What is Facebook Marketplace?

Facebook’s launch post, dated 3 October 2016, calls Marketplace a convenient destination to discover, buy and sell items with people in your community. It says the activity began in Facebook Groups, where more than 450 million people visited buy and sell groups each month.

The post describes how a buyer uses it: Marketplace opens with photos of items listed near you, you can search and filter by location, category or price, and you can tap an item to see its description, the seller’s name and profile photo and their general location. You then send the seller a message to say you are interested and make an offer.

For sellers, the post lists four steps: take or add a photo, enter a name, description and price, confirm the location and pick a category, then post. It says a listing can also go to a buy and sell group at the same time, and that a Your Items section keeps saved items, your listings and your messages.

The post is a snapshot from 2016. At launch it says Facebook did not facilitate payment or delivery in Marketplace, and that it was rolling out to people over 18 in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand on the iPhone and Android apps, with more countries and desktop to follow. Those details are old. The post itself points readers to the Help Center for current information.

Facebook’s Help Centre article “Who can use Facebook Marketplace” gives today’s eligibility: you must be an adult (for example at least 18 in the United States), live in a country where Marketplace is available, and be a consumer seller, because only consumer sellers may list items. It says Marketplace is available from the Facebook app for Android or iPhone, and that access can be restricted for a new or inactive account, an additional profile instead of your main one, or a breach of Facebook’s terms or Commerce Policies. We read nothing on fees or the country list, so check Facebook’s Help Centre and your own app for those.

A Marketplace listing is a way to be found by local buyers who are not following you. Buyers reach you by message, so a clear listing that answers the usual questions (size, condition, price, pick-up area) saves back-and-forth. Facebook’s Help Centre says only consumer sellers may list items on Marketplace, so check that a business can use it where you are before you rely on it.

Marketplace is separate from a Facebook Page’s comments and Messenger inbox. DMFast works with Facebook Pages and Instagram professional accounts, and Marketplace chats are not one of the things it automates.