Are you having difficulties with getting paid on the Facebook Marketplace?
You’re not alone. Many are struggling to navigate their way around the Facebook Marketplace interface and don’t know how to ensure their transactions are secure.
Facebook offers several online payment methods, and you can opt for shipping or local pick-up at your home address.
By reading this article, you’ll learn how to get paid on Facebook Marketplace to make some extra cash, avoid getting scammed, and how to ship items.
Is Payment Guaranteed on Facebook Marketplace?
If you use the built-in purchase option that Facebook Marketplace offers, the payment is guaranteed.
Your transaction will automatically be eligible for Purchase Protection, which is designed to protect both the seller and the buyer.
Although there’s a 5% selling fee (min. $0.40 depending on price), it’s still worth it, as you can’t always trust an online buyer.
It also counts as seller tax. This works for shipping and checkout.
However, Purchase Protection won’t apply, and payment isn’t guaranteed if you opt for a third-party money transaction service such as Venmo or PayPal.
To guarantee payment and make interested buyers feel comfortable, it’s best to meet in person in a public place.
Meet in a well-lit location with people around to ensure your safety and ensure the buyer looks like the person from their profile photo.
This method has some distinct advantages:
- Potential buyers can inspect the item.
- You’ll get paid in cash.
- You can work out a fair price both are happy with.
- Clarify any doubts immediately.
- Harder to get scammed.
How Do People Pay Through Marketplace?
Items that are shipped or bought using the Buy Now option on the Facebook Marketplace listing can be paid online.
You can pay using Meta Pay if it’s available in your location. Facebook also supports credit cards, debit cards, and PayPal.
If you’re meeting in person in a local area, dropping the item off, or having the seller pick it up, the item can be paid for with cash.
You can also use a digital payment option like Cash App or Venmo or receive money through Messenger.
However, Facebook won’t provide Purchase Protection for these types of transactions.
What Payment Methods Are Approved for Facebook Marketplace?
The only official payment methods on Facebook Marketplace are credit or debit cards and PayPal. You can also use Meta Pay if you have registered your card through the service.
Both buyers and sellers must first register their preferred method by following these steps:
- Go to Facebook.
- Open the side menu and go to Settings.
- Select Payments.
- Select Facebook Pay.
- Select between debit/credit card and PayPal.
- Enter the information requested and save.
Credit Card
If your credit card issuer offers purchase protection, that can be a great advantage to make payments on the Facebook Marketplace even more secure.
Facebook accepts credit cards from the following payment networks:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
- Discover
Debit Card
Like with credit cards, the same payment networks are accepted.
Debit cards connect directly to your bank account, and they typically have lower fees than both credit cards and PayPal.
This makes debit cards an excellent payment method for receiving money from sales.
PayPal
Meta pays PayPal transaction fees, making PayPal a great option to buy or sell goods, just like on eBay. Transactions using PayPal provide additional purchase protection.
Note that if you use a different currency than the buyer, you’ll have to pay conversion fees to receive money.
What Is the Safest Way to Get Paid on Facebook Marketplace?
The safest payment method on the Facebook Marketplace is through the website itself. Facebook only provides Purchase Protection for these types of transactions.
All messages between you and the buyer should be exchanged through Messenger, as it’ll help you resolve disputes down the line.
Speaking of Messenger, sending and receiving payments through Messenger doesn’t count as buying within the Marketplace.
The same goes for Instagram. These methods aren’t eligible for Purchase Protection.
Receiving cash on collection by selling in person is also safe as long as you’re meeting in a public, well-lit environment during the daytime.
Another relatively safe way to receive payments is online payment methods like Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, etc.
These methods work relatively well, and some of these platforms even provide purchase protection.
You should avoid doing a wire transfer unless you’re doing it in person, possibly with witnesses.
Lastly, avoid cryptocurrencies, as they’re the hardest to trace and provide essentially zero protection.
Is It Safe to Accept PayPal for Facebook Marketplace?
If you’re using PayPal within the Facebook Marketplace, which means using the Facebook app’s checkout option and shipping the item, then it’s completely safe.
The buyer will pay the money through Facebook. You ship the item, enter the tracking number, and you’ll get the money.
