The UK is really getting into the spirit of buying and selling used clothes – I’m one of the many who do it regularly.
As a result, various apps and online platforms have become available to list items you don’t need anymore and buy items from other people. Depop is one of these.
It’s a cool little brand name isn’t it?
However, I’m not being mean when I say that Depop hasn’t taken off in the same way some other platforms have. Their revenue has been up and down but hasn’t grown at anywhere near the same sort of rate as close competitor, Vinted. I think it is because they have quite a narrow user base by comparison, although that didn’t stop eBay buying Depop in July 2026 for $1.4 billion, so they can’t have been doing all that badly.
The platform focuses on quite trendy, unusual, or vintage items, and the condition is usually better too. You won’t get a battered pair of Converse on Depop, for example, but you might get a limited edition pair that still have the original box and have only been worn twice. According to their own information, around 90% of the people using the platform are under the age of 34… which is probably why I don’t use it as much as Vinted 😂👵
This means the platform isn’t as well known as some others, so when people first find it they might have questions about what it is and concerns about whether it is safe to use. There are new shopping apps popping up all the time aren’t there? Temu, for example. I didn’t trust that when I first found it.
Anyway, back to Depop. Let me explain what it is and why you should feel safe using it.
How Does it Work?
It was launched as a platform for buying and selling vintage items, but you can find all sorts of fashion on there these days. You can also find homeware, books, art, toys and a few other categories now, but the main focus is fashion.
This makes it nice and easy to browse because you simply choose between men’s, women’s, kids, or sale, and filter down what you are looking for from there.
You can also search for specific brands, items under a certain amount, you can shop by specific styles and trends, or even browse Depop’s favourite items of the week to find inspiration. The website is great.
Anyone using the website or the app will be doing so to buy or to sell, so I’ll walk you through the process for both individually.
Selling
If you have clothes/shoes/handbags etc. to sell, it really is very easy to get them listed on Depop – you can do it all from your phone. I won’t take you through the sign up process because you’re not 95 years old and I’m sure you can manage it, so let’s get straight to the listings.
Get the items laid out on a plain attractive background that helps them stand out, and try to use natural lighting if possible when taking the photos. Hit the Sell Now button at the top of the page and you will be taken to the selling screen.
It will look like this:
I have uploaded a picture of some jeans to sell as an example.
All you need to do is add a selection of pictures, then a short description – it really doesn’t have to be long – and fill in the various fields it asks you about. I couldn’t fit them all in the screenshot but it’s just things like the brand, style, colour etc.
At the end you will come to the delivery options:
I use Evri because, despite the reputation for losing everything, I have never had an issue with them and it’s just easy. You can choose to boost your item at this point too, but it costs 12% of the sale price so it might not be worth it. You can always do this later if your item isn’t getting much interest.
When it sells, Depop will email you an Evri QR code and a label to print off and attach to your parcel – you can pick which one to use. Then, all you need to do is package it up and drop it off at the nearest delivery spot. It will be a local newsagent or something, there are three near me so you shouldn’t struggle.
Once the parcel arrives, Depop will release your money a few days later. Easy peasy! 💰
Buying
If you want to buy something, you can either buy it for the price it is listed at or make a (sensible) offer. I usually make an offer of 5%-10% below asking unless it’s something really cheap, just because it’s nice to feel like you are getting a bit of a discount isn’t it? Sellers will often accept if you aren’t too cheeky, especially if they are private sellers as opposed to people making a living on there.
You can add things to your basket too and buy them all at once, but I never do that.
Here’s a Timberland jacket I’m going to buy for my fella and force him to wear:
I’m not going to haggle over a fiver, so I would just hit the black Buy Now button, and it would take me to the purchase screen which you can see in the section below where I discuss fees.
Now I can see the total cost including delivery, choose my payment method, and confirm the purchase.
That’s it. The seller will get it shipped out and I’ll have it in a few days.
Some people might worry that the seller, samyhace (the cat photo) doesn’t have any stars which means they are new to the platform, or at least haven’t used it much. I’m not worried about that as Depop has a protection program, and it’s not a lot of money. You can click on a sellers’ profile and view their other items though, and follow them if they seem like an active seller with some cool stuff. It’s fine to ask any questions about the item too if you have them.
You know, like, “has the cat in your profile picture been sleeping on this coat because my partner is allergic” 😂🤧
Fees
Aside from a payment processing charge, it’s free to sell on Depop.
Depop used to have a 10% selling fee, but with Vinted not charging sellers fees they had to rethink in order to compete.
From March 2024, they announced they were changing their fee structure to make it free for sellers, so happy days if you want to sell clothes online via Depop. Instead, buyers pay a small additional fee on top of the purchase price of their item.
Here are the fees on Depop:
- Up to 5% of the item purchase price + up to £1 fixed fee (buyers only)
- 2.9% + 30p payment processing charge (sellers only)
- Fees for optional extras like boosting
It’s not clear how they work out the buyers fees, but I think it’s based on how expensive the item is, with lower percentages for more expensive items. That’s a guess, but an educated one.
The image above shows a dress for £20 and a marketplace fee of £1.70, which is 8.5% of the purchase price. I also looked at some Primark monstrosity for £1.00 and that came with a 75p marketplace fee, which is 75% of the purchase price! I looked at a much nicer dress for £115 with a marketplace fee of £6.45 which is only 5.6%. An £800 dress had a 5% marketplace fee and so did a Vivienne Westwood wedding dress at £4,300, so that seems to be the lowest percentage Depop charge, but there is a minimum fee of 80p regardless of how cheap it is.
So I think the research bears my theory out – it’s basically the same model as Vinted.
Is it Safe or a Scam?
It’s certainly not a scam. Depop is a UK based business that has been running since 2011, and it has 35 million users worldwide, with 7 million active buyers and over 3 million active sellers.
As for safety, well it’s as safe as any other online platform where you might make a purchase.
What I mean by that is so long as you stick to paying via the platform itself and don’t get persuaded to take a sale or purchase off app, you should be alright.
I have used Depop a few times as a buyer (I prefer Vinted to be honest) and never had a problem. That doesn’t mean scams don’t happen but that is true of everywhere else too. Plus, if you did end up the victim of a scammer you can use Depop’s Protection Program to get your money back. They are available around the clock.
Basically, if you are happy to buy from eBay then you should be happy to buy from Depop.
Who is it For?
Depop is for anyone, although the company recognise their audience tends to be the younger generation. They call themselves a place where Gen-Z can discover new fashion.
The reason for this is Depop is a bit like a social media platform as well as an online marketplace. If people could sell the things they posted on Instagram, it would basically be Depop. Sellers can follow each other and interact over DM, you can follow shops too and like items or bookmark them, the difference being that one is for the algorithm the other is for you.
The algorithm learns the sorts of things you like and shows you more of them, just like on a social media platform. It might also suggest items based on your history, or let you know that one of your favourite sellers has new stock.
Anyone can sell on the platform but it attracts people who take it more seriously and use it as a job or a side hustle. The photos tend to look more professional, for example, and the site design looks like a regular clothes shop at first glance – you wouldn’t necessarily know it was second hand items right away.
This all appeals to a younger, fashion conscious generation, for whom social status is still important.
Not old Mums like me who just want a cheap hoodie so they don’t have to bother washing the curry stains out of the one they are wearing 😆🤭
I’m kidding, I still use Depop sometimes, and I will definitely get the Vanish out and go to work on that curry stain!