How to Sell on Facebook Marketplace in 2026

Facebook Marketplace reaches over 1 billion monthly users—and local pickup sales are completely free. No listing fees, no selling fees, no subscription costs. You keep 100% of your sale.

That makes it one of the best platforms for selling furniture, electronics, and anything too bulky or expensive to ship. But success requires more than posting a few photos and waiting. This guide covers everything: creating listings that sell, pricing strategies, safety practices, and how to spot scams before they cost you.

Getting Started on Facebook Marketplace

Requirements

• Active Facebook account in good standing
• Must be at least 18 years old
• US sellers reaching $500 in sales need to verify identity with SSN

Accessing Marketplace

Mobile: Tap the Marketplace icon in the bottom navigation bar (updated location as of December 2025)

Desktop: Click the Marketplace icon in the left sidebar of your Facebook homepage

Facebook Marketplace Fees

Local pickup sales: FREE — no fees whatsoever

Shipped items: 10% selling fee (minimum $0.80), calculated on total including shipping and tax. This doubled from 5% in April 2024.

Additional fees:

• $20 chargeback fee if a buyer disputes payment with their bank
• Payouts for shipped items: 5 days after delivery confirmation, plus 3-5 business days to reach your bank

Key change for 2025: Facebook discontinued prepaid shipping labels for most sellers in February 2025. You'll need to purchase labels through USPS, FedEx, or services like Pirate Ship.

What You Can (and Can't) Sell

Facebook Marketplace is exclusively for physical items. Services, digital products, and rentals are prohibited.

Prohibited Items

• Weapons, firearms, ammunition
• Alcohol, tobacco, vaping products
• Prescription and OTC medications
• Live animals
• Adult content
• Counterfeit goods
• Digital accounts, gift cards, cryptocurrency
• Used cosmetics (opened products)
• Professional services (cleaning, lessons, childcare)

Policy violations can result in listing removal, account restrictions, or permanent bans.

Creating Listings That Sell Fast

Photography Matters Most

Facebook allows up to 10 photos per listing (30MB max each). Use all of them—or at least 5-8.

Photo strategy:

1. First photo: Full item, straight-on view
2. Photos 2-4: Different angles showing depth and scale
3. Photos 5-7: Detail shots of features, brand labels, quality indicators
4. Photos 8-10: Any imperfections or wear (builds trust)

Lighting tips:

• Natural light near windows produces best results
• Avoid phone flash—causes glare and color distortion
• Cloudy days provide ideal, even lighting

Background matters:

• Clean, uncluttered backgrounds help items stand out
• Plain walls, garage doors, or simple backdrops work well
• For furniture, include scale reference with common objects

Pro tip: Testing across 1,300+ listings showed that real-environment staging delivers the highest engagement. Show items in use or styled with props to help buyers visualize them in their spaces.

Writing Titles That Get Clicks

Formula: Brand + Product Type + Style/Feature + Condition + Size/Specs

Examples:

• Good: "IKEA LINNMON White Desk – 47" – Great Condition"
• Bad: "Desk"

Title rules:

• Keep under 65 characters (excess gets cut off in buyer feeds)
• Use title case, not ALL CAPS
• Include specific details like model numbers
• Add relevant keywords buyers might search

Writing Descriptions That Convert

Effective descriptions are detailed but scannable.

Include:

• Dimensions (this saves constant back-and-forth)
• Color and material
• Condition with honest flaw disclosure
• Age and brand/model
• Original retail price (anchors value)
• Pickup logistics and payment methods accepted
• Clear terms ("No holds" or "First come, first served")

Format for readability:

• Use bullet points
• Keep paragraphs short
• Bold key details

Writing descriptions for multiple items? SellyGenie generates professional, Marketplace-ready descriptions from your photos in seconds. Upload, review, post.

Optimizing for Facebook's Algorithm

Facebook's algorithm considers relevance, user engagement, recency, and seller trust. The first 60-120 minutes after posting are critical.