However, if you opt to accept the payment through PayPal itself, then it’s not considered safe.
Also, don’t use the PayPal friends and family option, as you won’t be eligible for any commerce policies.
How to Get Paid on Facebook Marketplace
There are several ways to get paid, but the safest way to get paid is to ship the item and receive money through the Marketplace.
You can also opt for local pick-up and get paid online.
Do You Need a Bank Account for Facebook Marketplace?
You need a bank account or PayPal to receive payments through Facebook Marketplace.
However, if you’re not selling on Facebook Marketplace and shipping the item directly, you can get paid using alternative methods, such as cash.
How Do You Get Paid on Facebook Marketplace Without Shipping?
If potential buyers agree to meet in person, you can get paid in cash.
If you’re selling high-value items or suspect that the buyer is using fake cash, you could ask them to withdraw cash from an ATM and hand it over to you.
Alternatively, you could ask the buyer to transfer the money to you using a peer-to-peer app but ask them to do that while they’re still with you to ensure you won’t get scammed.
How to Ship and Get Paid on Facebook Marketplace
Here’s what the whole procedure looks like:
- Add a payment method to your Facebook account.
- Create a new listing. Describe the condition of the item and take photos. Add relevant keywords to the product title. If all sales are final, and you don’t do refunds, clearly state all details in the description.
- Arrange with the buyer who’s paying for the shipping. If you’re paying, the shipping cost will be deducted from the final sale. You may also be eligible for free shipping. Shipping is cheap if you’re selling smaller items like clothing, healthcare products, ingestible supplements, and electronics, whereas shipping a dining table can be pricey.
- When the buyer orders the item, ship it within 3 business days using USPS, FedEx, or UPS.
- Mark the order as shipped and add the tracking number to the order. If you don’t do this, you won’t receive the money.
You’ll receive the payment 15 days after the item has been marked as shipped or 5 days after the item has been received.
It may take a few days for the payment to be processed and added to your bank account.
How Not to Get Scammed on Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is notorious for scammers, and it can happen on both ends.
Some sellers receive money without shipping the order, and buyers like to do chargeback scams or lie about the product’s condition.
Luckily, there are ways to prevent it.
How to Not Get Scammed as a Buyer
As a buyer, it’s not that difficult to avoid getting scammed.
If the seller offers to move the communication off Messenger, stop the communication and report them to Facebook.
The same applies to links that take you off the website. Many of them are actually phishing links to fake websites.
As for payments, don’t use payment apps unless you’re meeting in person and can verify the condition of the product.
Go to a public place and inspect the item thoroughly before handing over cash or paying the seller through an app.
For items you order online, Facebook’s commerce policies will keep you protected from scammers. You’ll get your money back if the item isn’t as described or doesn’t arrive.
How to Not Get Scammed as a Seller
Avoiding scams as a seller is slightly more complicated, as there are plenty of different scams, such as:
- Overpayment: The buyer overpays by sending extra money using a check. The seller sends money back, and their “overpaid” check bounces because the buyer has non-sufficient funds.
- Chargeback: The scammer places an order, you ship it, they send the money, and then contact their bank for a refund, claiming you’ve been scammed. This is common with payment methods outside the Facebook Marketplace, but it can happen using official methods as well.
- Prepaid shipping: Unscrupulous buyers send a prepaid shipping label that you add to the package. They then change the shipping address and claim that they haven’t received the package.
- Fake cash: This isn’t common, but it can happen if you get paid with cash.
To avoid getting scammed, keep all communication on a Facebook messenger, take pictures before shipping the item and send them to the buyer, and only accept payments through the Facebook Marketplace.
If you’re selling in person, you can ask the buyer to withdraw from an ATM to avoid counterfeit money.
Wrapping Up
The Facebook Marketplace makes selling items safe and easy, but you have to keep all the communication on the Facebook app.
Although there’s a 5% selling fee, you’ll benefit from Facebook’s Purchase Protection.
If you decide to sell the item in person, meet the person in a public area and ask for cash.
Have you sold or bought anything on the Facebook Marketplace? How did it go? Let us know in the comments below!
Also, make sure to share this article with your friends that regularly use the Facebook Marketplace.
