What happens to Mercari balance when someone dies
Mercari publishes no process specific to a deceased person's account; a written request goes by mail.
Mercari decides what happens to Mercari balance after a death case by case; its terms promise no transfer.
Mercari publishes no process specific to a deceased person's account; a written request goes by mail to Mercari, PO Box 60178, Palo Alto, CA 94306. The request takes 6 documents. Mercari Support answers at 1-888-325-2168 (Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-6:00 PM PT).
How to request a transfer
- •Mercari receipt emails, bank statements showing Mercari direct deposits, and any Form 1099-K from Mercari
- •The account email, username and phone number on file, which Mercari uses to locate an account
- •The Help Center contact form
- •Phone at (888) 325-2168, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Pacific
- •Mail to Mercari, PO Box 60178, Palo Alto, CA 94306
- •The death certificate
- •Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, and the executor's government-issued photo ID
- •The account email or username, and a request that Mercari state what it requires to pay the balance to an estate rather than the account holder's own bank account
- •Wait for delivered orders to be rated. The buyer has 72 hours after delivery, and an automatic rating then releases the funds to the balance.
- •Tell Mercari which sold items cannot be shipped, and ask it to cancel and refund those orders.
- •Allow for refunds, chargebacks and shipping overages, which Mercari can deduct from the balance.
Required Documents
- Death certificate
- Letters testamentary or letters of administration: Or the equivalent order appointing you to act for the estate.
- Government-issued photo ID of the person making the request
- The account email address, username and phone number on file: The identifiers Mercari uses to locate an account, never the decedent's password.
- Evidence of the account and the balance from the decedent's own records: Mercari receipt emails, bank statements showing Mercari direct deposits, and any Form 1099-K issued by Mercari.
- Estate bank account details: if Mercari directs how it will pay the balance to the estate
What Mercari, Inc.'s terms say at death
- Section 21, Miscellaneous
“You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights under these Terms, in whole or in part, by operation of law or otherwise, without our prior written consent.”1
What Mercari, Inc. says happens8
- Who owns the asset
The earnings balance is the seller's own money from completed sales, held with Mercari and its bank, which do not pay interest on it.1
- Balances, payouts and refunds
The balance can be withdrawn only to a bank account, by Direct Deposit or Instant Pay, and Mercari does not dispense cash or issue checks as a method of withdrawal.1
Mercari makes commercially reasonable efforts to credit a seller's earnings balance within ten business days of receiving the settled payment proceeds, and transfers the balance to the seller's bank account at the seller's request.1
Mercari's payout article states that the account holder must use their own bank account to withdraw the balance, and each Mercari account can use only one bank account.2
A Direct Deposit request is processed the following business day; a receiving bank may reject the funds within 10 business days after processing, and a $2 non-refundable processing fee is then deducted.2
- Continuing a shop, channel or listing
Sale proceeds are released to the balance when the buyer rates the order, which the buyer has 72 hours after delivery to do, or when Mercari's automatic rating is applied.2, 1
The Terms make a seller responsible for refunds, chargebacks and shipping overages even after an account is closed, and Mercari can deduct those amounts from the balance.1
- How requests are reviewed
Mercari can hold a balance for up to 90 days, extendable to 180 days, while it reviews an account.1
- Inactive accounts and expiry
The Terms state that accounts that are abandoned or balances that are unclaimed are subject to state abandoned property regulations. An unclaimed balance escheats to the state, where the estate can later claim it through the state unclaimed-property office.1
- Closing the account
Mercari credits and coupons are promotional store credit that cannot be exchanged for cash or transferred to another person, and they become invalid and expire upon termination of the account.1
Mercari will not close an account that still has listed items, incomplete direct deposits, in-progress orders or a remaining balance.3, 4
A permanent closure request is submitted through Mercari's intake form, and Mercari processes it within 45 days.4
- Deletion and data retention
Some transaction records are retained for up to five years after account closure, because federal law requires a business that facilitates the transfer of money between consumers to keep them.4
- Disclosure of account content
Mercari runs a data access request process under state privacy laws with identity verification, which can take up to 45 days; requests can also be opened by emailing us-datarequest@mercari.com.5
The data access form is run by TrustArc, Mercari's privacy partner, and the download link expires three days after the email is sent.5
Not in Mercari's published guidance9
- A process for a deceased account holder
- How long a request takes
- A form for estate requests
- A complete list of the documents to send
- Whether a certified death certificate is required
- A path to refund a balance to the estate
- An estates department or estates email
- An expiry rule for the earnings balance
- Whether an executor may use the data access request process
Sources5
A written request to Mercari can ask it to preserve the account while the estate is opened, provide purchase and transaction records for the estate inventory, refund an unspent balance and close the account.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter for Mercari drafts that request from the estate's details.
Sources
Data sourced from Mercari, Inc. primary sources (6 pages reviewed). How we research.
Mercari estate claims
Mercari Support
Phone
Hours
Mailing address
Website
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: the probate petition, small estate affidavit, notice to creditors, inventory, and closing forms.
Affidavit of Death
Put a joint owner's or a transfer on death deed owner's death on the land records with the affidavit your state's statute names, laid out for recording.
IRS Form 56
Notify the IRS that you are the fiduciary of an estate, a trust or a person, or end a notice filed before, on the official form.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
Tools for Settling an Estate
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A step-by-step checklist for the days, weeks, and months after a death, with state rules noted where they apply.
