Facebook Marketplace is a feature within Facebook that allows users to buy and sell items directly on the platform. Marketplace has grown rapidly in popularity since its launch in 2016, with over 1 billion users visiting each month. Many small business owners are interested in using Marketplace to reach Facebook’s massive audience and boost sales. However, Facebook has rules in place regarding what types of items can be sold. So can you actually use Marketplace to sell products from your business? Let’s take a look at the details.
Facebook’s rules for selling on Marketplace
Facebook outlines clear policies regarding what can and cannot be sold on Marketplace. Their main rule is that Marketplace is meant for occasional personal sales, not commercial activity. More specifically:
- You cannot list an item more than once per category.
- You cannot list an item in more than one category.
- You cannot list more than 100 items for sale total across all categories.
- You cannot ship items – all transactions must be local pickups.
- You cannot sell gift cards or vouchers.
- You cannot accept payments outside of Facebook Pay for items.
Facebook also prohibits the sale of certain categories of items, including:
- Illegal, prescription, or recreational drugs
- Alcohol or tobacco
- Weapons, ammunition, or explosives
- Live animals
- Sexual or adult items
- Hazardous materials
- Stolen property
Facebook notes that Marketplace is meant for “everyday” items from your life that you are looking to sell. This means used personal belongings like furniture, clothing, shoes, accessories, home decor, toys, books, vintage items, and similar goods. Their commerce policies specifically state that Marketplace may not be used for “commercial activity,” which includes frequently selling new items or large quantities of the same item.
What counts as commercial activity?
Facebook provides additional details on what counts as prohibited commercial activity:
- Listing new items with tags still attached from a wholesaler, retailer or manufacturer
- Listing large quantities of the same new item, especially when the quantity exceeds what would reasonably be owned for personal use
- Listing new items without a personalized description
- Using a shipping service to send items, especially on a regular or large scale
- Coordinating item pickup or drop off at stores or parking lots
- A Facebook page promoting a Marketplace selling account or store
Facebook also says its systems proactively seek out and stop accounts engaged in selling practices that violate their commerce policies. This means you may be blocked from listing items or even have your account disabled if you try to sell business inventory on Marketplace.
Are occasional sales of handmade or secondhand goods allowed?
Facebook does carve out a small exception for people who make or resell goods on an occasional basis. They state: “If you’ve handmade or sourced secondhand goods and list them on occasion, that may be permitted.” However, they caution that you still may not list new items in bulk from a business.
For handmade goods, it seems that occasionally listing products you personally made one at a time is allowed. You should ensure any posts are personalized with descriptions that do not look mass-produced. This likely only provides a small opportunity for crafters or home-based artisans, not full production businesses.
As for reselling secondhand goods, you can likely list items you personally obtained, used, and are reselling as a one-off. But sourcing large quantities of items secondhand with the intent to immediately relist them on Marketplace crosses into prohibited commercial activity. Additionally, dropshipping items directly from a wholesaler would also violate their policies.
Are recurring sales of homemade food allowed?
Facebook has provided special guidance regarding homemade food items. They acknowledge that in many locations, food regulations permit the production of food in home kitchens to then sell directly to customers. As such, they do allow recurring sales of “home-cooked meals, home-baked goods, and home-canned items” on Marketplace.
However, you still need to follow their broader rules. This means listing individual food items one at a time with unique descriptions, coordinating pickups rather than shipments, and not promoting your Marketplace account externally as a food business.
Can service providers list their services?
No – Facebook explicitly prohibits using Marketplace to advertise or sell services. Their prohibited services include childcare, cleaning, taxi/driving services, home repair, beauty services, health/wellness services, tutoring, and more. So you cannot create posts offering your professional services, even as a side business or freelancer. Listing services also constitutes prohibited commercial activity.
Are there any other options for selling business items through Facebook?
If you want to sell business inventory, products, or services through Facebook, you will need to explore options beyond Marketplace. Here are some alternatives:
- Create a Facebook Shop – This allows you to sell goods directly through your business Page or Instagram profile.
- Boost posts promoting your products – You can run ads targeting local audiences to drive traffic to your online shop.
- Join Facebook selling groups – Search for local groups created specifically for small business owners to advertise goods and services.
- List on Facebook Classifieds – This is Facebook’s separate classifieds platform just for commercial sellers.
- Tag business products in posts and stories – Organically showcase items you have available for interested buyers to inquire.
- Advertise in Facebook or Instagram Ads – You can promote your business more broadly by investing in ad campaigns.
Can my Facebook business page share Marketplace posts?
Facebook does not allow business pages or profiles to share, repost, or cross-post Marketplace listings. Your business account can only interact with items posted through your personal profile. So attempting to “share” Marketplace listings via your business page to gain more visibility is prohibited. Facebook monitors accounts for this type of activity and may disable your ability to sell items if violated.
Do Facebook’s rules differ for individual categories?
Facebook tries to keep their selling rules and restrictions consistent across all Marketplace categories. However, they do impose some additional guidelines for certain categories prone to policy violations:
Electronics:
- Prohibits dropshipping items directly from wholesalers
- Limits posts to 1 of the same new electronic item every 7 days
- Limits posts of phones, tablets, and laptops to 5 units per device model every 30 days
Home & Garden:
- Allows recurring sales of handmade home goods like soap, candles, etc.
- Prohibits dropshipping newly manufactured furniture
- Limits sale of large appliances to 1 unit per household unit
Vehicles:
- Prohibits listing the same vehicle more than once within 7 days
- Limits sale of ATVs, snowmobiles, golf carts, and similar recreational vehicles to 2 units per year
- Limits sale of cars, trucks, and motorcycles to 5 units per year
Keep these category-specific restrictions in mind if selling certain types of goods on Marketplace that may have tighter policies. Listing limits help restrict obviously commercial activity.
Can I get banned from Marketplace for violating the rules?
Yes, Facebook will impose consequences if you do not follow their commerce policies for Marketplace. Here’s what may happen:
- Listings removed – Any prohibited listings will be taken down.
- Limits placed – Restrictions may be imposed on how many items you can list or categories you can access.
- Posting ability disabled – You may temporarily or permanently lose the ability to create any new posts.
- Account disabled – In serious or repeat violations, your entire account can be disabled.
It’s important to keep your Marketplace activities within their guidelines. If your account is restricted or banned, the appeals process is often difficult. Avoid prohibited sales tactics from the start.
Should I reach out to Facebook about my business selling plans?
If it’s unclear how Facebook’s policies apply to your specific business and selling approach, it may be wise to directly reach out to them for clarification before proceeding. You can submit inquiries through the following channels:
- Help Community – Post questions to get input from Facebook’s policy team and other users.
- Appeals – If your account has been restricted, you can submit an appeal for review.
- Ads Support – Get guidance for Ads or Shops accounts.
- Commerce Support – Ask commerce policy-related questions.
Descriptively explain your business, inventory, production/sourcing details, and planned selling approach on Marketplace. While Facebook likely will not pre-approve plans, they can provide guidance on whether it aligns with their policies or flags any violations.
Conclusion
Selling new products or services from your business directly on Facebook Marketplace is prohibited according to their commerce policies. Occasionally listing used and vintage personal items or handmade goods seems to be allowed, but recurring bulk listings of new merchandise is considered commercial activity. Violating these rules could get you banned. If you want to leverage Facebook to sell business items, explore alternative options like Shops, ads, or Groups instead.