Do you need a facebook account to use marketplace

To access Facebook Marketplace, click the Marketplace icon in the main menu on the Facebook website or app.
If you don't see Marketplace when logged into Facebook, try logging out and back in, or reinstalling the app.
Facebook Marketplace is only available to users 18 and older in supported countries.

Facebook Marketplace is a free feature that allows users to buy, sell, and trade items with people nearby — kind of like a garage sale, but online. Here, you'll find all kinds of items for sale, both big and small, cheap (even free) and expensive.

Table of Contents Show

How to access Facebook Marketplace
Why can't I access Facebook Marketplace?
How to sell on Facebook Marketplace
Video: How to use Facebook Marketplace
Can You Buy And Sell On Facebook Marketplace Without An Account?
You Don’t Need To Use Any Of Facebook’s Other Features, However
What Rules Do You Need To Follow When Using Facebook Marketplace?
1. You Must Be At Least 18
2. Photos Must Match The Product
3. Your Facebook Account Must Be Aged In
4. You Must Follow All Of Facebook’s Platform Rules

In this guide, we go over how to access Facebook Marketplace on a browser or the mobile app, some troubleshooting tips, reasons why Marketplace may not be available to you, and how to sell items on Facebook Marketplace.

How to access Facebook Marketplace

Accessing Facebook Marketplace is typically a straightforward process. If you're on the Facebook website, you can access Facebook Marketplace by clicking the Marketplace icon in the main menu located on the left side of the screen.

The Marketplace icon often appears in the menu section as a shortcut. Abigail Abesamis Demarest

If you're using the Facebook app, tap the Menu icon (it looks like three horizontal lines), then tap Marketplace. If you don't see it in the list, tap See More for the full menu.

Marketplace on the mobile app is found in the Menu section of the app's navigation bar. Abigail Abesamis Demarest

If you're not seeing Facebook Marketplace when you're logged into Facebook, here are a few things you can try:

Log out of Facebook, then log back in.
Uninstall the Facebook app, then reinstall it.
Change your Facebook profile region to a country that supports Marketplace. To do this, edit your profile and change your current city.
If you have a new Facebook account, use it regularly to help prove to Facebook that it's a real account. Like and comment on posts, share photos, and add friends.
Visit the Facebook Marketplace website via a direct URL.

Why can't I access Facebook Marketplace?

If you're unable to access Facebook Marketplace, even after following the steps outlined in the previous section, there are a few potential reasons why:

Age: Facebook Marketplace is only available to Facebook users 18 and over.
Region: Marketplace is available in 50 countries. If your current location is set to a country that doesn't currently offer Facebook Marketplace, the icon won't appear.
Device: Facebook Marketplace only works on the iPhone 5 and later models, Android, and iPads.
Age of account: If you have a new Facebook account, Marketplace might not immediately be available to you.
Infrequent use: Facebook's main menu shows shortcuts to the features you use most. If you never or rarely use Facebook Marketplace, the icon may disappear.
Access revoked: If you've violated Facebook policies when using Marketplace, your access to the service can be taken away.

How to sell on Facebook Marketplace

To sell something on Facebook Marketplace, simply go to the Marketplace section of the app or website, then select Create new listing.

For more details on what you can and can't sell, and tips for standing out, check out our guide to selling on Facebook Marketplace.

Video: How to use Facebook Marketplace

Abigail Abesamis Demarest is a contributing writer for Insider based in New York. She loves a good glazed donut and nerdy deep dives into the science of food and how it's made.

Can You Buy And Sell On Facebook Marketplace Without An Account?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. In order to use Facebook Marketplace – or any of its features, you must have an active Facebook account.

Additionally, you must be signed into that Facebook account, and use it to conduct all business on the platform.

This is likely a deliberate decision by Facebook in order to encourage account signups for people that otherwise wouldn’t have one. While avoiding Facebook (and its insane data collection practices) is a good idea, there’s no denying that it does have many useful features that make signing up for an account appealing.

One of them being Facebook Marketplace.

You Don’t Need To Use Any Of Facebook’s Other Features, However

Note that while you do need an account to use Facebook Marketplace – and there’s no way around that, it doesn’t mean that you need to use any of Facebook’s other features.

You do not need to add your friends, fill out all of the personal information on your profile, or talk with friends and family through Facebook Messenger.

It is perfectly fine to simply use Facebook Marketplace when you have something to sell, and then log out of Facebook completely when your business is done.

Therefore, you really don’t lose a lot by signing up.

You could even write on your profile that you only use Facebook for Facebook Marketplace, if you don’t want people recognizing and adding you.

What Rules Do You Need To Follow When Using Facebook Marketplace?

Just like Facebook has its own set of rules and guidelines you must follow, there is an additional set of rules if you want to use Facebook to buy or sell products / services.

So, if you plan on using Facebook Marketplace, you’ll want to keep each one of these in mind.

1. You Must Be At Least 18

Currently, Facebook requires users to be at least 18 years old before they are allowed to use Facebook Marketplace.

While people can sign up for a Facebook account at the age of 13, certain features (like Facebook Marketplace) are disabled until the user reaches 18 years of age.

So, if you’re under 18 and don’t see Facebook Marketplace available, this is the reason why.

2. Photos Must Match The Product

People on Facebook Marketplace don’t take deceptive behavior lightly.

While it’s perfectly fine to edit and enhance your product photos to make them look nicer, the products you’re selling must match the photo exactly.

This means that you can’t swap out the product for a different model before the customer gets it, for example.

Anything that may constitute as deception may result in a ban from Facebook Marketplace.

3. Your Facebook Account Must Be Aged In

This one is incredibly frustrating – especially if you’re making a Facebook account for the first time.

Unfortunately, Facebook does not allow brand new accounts to use Facebook Marketplace straight away.

This is because there has been problems with people making new Facebook accounts, doing something shady to get themselves banned, then popping back up with a brand new Facebook account only to do it all over again.

So, in order to keep Facebook Marketplace safe, Facebook restricts new accounts from using the platform.

In order to help your account appear legitimate (and gain access to Facebook Marketplace faster), we recommend uploading a profile photo, filling out some of your profile, adding friends, and posting some statuses as well.

4. You Must Follow All Of Facebook’s Platform Rules

Finally, you must also follow all of Facebook’s rules that they’ve put in place for the main platform as well.

This means that you don’t do things like harass other users, or break real-world laws.

Generally speaking, just use common sense. If you are unsure whether or not you should post something, you should probably err on the side of caution and avoid posting it.

It can be difficult to get Facebook back after you’ve been banned. And because it’s become such a heavily-integrated part of our society, losing your Facebook account can feel like a real loss.

To review all of Facebook’s rules, click here.