Timing Your Listings

Best day: Thursday — gives buyers time to plan weekend pickups

Best time: Around 8:30 PM — evening posts outperform daytime

Staying Visible

• Refresh listings every 48 hours with small edits (change a word, adjust price by $1-2) to retrigger the algorithm
• Fully relist items every 7-10 days to maintain visibility
• Choose the most specific subcategory — miscategorized items won't appear in filtered searches
• Respond quickly to inquiries — the algorithm may favor responsive sellers

Top-Selling Categories

1. Furniture
2. Electronics
3. Clothing & accessories
4. Household items
5. Baby products

Pricing Strategies

Research First

Before pricing, search for comparable items on:

• Facebook Marketplace
• eBay (filter by "Sold" listings for actual transaction prices)
• Craigslist
• OfferUp

The 50% Rule

Baseline: Price items at half the original retail price for good condition, adjusting lower for wear or damage.

Exceptions:

• Quality brands (Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware): Can command 50-75% of retail
• Generic big-box furniture: Depreciates rapidly — expect much less

Building in Negotiation Room

Price 15-20% above your minimum acceptable price. If you want $70, list at $85.

This "price anchoring" lets buyers feel they've won when negotiating down to your target. State "Price Firm" only if you genuinely won't negotiate.

Quick Sale Pricing

For fast sales, price 15-20% below market and expect immediate interest.

Psychological pricing: $199 feels cheaper than $200.

Value anchoring: Include original retail price in your description ("Retail $250, asking $95, negotiable").

Common Pricing Mistakes

• Setting prices too low (creates overwhelming interest, leaves money on table)
• Pricing too high without research (items sit unsold)
• Forgetting the 10% fee on shipped items

Managing Buyer Communication

Responding to "Is this still available?"

This is Facebook's auto-generated prompt. Respond professionally rather than with frustration—it's how most conversations start.

Good response: "Yes, it's available! Here are the details: [specs]. I'm free for pickup [times]. Let me know if you have questions."

Handling Lowball Offers

Options:

1. Counter-offer: "The lowest I can go is $X"
2. Stay firm: "Thanks for the offer, but I'm firm at my price. It's a great item for $X."
3. Split the difference professionally
4. Disengage: You can exit without responding to extreme lowballs
5. Block persistent, rude, or harassing lowballers

Pro tip: For accepted lowball offers, require same-day pickup.

Completing Sales Safely

Local Pickup Safety

Where to meet:

• Police department "Safe Exchange Zones" with 24/7 video surveillance (check safetradestations.com)
• Shopping center parking lots
• Grocery store entrances
• Bank lobbies during business hours

Never:

• Invite strangers to your home
• Meet alone in isolated areas
• Meet after dark for high-value items

Safe Payment Methods

Best option: Cash — no fees, immediate payment. Count money before handing over items.

Digital alternatives:

• Venmo: Works, but toggle OFF "for purchases" to avoid buyer protection claims
• PayPal: Use "Friends and Family" for no fees (but no protection)
• Zelle: No buyer or seller protection — use cautiously

Never accept:

• Wire transfers
• Gift cards
• Personal checks
• Money orders
• Cryptocurrency

These are untraceable or reversible—scammer favorites.

Shipping Best Practices

When to offer shipping:

• High-value items where 10% fee is justified
• Rare items with limited local demand
• Items easy to pack and ship

Requirements:

• Ship within 3 business days of sale
• Delivery expected within 7 days
• Payment released 5 days after tracking confirms delivery

Common mistake: Weigh items after packaging, not before.

Facebook's Purchase Protection covers shipped items under $2,000 purchased through Facebook Checkout. Local pickup has no protection—another reason to use safe meeting locations and cash.

Scams Every Seller Must Recognize

1. Fake Payment Screenshots

Scammers show doctored images of payments that were never made. Never rely on screenshots—verify directly in your bank account or payment app.

