Marketplace sellers who choose to send items directly instead of handing them over to Facebook will be charged.

The option to offer delivery, rather than just collection, was first introduced last month. However, a 2 percent surcharge will be added to the selling price beginning next year.

Sellers will still need to pay shipping costs but will be assessed a fee. Marketplace is now charging a fee, but not as much as some other marketplaces.

Facebook says the move will give buyers more choice, and enable sellers to reach more people, while the fee – deducted from sales – will help cover the cost of customer support and purchase protection.

Facebook Marketplace will start charging customers who want to deliver items to a buyer

Facebook Marketplace will begin charging customers who wish to deliver items to buyers

Sellers will still be able to avoid this charge come January via Facebook’s collection-only option, which will continue to have no added fees.

It is not surprising, however, that it would be charging for its services as its competitors have been asking for money from sellers for years. 

It could also be due the rise in online sales and purchases of items since the pandemic.  

This is Money examines the prices of similar services to their customers.

Marketplace’s biggest rival, EbayCustomers are currently charged a fee to list and sell their items.

Private sellers can list on eBay for free, but they will be charged 35p per new listing after they have used their 1,000 monthly free listings.

Customers pay one final value fee to eBay for items they buy, without having to worry or pay third party payment processing fees.

The final value fee is 12.8 percent of the total sale amount.

This includes the item’s price, postage and any other fees. There is also a fixed charge at 30p per order.

If the total amount of the sale is over £2,500 for a single item, customers will pay three per cent for the portion of the sale price above £2,500. 

Ebay & Amazon have long been charging customers who list and sell items on their sites

Ebay & Amazon have long been charging customers who list and sell items on their sites

Amazon MarketplacePrices can be both individual and professional.

Individual accounts are for customers who sell less than 35 items per month and don’t intend to use advanced selling tools or advertise.

This costs £0.75, excluding VAT, per item sold plus additional selling fees.

Meanwhile, for the professional accounts, this costs £25, excluding VAT, per month plus additional selling fees.

This is for people who sell more then 35 items per month and wish to advertise their products.

Professional accounts are available for those who need advanced selling tools and wish to sell products in specific categories.

Amazon pays a percentage of the total cost for every item sold to its selling partners.

This includes the item price, shipping costs, and any gift-wrapping costs or a minimum amount. 

Referral fees are available in addition to the selling plan fees.

Each category has a different price. For example, for books, music, VHS and DVD sales, customers will pay a 15.3 per cent referral fee. 

Meanwhile, for jewellery, the fee is 20.4 per cent for the portion of the total sales price up to £225 and 5.1 per cent for any portion of the total sales price greater than £225. 

Shopping: Buying and selling items online has become even more popular since the pandemic

Shopping: Online shopping has grown in popularity since the pandemic.

Gumtree It is free to use and to sell on, but you have the option to promote your items.

Prices differ depending on whether you’re posting as a private individual or a business, the category you’re posting in and where you are.

There are several categories such as spotlight, featured, urgent and featured that give users different levels of coverage.  

Businesses pay a small fee to place ads and use the features. 

There is no standard pricing model so users will have to determine what it might cost. 

Anyone looking to sell clothes can do so on Depop will be subject to a 10 per cent fee. 

The fee will automatically be deducted from your PayPal/Depop Payments account. Customers might see some variations in the time when the fee is deducted if it is sold via PayPal. However, this will still be deducted up until 21 days after sale. 

There will also be a standard transaction fee of around 2.9 per cent plus £0.30 across Paypal and Depop Payments. 

You may see variations depending on where you are located and how your PayPal account is set up.

Ship With Depop labels are also available. The shipping label cost will be added to the Depop fee.

Top tips for Facebook Marketplace

Last month, deputy editor and author of Book Never go broke: How to make a living from just about everything – Lee Boyce revealed how he uses Facebook Marketplace to sell items in his local area and why he loves it so much.

It’s a simple and inexpensive way to declutter your home and fill up the bank before Christmas. Here are his top tips for using it.  

1. Make it a part your day: I agree to allow people to purchase and collect items during my lunch break only on the days I work from home. This does not apply to weekends or evenings. You won’t have any shows or timewasters.

2. Quick listings:It is important to take at least three or four photos in good lighting. Give it a brief description.

3. Bank the cash Place the money in your wallet, purse, or pocket. Then, transfer it to a secondary account. Starling is my secondary bank account. This will allow you to see how your money is growing and it’s a great incentive.

4. Price is not everything It is unlikely that you’ll be able to sell an item at the same price as you bought it. Let go.

5. Make friends at your doorstepA friend gave us a rocking pony, which was rarely used. I sold it for a fiver. The buyer was very happy with it and informed me that she ran a nursery. I gave her her contact details so she could send her any items we list in advance to determine if they are suitable.

6. It works well in areas with high population:The potential buyer base for your property is vast if you live in an urban area or semi-urban area.

7. It is possible to sell stuff you don’t believe will sell.After upgrading to a better model, I put up an old Dyson hoover. I had no expectations it would sell. It had been used for many years. It sold quickly for £25 after a demo on my doorstep that it worked.

8. Stop binning things:Garages and lofts can get cluttered, and it is tempting to just throw it away or forget about it all. Make sure you make money first.   

9. Gradually lowers the price If you list an item for £20 but don’t receive any heat, just lower that price in increments. This will allow you to keep track of inventory. 

10. Cardboard box system I have a couple of organised cardboard boxes, labelled ‘clothes’ and ‘toys’. Everything I have listed to sell is inside them. If a buyer comes, I can locate it in seconds.

11. Have no shame:You can take items from households and make money with them by reselling them on Facebook Marketplace. It is possible that the previous owner wants to get rid of it quickly. 

12. Do it!Do it!You can list items while you are watching another episode of a series. The excitement of a sale is real. It’s true.   

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