What is the Facebook Marketplace?

It's a social network that spans the globe, it's your preferred social advertising platform, and now it's a marketplace too! On October 3, 2016, Facebook announced the arrival of Facebook Marketplace, a new feature that will allow users to buy, sell, and trade items with other people in their area. Head over to the Facebook app on iOS or Android and tap the Buy icon at the bottom of the app to see the new feature for yourself (you'll have to wait at least a few months to try the desktop version).

What does Facebook Marketplace do?

Facebook Marketplace is a digital marketplace where users can make arrangements to buy, sell, and trade items with other people in their area. Think Facebook-meet-Gumtree. All transactions take place outside of the app and are not considered the responsibility of Facebook in any legal sense. Facebook Marketplace allows you to:

Find items to buy

Search for items for sale by category and/or location

Create item listings. You can create the images for the item using a camera feature within the app, or you can add photos from your device's camera roll. Items are sorted based on location and category.

View past and current transactions and messages in the "Your Items" section

Set custom bids for items

Send messages to buyers/sellers to organize transactions

Facebook plays no role in facilitating or managing transactions: users are expected to work that part out among themselves.

Discover items for sale near you.

The marketplace opens with photos of items that people close to you have put up for sale. To find something specific, search at the top and filter the results by location, category, or price. You can also browse what's available in a variety of categories, such as Home, Electronics, and Clothing. Use the built-in location tool to fine-tune the region you're looking for, or switch to a completely different city.

Did you decide you want it? Send a direct message to the seller from Marketplace to say you're interested and make an offer. From then on, you and the seller can work out the details in any way you choose. Facebook does not facilitate the payment or delivery of items on the Marketplace.

When you find something interesting, tap the image to see more details about the seller, including a product description, the seller's name, profile photo, and their general location. You can also save the item to find it later.

Post items for sale in just a few steps.

Selling something on the market is as easy as looking for someone. Bus:

• Take a photo of your item or add it to your camera roll.

• Enter the product name, description, and price.

• Confirm your location and select a category.

• Mail

Who can use Facebook Marketplace?

Facebook Marketplace is currently available to Android and iPhone users 18+ in the UK, US, New Zealand, and Australia. Anyone who answers that description is free to buy, sell, and trade items using Facebook Marketplace.

A desktop version and access for other nationalities are planned for an unspecified time "in the coming months," and a route to Facebook Marketplace for Business is also heavily rumored.

How does Facebook Marketplace fit into the online marketplace scene?

The product needs some work at this stage, but in the long run, Facebook Marketplace has the potential to rival Gumtree, eBay, and Amazon Marketplace as a hub for small-scale commerce.