Depop

Is Depop safe?

Depop is safe to buy from as long as you never pay outside the app. Pay with the Buy button and Depop Protection refunds you in full if the item does not arrive, arrives damaged or is significantly not as described. The weaker side is privacy: Depop's App Store label lists more data used to track you than almost any shopping app we have scored. We give it 50/100, one point below Whatnot (51) and below PayPal (55).

Depop changed owner in 2026. Etsy, which bought it in 2021, completed its sale to eBay on 30 July 2026 for about $1.4 billion, after the UK's Competition and Markets Authority cleared the deal on 15 July. Depop says nothing changes for users for now, and accounts are not being merged with eBay.

How Depop Protection works

The cover applies in the UK, the US and Australia when you check out on Depop and pay through Depop Payments, by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Klarna. You must report a problem within 30 days of the purchase date. The refund covers the price, shipping, fees and taxes.

What is not covered matters more, because that is where scams live. If you pay a seller directly by PayPal, Venmo or bank transfer outside the app, or meet in person to pay, Depop Protection does not apply. Even inside the scheme, Depop says the programme is not insurance and that it decides claims at its sole discretion. A seller who offers a discount for paying "off app" is asking you to give up your protection. Lost parcels are also hard to claim when tracking shows delivery to your address.

For pricier branded items, ask the seller for proof of authenticity and more photos before buying. Depop's rules ban counterfeits, and a fake counts as significantly not as described, but the claim still rests on your evidence.

What data does Depop collect?

This is the weakest part. Apple's label for Depop lists ten categories of data that may be used to track you across other companies' apps and websites: purchases, location, contact info, user content, search history, browsing history, identifiers, usage data, diagnostics and other data. For third-party advertising, it links your purchase history, name, address, email and phone number to you.

The privacy policy, in force since 3 September 2023, says Depop shows you ads on other websites using cookies and shares data with advertising partners, with consent where the law requires it. It names TikTok, Snapchat and Google as platforms it may share information with, to target Depop users there and people who look like them. To opt out of that sharing you email [email protected]. Compare eBay, whose label has no tracking section.

On an iPhone, deny tracking when the app asks, or turn it off under Settings, Privacy and Security, Tracking. In the EU and UK, reject advertising cookies on the website.

Is Depop safe for teenagers?

Depop lets people sign up at 13, and much of its audience is young. Under-18s cannot use Depop Payments or PayPal, so they need a parent to buy or sell, and Depop may ask for ID to verify a payments account. Its child safety policy bans sexualised content involving minors and says Depop reports such material and works with NCMEC, the Internet Watch Foundation and the Tech Coalition.

The practical risks for a teenager are messages that move the chat to Instagram or WhatsApp, requests for a phone number, and buyers asking for modelled photos of clothes. Depop's own advice is to keep all messages in the app and never share personal contact details.

How secure is a Depop account?

Two-factorTwo-factor authenticationSigning in with a second proof of identity on top of your password, such as a code from an app, a security key or a passkey.More in the glossary login exists but is optional, and it sends a six-digit code by text message, which is weaker than an authenticator app or passkeyPasskeyA way to sign in without a password. Your device holds a key tied to one website or app and unlocks it with your fingerprint, face or PIN.More in the glossary. You can only turn it on or off in the mobile app, and you get a 12-character recovery code that you should store in a password manager. Card payments go through Stripe. We found no reported breach of Depop user data.

How to use Depop safely

1. Turn on two-factorTwo-factor authenticationSigning in with a second proof of identity on top of your password, such as a code from an app, a security key or a passkey.More in the glossary login in My Depop, My account, and save the recovery code.
2. Pay only with the Buy button. Refuse any request to pay by PayPal, bank transfer or Cash App.
3. Keep every message in the Depop app so support can see them in a dispute.
4. Ask for extra photos and proof of authenticity before paying for designer items.
5. Report a problem well inside the 30-day window.

How we scored it

Privacy (33) pulls the score down: Depop declares more tracking than most apps on our list. Security (55) is middling, with only optional SMS two-factorTwo-factor authenticationSigning in with a second proof of identity on top of your password, such as a code from an app, a security key or a passkey.More in the glossary login. The regulatory record (88) is the strongest factor, since we found no fine or order, only a fee class action that remains an allegation and counts only as context. A February 2026 US suit, Dinh v. Depop, alleges the marketplace fee was not shown until checkout.