August 5, 2026, 11:41 a.m. (JST)
[Japan] Mercari (Tokyo, Japan) has released its “Transparency Report on Safety and Security Initiatives: First Half of 2026.”
With the aim of promoting various measures while ensuring transparency, the report discloses the progress of initiatives based on the “thorough elimination” of fraudsters and the “thorough protection” of users.
By steadily advancing these initiatives—the “thorough elimination” of fraud users and the “thorough protection” of users—and building a safe and secure trading environment, the rate of transaction-related inquiries reached a record low of 0.35%.Additionally, the compensation rate under the Full Compensation Support Program stood at 99.5%, with compensation provided in the vast majority of eligible transactions; the time required to complete compensation has also been reduced to approximately 1.5 times faster compared to the same period last year (First Half of 2025: 51.4 hours → First Half of 2026: 35.3 hours).
Regarding the “thorough elimination” of fraud, strengthened identity verification has increased the proportion of transactions conducted by verified customers to 79%.In addition, the company has promoted FIDO and passkey authentication at login, resulting in an increase in the number of registered users to 13.63 million. Furthermore, by strengthening AI-powered fraud monitoring, the company restricted access to approximately 510,000 fraudulent accounts in the first half of 2026.
In the first half of 2026, the “Anshin Appraisal” service reached a record-high of approximately 110,000 appraisals, marking a roughly threefold increase compared to the same period the previous year.The number of brands eligible for authentication expanded to 149. Furthermore, through AI-powered monitoring and response, approximately 29.23 million products were removed for violating terms of service during the first half of 2026.
As part of its commitment to “thorough consumer protection,” the time required from product arrival at the return center to compensation was reduced by approximately 1.5 times (first half of 2025: 51.4 hours → first half of 2026: 35.3 hours), and the percentage of cases compensated within 48 hours of arrival increased to 92.6% (first half of 2025: 40.1%). The company also launched an anonymous return feature (March 2026) and an early receipt of sales proceeds feature (April 2026).
To strengthen identity verification via eKYC, we made eKYC mandatory for high-value transactions and implemented measures to encourage users who had not yet completed verification to do so; as a result, the percentage of transactions conducted by verified users reached 79% (second half of 2025: 78%).
The company promotes proper use by informing users of the terms of service, including prohibited items, and takes action—such as removing listings or issuing warnings—when listings that violate the terms are identified. In the first half of 2026, approximately 510,000 fraudulent accounts were restricted, and approximately 29.23 million items were deleted or made private.
Furthermore, we are strengthening measures against counterfeit and imitation goods through our in-house “Mercari Authentication Center.” In the first half of 2026, the “Anshin Authentication” service reached a record high of approximately 110,000 authentications, marking a roughly threefold increase compared to the same period the previous year. The number of brands eligible for authentication expanded to 149.
The company has centralized the collection, verification, and investigation of items at its in-house “Product Recovery Center” to expedite compensation procedures. Of the items received at the Recovery Center, compensation was provided for 99.5%*3, and 92.6% of compensation cases were completed within 48 hours of arrival.
In May 2026, the company implemented measures—including listing bans—for products that could potentially compromise “safety and security” on the marketplace.We imposed a temporary ban on listings of McDonald’s Japan Happy Meal toys (currently lifted) and conducted investigations and took appropriate actions regarding the nicotine-containing e-cigarette “Nicopuff” in accordance with our terms of service and guidelines.
In addition, when law enforcement agencies request the disclosure of user information in accordance with the law, we disclose only the minimum necessary information, provided that the disclosure meets the criteria of reasonableness, legality, necessity, and proportionality in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.In the first half of 2026, the number of inquiries related to criminal investigations totaled 3,438 (1,583 cases where information was disclosed and 1,855 cases where it was not disclosed), and there were 29 cases involving responses to warrants.Furthermore, in recognition of our efforts to prevent the resale of stolen goods—including the sharing of information on counterfeit goods and the monitoring of suspicious transactions—we were awarded a certificate of appreciation on June 5, 2026, by the Japan Shoplifting Prevention System Association. (paymentnavi Editorial Team)
