refreshed every hour. How we measure delivery.

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