How to Rate a Seller on Facebook Marketplace

If you have dealt with someone on Facebook Marketplace and want to leave a seller rating, start in the Facebook app on an iPhone or Android phone. Meta says Marketplace buyer and seller ratings can be given in those apps, not on facebook.com or Facebook Lite. Open Marketplace, return to the seller or the listing involved in your interaction, and use the rating option if your account shows one. The precise controls can vary, so follow the current prompts in your app instead of relying on an old screenshot or a fixed sequence of menu names.

A rating is a way to describe your experience with a seller. It is not a payment dispute, a buyer-protection claim, or proof that a transaction happened. Meta says people can rate sellers they have interacted with, and it does not verify whether a reviewer bought the item or used a service. That distinction matters both when you leave feedback and when you read someone else's rating.

Check that you are in the right place

First, sign in to the Facebook account you used to contact the seller. If you discussed a listing from a different account, your current account may not have the same interaction history. Use the iPhone or Android Facebook app, then find Marketplace and the relevant seller or listing. Look for an invitation or option to rate the seller in the places the app offers for that interaction. If it appears, read the on-screen wording and submit only feedback that reflects what actually happened.

Meta's Marketplace ratings explanation is the best starting point when the app's labels differ from an online tutorial. Its Help Center also links to a separate article on rating a seller. Facebook changes interface layouts, and options can depend on the interaction. We have not verified a single tap-by-tap path that appears for every account, so it would be misleading to promise that a button is always in a Messenger thread or on every listing.

Do not rate a different seller with a similar name. Confirm the profile and listing before giving feedback. If the item was represented by a business or a person acting for someone else, describe the specific Marketplace interaction you had. Keep the review tied to facts you saw or messages you exchanged, rather than repeating rumors from another buyer.

What kind of interaction can be rated?

Meta describes Marketplace ratings as available between buyers and sellers who have interacted. Its public explanation does not say that a completed purchase must be confirmed through Facebook before a buyer can rate a seller. An earlier version of this guide made that claim; it was too narrow. Many Marketplace conversations end without a sale, and an interaction is not the same thing as a verified order.

That does not mean every conversation will expose a rating control. If you cannot see one, do not create another account or start an artificial conversation just to produce a rating. Check the current Facebook Help page and the app you actually used. You can also leave the issue alone if the available option does not match your experience.

If an exchange did result in a purchase, write about the parts you can verify: whether the listing matched the item, whether the seller gave accurate pickup or delivery details, how communication went, and whether the agreed handover happened. If no purchase occurred, make that clear. A reader should not mistake a brief message exchange for first-hand experience with the item.

Write feedback another buyer can use

A useful rating is specific, fair, and short enough to understand. State what happened in order. For example, you might say that the seller replied promptly, described a visible defect before you met, and had the item ready at the agreed time. If something went wrong, explain the difference between what was offered and what happened. You do not need to guess the seller's motives or use hostile language to make a problem clear.

Check the listing, messages, and any receipt you have before writing. Separate facts from opinions: “The listing said the lamp worked, but it did not turn on when I collected it” gives readers more context than “terrible seller.” Conversely, “We agreed on a pickup time, but I changed my mind before meeting” should not be described as a completed failed purchase.

Avoid publishing private phone numbers, home addresses, payment details, or screenshots containing information about someone else. If a personal safety or fraud concern is involved, use Facebook's reporting and support paths and, where appropriate, a payment-provider or local-authority channel. A public rating is not designed to investigate an incident or recover money.

Before you send the rating, reread it for a mistaken seller name, item, date, or amount. The most helpful feedback lets future buyers understand the circumstances without asking them to trust an accusation they cannot check. Do not ask friends to rate a seller they never dealt with, and do not offer or accept something in exchange for a favorable rating.

Why a seller's rating may look different from yours

Meta says seller ratings become public once a seller has received five or more ratings. People who can see that seller's Marketplace profile may then see the rating. Buyer ratings, by contrast, are private. A rating you submitted may therefore not immediately create a visible public score on a seller with only a few ratings.

The number beside a seller is a signal to consider, not a guarantee. Meta says it does not verify that every rater purchased an item or used a service. Read the listing, ask relevant questions, examine the seller's profile and the item's condition, and use the safety steps suitable for the transaction. A high score cannot replace those checks; a low score may be worth understanding in context rather than treating it as the entire story.

If you are the seller, do not interpret the absence of a public rating as proof that a buyer did not submit one. The public threshold and the ability to rate are separate. Also avoid pressuring buyers for a particular score. Accurate feedback is useful because it reflects real interactions.

If the rating option is missing

Start with the simplest checks. Are you using the main Facebook app on iPhone or Android, rather than a desktop browser or Facebook Lite? Are you signed in to the account that actually contacted the seller? Have you opened the correct seller or listing? Those checks follow directly from Meta's stated app and interaction requirements.

If those conditions are met and no option appears, consult Meta's current Marketplace ratings Help. We cannot verify from outside your account that Facebook has made a rating available for that particular exchange. Do not assume that finishing a cash handover, marking a listing sold, or sending another message will automatically reveal a button; the Help guidance and your app's actual prompts should control.

You can still keep a record of your own interaction. If the concern is a misleading listing, unwanted contact, or suspected scam, look for Facebook's reporting option on the relevant listing or profile. Meta's Marketplace safety guidance explains reporting and other precautions. Reporting is a different action from rating: choose the route that fits the issue, and follow any separate payment-provider process if money needs to be disputed.

Common questions

Can I rate a Marketplace seller from a computer?

Meta says Marketplace buyer and seller ratings are available from the Facebook app on iPhone or Android, not facebook.com or Facebook Lite. Use the mobile app and the account involved in the interaction.

Do I need to buy the item before I can leave a seller rating?

Meta describes ratings for people who interacted; it also says it does not verify a purchase or use of a service. An interaction can differ from a completed purchase. Only describe what you personally experienced, and use the option if your app actually offers it.

Why can't other people see the rating I left?

Meta says a seller's rating becomes public after five or more ratings. Its visibility also depends on who can view the seller's Marketplace profile. The absence of a public score does not tell you whether your individual submission was accepted.

Is a rating the same as reporting a seller?

No. A rating shares feedback about an interaction. Reporting flags a listing, profile, or behavior for Facebook to review under its processes. For an urgent safety concern or a disputed payment, use the relevant safety or payment channel instead of relying on a rating alone.