There are a few potential reasons why the Buy Now button may be greyed out and unable to be clicked on Marketplace listings:
The item is out of stock
If the seller has run out of inventory for that particular listing, Marketplace will automatically grey out the Buy Now button to prevent customers from purchasing an item that is no longer available. This is one of the most common reasons you may see a greyed out Buy Now button.
The listing has expired
Listings on Marketplace are usually set to auto-renew every 30 days unless the seller chooses a different duration. If the auto-renew period has passed and the seller hasn’t renewed the listing, it will expire and the Buy Now button will become inactive. Sellers can choose to relist the item to make it available for purchase again.
The item is unavailable for shipping
Some Marketplace sellers restrict where they will ship items. If the item is unable to be shipped to your location, the Buy Now button will be greyed out. You may want to contact the seller to ask if they are willing to ship to your area.
The price is being updated
When a Marketplace seller edits the price of an existing listing, there is a short period where the Buy Now button will be temporarily disabled while the new price populates. This usually only lasts a few minutes.
The listing has been paused
Sellers have the option to temporarily pause listings if they need to take a break from sales or manage inventory. A paused listing will show an inactive Buy Now button until the seller resumes it.
There is a minimum required purchase
Some sellers set a minimum purchase amount for listings to account for shipping costs or other requirements. If the current listing price is below that threshold, the Buy Now button cannot be used until other qualifying items are added to meet the minimum purchase.
The listing is pending approval
Newly created listings require approval by Marketplace before going fully live. Listings waiting for approval will show an inactive Buy Now button until the seller receives confirmation that it has been reviewed and activated by Marketplace.
The listing has been reported
Listings that receive policy violation reports from customers are automatically deactivated during investigation. The listing and Buy Now button will remain inactive until the issue has been resolved by the seller or Marketplace admin.
The listing is restricted
Sellers have the option to hide listings from public view, allowing access only to specific customers with a shared link. Restricted listings will show an inactive Buy Now button to anyone not authorized to view.
There is an incompatible discount
If the seller has set up automatic discounts that conflict with each other, it can sometimes cause issues with the Buy Now button. The seller will need to correct the conflicting discount rules to reactivate the button.
The item is out for delivery
Once an order has been placed for a Marketplace item, the quantity available for sale will decrease. If the remaining quantity reaches zero while the initial order is out for delivery, the Buy Now button will become inactive until that delivery is completed.
The seller’s account is on hold
If there are outstanding policy issues or concerns with a seller’s account, Marketplace may temporarily place the account on hold, restricting all buying and selling capabilities. This will grey out the Buy Now button until the account hold is removed.
There’s a technical error
In rare cases, a simple technical glitch or bug could cause the Buy Now button to malfunction and appear greyed out. Usually refreshing the page or clearing cached files fixes any temporary display issues.
The item is unavailable for pickup
Local pickup needs to be enabled by the seller for each listing. If local pickup is disabled, the Buy Now button will be inactive for customers attempting to purchase for in-person retrieval.
The seller has disabled purchases
Sellers have the ability to completely disable all purchasing capabilities for select listings or their entire account. If a seller has voluntarily disabled the Buy Now option, it will remain inactive until they choose to re-enable purchasing.
You’re not logged into your account
In order to complete a purchase on Marketplace, you need to be logged into an account. If you are browsing listings while signed out, the Buy Now buttons will appear greyed out until you sign in.
Troubleshooting tips
If you come across a greyed out Buy Now button, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Refresh the page – this can resolve temporary glitches
- Clear your browser cache – fix display issues
- Check your internet connection
- Make sure you’re logged into your account
- Contact the seller for details
- Try accessing the listing from a different device
- Use a different web browser
What to do if the Buy Now button remains inactive
If you still see an inactive Buy Now option after troubleshooting, consider the following next steps:
Wait a while and check back
If the listing was recently created, expired, reported or on hold – wait an hour or so for the Marketplace admin and seller to resolve any pending issues. The Buy Now button may simply need some time to be reactivated.
Ask the seller
Reach out to the seller through the listing message system and inquire about the inactive Buy Now button. They will be able to provide details on why the option is greyed out, and when it may become purchasable again.
Report the listing
If the inactive Buy Now button seems to be a persistent error, you can use the Report option to notify Marketplace of an issue needing admin attention. This can help speed up resolution.
Wait for the item to be relisted
If the listing has expired, is out of stock, or pending renewal from the seller – keep an eye on their storefront for when they relist the item with an active Buy Now option again.
Find a similar listing
You may need to search for an alternative listing from a different seller if the one you are interested in remains unavailable to purchase from for an extended period of time.
Why Marketplace disables the Buy Now feature
Marketplace intentionally disables the Buy Now button under certain circumstances to improve the customer experience, protect sellers, and minimize conflicts. Here are some reasons why:
Maintain purchase limits
By greying out the button when inventory runs out, it ensures customers don’t overpurchase unavailable quantities.
Prevent expired sales
Expiring and pausing inactive listings protects sellers from accidental purchases on closed accounts or items no longer maintained.
Hold orders during updates
Temporarily disabling the button during price changes or additions prevents mismatches between listings and carts.
Block purchases of prohibited items
Reporting listings disables sales of potentially dangerous, fraudulent, or policy breaking products.
Provide purchase protection
Requiring approval, minimums, and logging in shields against unauthorized access and use of payment accounts.
Limit accessibility
Restricting and hiding listings allows sellers to control which customers view and purchase select inventory.
Conclusion
A greyed out and inactive Buy Now button generally indicates a listing is temporarily or permanently unavailable for purchase. The most common causes are expired listings, out of stock inventory, account holds, and pending approval statuses. While frustrating, disabled purchase capabilities protect buyers and sellers alike from potential conflicts. Trying standard troubleshooting tips like refreshing the page or contacting the seller can help resolve many inactive button issues quickly. For ongoing problems, waiting, reporting to admin, or finding alternative listings are the best options.