Legitimate Zelle emails only come from @Zelle.com or @Zellepay.com domains.

2. Overpayment Scams

Buyer "accidentally" pays more than asking price, then requests you refund the difference before their original payment reverses.

Never refund until payment fully clears—which can take weeks for checks.

3. The Google Voice Scam

Buyer asks for your phone number to "verify you're real," then requests the verification code Google sends. This creates a fraudulent account in your name.

This is the most reported scam to identity theft organizations—60% of all scams reported to the Identity Theft Resource Center.

Never share verification codes with anyone. Legitimate buyers never need them.

4. Red Flags to Watch For

• Brand-new Facebook accounts with few friends
• Stock photos as profile pictures
• No Marketplace ratings
• Locations that don't match stated pickup areas
• Immediate interest in high-priced items
• Willingness to pay full price without questions
• Refusal to meet in public
• Requests to communicate off Messenger
• Aggressive or urgent behavior

When something feels wrong, trust your instincts and disengage.

Safety tip: Keep all communication on Messenger to create a record for any disputes.

Building Your Seller Reputation

Facebook's rating system uses 5-star reviews that become public after receiving 5+ ratings.

Aim for the Highly Rated Seller badge:

• Maintain 4-5 star ratings from 4+ reviews in 30 days
• Mark items as sold promptly (triggers rating requests)
• Respond quickly to inquiries
• Ensure descriptions accurately match products

Maximizing Visibility (Free)

• Cross-post to local buy/sell Facebook Groups — significantly expands reach at no cost
• Use keyword-rich titles matching what buyers actually search
• Add relevant product tags
• Include video (increases engagement substantially)
• Renew listings weekly

When to Use Boosting (Paid Promotion)

Consider boosting when:

• High-value items ($100+) where $5-10 ad spend is proportional
• Items sitting too long despite good photos and pricing

Skip boosting for:

• Low-value items
• Poor-quality listings that won't convert regardless
• Items with plenty of organic interest

Be aware: Boosting can attract spam messages and tire-kickers.

Category-Specific Tips

Furniture

• Include dimensions in every listing — saves constant back-and-forth
• Photograph hardware and construction details
• Offer delivery for a fee to differentiate from competitors
• List pieces separately rather than as sets (sells faster)

Electronics

• Test items before listing and be prepared to demonstrate at pickup
• Include model numbers, specifications, and accessories
• Bring fully charged devices to meetups
• Screenshot all settings before factory reset as proof of condition

Clothing

• Brand names matter significantly — designer and vintage pieces command premiums
• Create bundles (baby clothes bundles, accessory sets) rather than listing low-value individual items
• Include accurate sizing and measurements
• Use natural light to show true colors

Troubleshooting Removed Listings

Common reasons for removal:

• Prohibited items
• Brand name misuse in titles
• Misleading information
• Algorithm false positives on photos with text or labels
• Stock photos instead of actual product images
• Selling services instead of physical products

To appeal:

1. Go to Help & Support → Support Inbox
2. Find the removed listing
3. Click "Request Review"
4. Provide clear, professional explanation

Most reviews complete within 24-48 hours. You typically get one appeal chance—if it fails, relist with adjusted wording and photos.

Ready to Sell on Facebook Marketplace?

Success comes down to execution on fundamentals:

• Compelling photography with natural lighting and multiple angles
• Strategic pricing at roughly 50% of retail with negotiation room
• Thursday evening posts with weekly renewals
• Safe transaction practices — public locations, cash or verified payments, stay on Messenger

The platform's fee-free local sales model makes it uniquely valuable compared to alternatives that take 10-15% regardless. Start with lower-value items to build ratings, then scale up as your seller profile strengthens.

Skip the description writing hassle. SellyGenie transforms your photos into professional, Marketplace-ready listings in seconds.

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Frequently Asked Questions