Mercari Referral Program - How to Invite Friends

Mercari's referral program rewards both sides when an existing user brings in a new one. You share your personal invitation code, the new user enters it during sign-up, and each of you receives 500 points (worth 500 yen, as of August 2026) on Japan's biggest secondhand marketplace app. According to Mercari's official help center, the points are granted within 14 days after the invited user completes registration, not the instant they sign up. Once received, they are usable for purchases on Mercari or for Merpay payments, but they expire 30 days from the date you receive them, so use them promptly.

You can find your code in the app under My Page, in the invite-friends section that advertises the 500-point reward. Every user gets a unique alphanumeric code, and it is easy to share through social media or messaging apps, so inviting friends and family takes seconds.

During promotional periods the reward is sometimes boosted, with the usual 500 points rising to 1,000 or even 2,000. Timing your invitations to coincide with a boost makes the deal sweeter for both sides.

• Invite family members: Each family member who registers their own account earns you referral points
• Invite friends: Explain the benefits to friends who have not tried Mercari yet, then share your code
• Share on social media: Publishing your code on a blog or social account puts it in front of a wider audience
• Aim for campaign periods: Referring during a point-boost campaign earns more than usual

When you make the pitch, lead with Mercari's concrete benefits: unused stuff turns into cash, secondhand goods are cheap, and anonymous shipping keeps things safe. A code alone rarely convinces anyone; a code plus your own experience does.

Timing is the other lever. The moment someone is moving house or doing a big clear-out is when the pitch lands hardest. Tell them the things they were about to throw away can turn into money on Mercari, and the psychological barrier to signing up all but disappears.

Invitation codes can only be entered during sign-up. There is no way to add one after registration is complete, so tell the person you are inviting, clearly and in advance, to enter the code when they register. The entry field sits partway through the sign-up form and is easy to scroll past.

Also, each phone number can register exactly one account. A number that has been used on Mercari before may not count as a new registration, in which case no points are granted. Checking beforehand that the person is genuinely new to Mercari avoids disappointment on both sides.

Creating multiple accounts to refer yourself is banned by the terms of service, and getting caught can mean account suspension. Keep your referrals legitimate.

Points from the referral program can be spent on Mercari purchases or through Merpay. With 500 points you can effectively get items in Mercari's most popular categories - books, video games, small accessories - for free.

Points may carry an expiration date, so make a habit of using them soon after they arrive. Spent through Merpay at convenience stores and supermarkets, they cover everyday essentials, which means you will never struggle to find a use for them.

Keep referring people and you create a steady little stream of incoming points. The start of Japan's new school and work year in spring, along with the year-end season, are when the most people around you are still unregistered - prime time for efficient point earning.