A new Facebook shipping service launched in the UK, with Money Saving Expert (MSE) the first to report it last week. “Facebook told MSE the move will give buyers more choice, while enabling sellers to reach more people as many currently rely on in-person collection or delivery,” the reporter Sophie King wrote.
Facebook had signaled the news last month in a post celebrating the 5-year anniversary of Facebook Marketplace. In the post, Facebook announced it was adding more features to help people shop more “affordably, easily and responsibly” ahead of the holidays. It said Facebook shipping, which was already available within Buy and Sell Groups in the US, was rolling out in the UK for person-to-person, non-professional sales. “Shipping allows sellers to offer their items beyond their local area,” it wrote.
It also stated, “With shipping, sellers can reach even more buyers, and shoppers can browse for items near and far, and purchase using Facebook Pay. Plus, many purchases made with checkout on Facebook are covered by Purchase Protection.”
Most people think of Facebook Marketplace as a Craigslist-like service with local pickup only, but Facebook has offered a variety of options for sellers for quite some time, as we described in this 2019 EcommerceBytes article.
UK sellers who choose to use the new Facebook shipping have 3 business days to ship the item when they receive an order through Marketplace checkout. They must use a mailing service from Royal Mail, Hermes, Yodel, or DPD – one that ensures delivery within 10 business days. Tracking and delivery confirmation are a must – and sellers must enter the tracking info immediately. “In order to get paid, you must mark your item as shipped and enter a tracking number.”
Items eligible for Facebook shipping in the UK are items priced between £1 and £500; The item can be new or used, and the seller must include an accurate condition in the listing. The service is limited to the following categories:
Antiques and collectibles. (not covered by Purchase Protection)
Appliances.
Arts and crafts.
Auto parts.
Baby and kids.
Bags and luggage.
Books, movies and music (no digital sales allowed, only real items for sale).
Clothing and shoes.
Electronics and computers.
Furniture.
Garden.
Health and beauty.
Household.
Jewelry and accessories.
Mobile phones.
Musical instruments.
Pet supplies.
Sports and outdoors.
Tools.
Toys and games.
Video games.
Furniture.
Note that a page set up to explain Facebook Shipping for UK sellers auto-detected we were from the US and redirected us to a page describing Facebook delivery and checkout for the US site. However, a Facebook spokesperson provided us with the information above for UK sellers.
In the UK, the buyer or seller pays shipping, and the seller pays a 2% fee of total costs. (In the US, sellers pay a 5% fee.)
Facebook Marketplace is visited by over 1 billion people globally each month, according to the company.
