eBay vs Facebook Marketplace: which suits your sale?

What fees can you actually read on each help page?

eBay publishes a private-seller fee rule and a buyer charge. Facebook's UK Marketplace help page does not publish a seller fee or a buyer fee. Treat that as Not stated, not as a claim that Facebook is free.

On eBay, an eligible UK private sale has no final value fee, and the buyer pays eBay’s Buyer Protection fee. Classified ads, property and vehicles are outside that fee. On Facebook, read the buttons on the listing. Delivery or checkout is a different path from a local pick-up arranged in messages.

eBay's private-seller fees page, last updated 30 September 2026, says selling is free for UK private sellers, excluding Cars, Motorcycles and Vehicles. Those sales do not pay a final value fee or a regulatory operating fee. You get 300 free listings a month, then 35p for each extra listing that month. Optional upgrades and delivery outside the UK have their own fees. Source

eBay's seller page on the buyer charge says eBay’s Buyer Protection fee is added to the item price and paid by the buyer to eBay. It excludes Cars, Motorcycles and Vehicles, Classified Ads and Property. The fee is £0.10 per item, plus 7% of the price up to £20, 4% of the slice from £20 to £300, and 2% of the slice from £300 to £4,000. The page says a £10 listing pays the seller £10. Its £20 example is a £1.50 fee, so the buyer sees £21.50 plus postage. Source

Facebook's UK help page, “How Purchase Protection works on Facebook Marketplace”, says: Purchase Protection isn't available in your location right now. Source

How do postage, collection and problem reports compare?

eBay's Simple Delivery page says that postage is the only method for eligible private listings, with a collection option described on a separate page. After the collection code is confirmed, eBay says return requests are still handled as they are for a posted item. The money-back page tells the buyer to contact the seller within 30 days if the order has not arrived or is not as described.

Facebook's UK help page says: Purchase Protection isn't available in your location right now. A message that only says "is this still available" is a common opener. It is not a plan for payment or collection.

1. eBay's private-seller fees page, last updated 30 September 2026, says selling is free for UK private sellers, excluding Cars, Motorcycles and Vehicles. Those sales do not pay a final value fee or a regulatory operating fee. You get 300 free listings a month, then 35p for each extra listing that month. Optional upgrades and delivery outside the UK have their own fees. https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/fees-credits-invoices/selling-fees?id=4822
2. eBay's seller page on the buyer charge says eBay’s Buyer Protection fee is added to the item price and paid by the buyer to eBay. It excludes Cars, Motorcycles and Vehicles, Classified Ads and Property. The fee is £0.10 per item, plus 7% of the price up to £20, 4% of the slice from £20 to £300, and 2% of the slice from £300 to £4,000. The page says a £10 listing pays the seller £10. Its £20 example is a £1.50 fee, so the buyer sees £21.50 plus postage. https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/getting-paid/seller-capital?id=5595
3. eBay's Simple Delivery page says it is the only delivery method for private sellers listing eligible items on eBay.co.uk. Eligible items are £750 or under. Some phones priced above £300 are not eligible. Opting out is limited to specific light categories at £20 or under, and that £20 is the item price excluding eBay’s Buyer Protection fee. There is no extra cost for the programme, and no transaction fee on its label. https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/posting-items/simple-delivery?id=5575
4. eBay's money-back page says that if an order has not arrived, or is not as described, there is no extra fee, and an eligible case can include the purchase price and the original postage. https://pages.ebay.co.uk/ebay-money-back-guarantee/
5. eBay's money-back page says the buyer should contact the seller within 30 days of the actual or estimated delivery date if an order has not arrived, or is not as described. People often search for this as INAD. https://pages.ebay.co.uk/ebay-money-back-guarantee/
6. eBay's collection page says that once the handover is confirmed with the collection code, the sale is complete, and return requests are handled in the same way as if you had posted the item. https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/local-pickup?id=4181
7. Facebook's UK help page, “How Purchase Protection works on Facebook Marketplace”, says: Purchase Protection isn't available in your location right now. https://mbasic.facebook.com/help/228307904608701?locale=en_GB
8. Facebook's Marketplace safety help recommends meeting in a public, well-lit place, and sharing the meeting plan with a trusted friend or family member. https://mbasic.facebook.com/help/1156544111079919?locale=en_GB

When is the money yours to withdraw?

People type "eBay is holding my money" when the payout is still pending. eBay's getting-paid page says tracked funds are typically available 2 calendar days after delivery is confirmed, with a faster clock for some private sellers from 6 August 2025. Collection funds are available within 24 hours of the 6-digit code or the QR scan.

Facebook's UK help page says: Purchase Protection isn't available in your location right now. It does not state a payout time. If someone shows you a banking screen on the doorstep, that screen is not an order. Read marketplace scams before you hand anything over.

eBay's getting-paid page says that from 6 August 2025, private sellers with a strong sales history typically receive funds within 24 hours of the buyer's payment. Tracked post is typically available 2 calendar days after delivery is confirmed. A tracked order of £750 or under can be available straight away if the buyer leaves positive feedback after that confirmation. Missing tracking is 14 calendar days from the order date. Collection funds are available within 24 hours of the 6-digit code or the buyer's QR scan. Source

Which sale suits eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or another app?

Match the app to the item in front of you. Look at the fee on that order, how the item will travel, and what the help page says if it is not as described. A large wardrobe audience and a doorstep collection are different jobs.

SilentSale® is a UK marketplace for private individuals, and it is one option beside the apps in the table. Buyer and seller each contribute £0.30 + 3% of the item price to SilentCover® (£0.60 each on a £10 item), a discretionary protection service. Stripe processes the payment and holds the funds until the order is completed. Tracked Shipping has 72 hours after delivery to report an issue. PIN Pickup means the buyer pays in the app, inspects in person, then shares a 6-digit PIN. There is no cash, and there is no dispute step after that PIN.

Use eBay when you want a published fee, a label for an eligible parcel, or a collection code that still allows a return request afterwards. Use Facebook Marketplace when the buyer is nearby and you have read Facebook's UK help page: Purchase Protection isn't available in your location right now. For a local advert with a published buyer charge, read Gumtree vs Facebook Marketplace.

There are no listing costs. The standard seller contribution to SilentCover® is deducted after a successful sale; review your earnings preview.

Stripe processes payments and holds funds until the order completes.

For Shipping, report problems within 72 hours after confirmed delivery, or the collection scan for a locker or parcel-shop order. Confirming receipt closes the window early, so inspect first.

PIN Pickup is an in-person handover. The buyer inspects the item before sharing their six-digit PIN; the seller enters it in the app to complete the order. The PIN is acceptance. There is no shipping, tracking or post-handover dispute window.

What should you open before you agree a handover?

Agree the item, the price and who collects it in the same thread as the listing. Then read sell locally without cash, collection-only items, can I sell without meeting the buyer and SilentSale® vs Facebook Marketplace.

Parcel problems sit in item not received. Electronics have a separate note in best app to sell electronics UK.

Check the live order in the app you opened yourself before you post a parcel or hand an item over. A chat message, a screenshot or an email is not the order.