Now, you can buy and sell on Facebook 'Marketplace'

Social media giant, Facebook has announced its entry into the trading ecosystem with the introduction of a new sales platform- Marketplace.

According to Facebook, buying and selling activities started on Facebook Group and has grown substantially as more than 450 million people visit buy and sell groups each month, from families in a local neighborhood to collectors around the world.

Facebook says Marketplace is a convenient destination to discover, buy and sell items with people in your community. To explore Marketplace, simply tap on the shop icon at the bottom of the Facebook app.

Marketplace opens with photos of items that people near you have listed for sale. To find something specific, search at the top and filter your results by location, category or price.

You can also browse what’s available in a variety of categories such as Household, Electronics and Apparel. Use the built-in location tool to adjust the region you’re looking in, or switch to a different city altogether.

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

If you want the product, you can send the seller a direct message from Marketplace to tell them you’re interested and make an offer. From that point on, you and the seller can work out the details in any way you choose as Facebook says it does not facilitate the payment or delivery of items in Marketplace.

On how to sell items, you take a photo of your item, or add it from your camera roll, enter a product name, description and price, confirm your location and select a category and post.

Now anyone looking in your area can find your item and message you if they want to buy it. Facebook says you can also choose to post to Marketplace and a specific buy and sell group at the same time.

To keep track of all of your current and past transactions in Marketplace, visit the Your Items section. There, you can view your saved items, products you’ve posted for sale, and all your messages with people.

Facebook says Marketplace will be rolling out in few days to everyone over 18 years old in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand on the Facebook app for iPhone and Android and will continue expanding to additional countries. The desktop version of Facebook will also be available in the coming months.