Therese
Are you ready to take the next step in your Facebook Marketplace journey and start offering shipping? If you have been flipping furniture and clothes locally through the local pickup option, shipping can seem a bit daunting. Weighing and packing orders, plus dealing with lost packages and returns sounds nightmarish for those new to ecommerce shipping.
Facebook Marketplace knows this, so they really made the shipping option on the platform as easy as they come. You can be up and shipping your products cross-country right away!
A whole new set of customers, and income, awaits those who can learn to ship orders in this amazing sales channel.
I call Facebook Marketplace amazing, because of the sheer amount of customers who can see your listings if you offer shipping. I personally have incredible success on this platform, and you can too if you learn to ship!
If you are new to this selling platform, check out the Selling on Facebook Marketplace for Beginners Course at Ecommerce Empowerment.
If you are already selling locally on Marketplace and want to learn to ship, read on!
How To Set Up Shipping On Facebook Marketplace
To make a listing with shipping, you will need to do the following:
Go to Marketplace and click Create New Listing, then within the choose listing type, select Item for Sale. Enter your item photos, description and details.
When you see the dropdown to select a Category, you will notice some say “Shipping Available.”
You will need to select one of these categories that has the shipping available description in order to offer it.
Click Next, then click Shipping. If you don’t see Shipping, you may not be eligible to sell shipped items, or the item category you selected may not be shippable.
Next, choose a shipping method. You can use your own shipping label and enter the tracking information or use a prepaid label you purchase directly through Marketplace.
If you purchase your label through Marketplace, you will see a range of weights under the Package Details dropdown that are based on your shipment’s total weight.
Once you select your package weight, you will see the the price of the shipping in the Shipping Carrier dropdown menu. For most smaller size packages, USPS will be the most cost effective, albeit slower, carrier.
When you receive an order with shipping and checkout, you will be given 3 business days to ship your items. It will pay to ship it out as soon as possible, longer shipping and handling times will result in less positive customer reviews.
Should I Offer Free Shipping on Marketplace?
You can choose to offer free shipping and increase the listing price to cover shipping costs. For example, say your product is priced at $5 with $3.75 shipping. Instead, you could price your product at $9 and select the cover the shipping costs checkbox, as pictured below. You make the same amount roughly, and the customer sees your listing with a Free Shipping icon, which should increase your sale conversions. The customer is paying for the shipping either way and your payout will be the same.
Facebook Marketplace Shipping Cost
The shipping rate will be added to the total price paid by the buyer. Facebook will charge you, the seller, a selling fee of 5% to cover payment processing, customer support, and their purchase protection program for all shipped items.
Why can’t I offer shipping on Facebook Marketplace?
If you don’t see shipping as an option, Facebook may not yet have extended this service to your account. Sellers must meet certain standards including not being a new Facebook or Marketplace account, and not frequently violating community standards or commerce policies.
If you’re new to shipping, there may also be a temporary limit on how much you can ship.
What is eligible For Shipping on Facebook Marketplace
Only certain types of items can be sold with shipping and checkout on Marketplace:
- Price: The price must be between $1 and $500.
- Condition: Can be used or new
- Categories:
- Antiques and collectibles.
- 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.
- Garden.
- Health and beauty.
- Household.
- Jewelry and accessories.
- Mobile phones.
- Musical instruments.
- Pet supplies.
- Sports and outdoors.
- Tools.
- Toys and games.
- Video games.
How will I get paid for my order?
When you create a label using Facebook prepaid shipping labels, your order will be automatically marked as shipped and your payout will be initiated. Facebook utilizes Paypal to do a direct deposit for each item sold, deposited directly to your bank account.
If you are using your own labels, you must mark your item as shipped an enter a tracking number to initiate your payout.
There is a several day lag from the time you ship until your deposit reaches your bank account.
To mark an order as shipped:
- From your News Feed, click Marketplace.
- Click Shipping Orders. Open the listing that you’ve shipped.
- Enter the tracking number provided by the shipping service.
Shipping Supplies and Tools
A few basic supplies will get you ready to ship.
Postage Scale: You can purchase a postage scale cheaply on Amazon. I like scales that have a display that can extend out from the base of the scale, handy for weighing bigger boxes.
Polymailers and Bubblemailers: Polymailers are great for small light-weight items. Bubblemailers are readily purchased from any local big box store.
Packing tape: Clear 2 or 3 inch packing tape with a tape gun, don’t go for the cheapest though, nothing worse than your boxes coming open during shipping!
USPS Free Shipping Supplies: Free boxes are readily available from the USPS. Just set up an account and order away, they deliver right to your door! Choose from a number of boxes and flat mailers. USPS even has sample packs so you can find what works best for your business.
Labels: You can print labels on regular printer paper and use clear packing tape to affix them to your box or get a pack of shipping labels that print on laser/inkjet printers. As you increase your shipping volume you can invest in a thermal printer down the line.
Recycled Boxes: Save those Amazon Prime boxes and give them new life as recycled shipping supplies. Same with bubble wrap and packing paper.
Dunnage: This is your packing paper, bubble wrap, air pillows and foam. When it comes time to buy, most any big box store will have what you need in the office supply section.
Pirate Ship: Pirate Ship is a huge help for getting the best shipping rates. If you’re unsure to go with a Rate Box A or regular priority, for example, it will tell you the best value.
Learning More About Selling and Advertising On Facebook
If you’re interested in continuing your education on Facebook selling, check out these other courses available at Ecommerce Empowerment.
Selling on Facebook Marketplace for Beginners
Facebook Advertising Basics and Intermediate
Branding on Social Media – Social Media 101 Training for Your Ecommerce Business
As always, never stop learning and happy selling!
Edited 9/7/21
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