Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has disclosed that it will begin testing eBay listings on Facebook Marketplace in select countries.
The company disclosed on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, that the test run would begin in Germany, France and the US to enable buyers to browse listings from eBay on FaceBook and then complete their transactions on eBay.
According to reports, the European Commission fined the social media company $840 million in November over abusive practices favouring Facebook Marketplace.
The company said it would appeal the fine and was working on addressing the issues raised.
The EU did not comment on the issue. Still, Meta said eBay sellers will gain exposure to Facebookâs audience while consumers using the Marketplace will have to access a broader listing from eBay sellers.
Facebookâs active users patronise Marketplace
Data shows that an estimated 491 million, or 16% of active users, log in to Facebook to shop on Facebook Marketplace, while 250 million sellers worldwide use Facebook Marketplace.
In 2022, Facebook Marketplace users increased by 3.61% per year.
The data also shows that Facebook Marketplace is the most popular social commerce platform among social media consumers, including Facebookâs other shopping media.
About 51.2% of all social media consumers purchased their most recent social media from Facebook Marketplace.
Among recent Facebook shoppers, 77.7% purchased from Marketplace, 14.2% used Shops, and 8.15% purchased using Messenger, respectively.
16% of Facebook users regularly shop or buy items from Facebook Marketplace.
Among users who regularly tap ads, 54.2% subsequently make a purchase. The platform is accessible in 227 countries and territories worldwide, including Nigeria.
Meta introduced Facebook Marketplace in October 2016 as an online space where users can buy and sell new and used products locally.Â
As of 2024, Facebook Marketplace has extended its availability to 195 countries, independent regions, and territories, allowing eligible users to buy or sell products.
Meanwhile, the proposed eBay listing excluded sellers and buyers from Nigeria and other African countries, as it is set to be trialled in those three countries.
TimesNow.com.ng earlier reported that Information exclusively sent to TimesNow.com.ng by Meta indicates that the official rollout date of monetisation in Nigeria is July 1, 2024.
According to Meta, Nigerian creators who meet other qualifying criteria can now use in-stream and Facebook ads on reels to earn.
The information received quoted Moon Baz, Global Partnerships Lead, Africa, Middle East and Turkey (AMET) at Meta, as saying:
