Pact vs. Facebook Marketplace
Protection for the local deals Facebook doesn't cover.
Facebook Marketplace's Purchase Protection only covers orders paid through Facebook checkout. A local pickup paid in cash or by app isn't covered. On Pact, local deals are exactly what the protection is for.
What Facebook's Purchase Protection covers
Facebook offers Purchase Protection on eligible orders bought with shipping or checkout on Facebook. In its own words: "Purchases made through third-party sites, local pickups, Messenger transactions, or through other messaging services don't qualify."
Plenty of Marketplace deals are local: in Facebook's words, buyers "message the seller to arrange a transaction" and meet, drop off or pick up. That's the part with no cover. If the item stops working the next day, or you sent a deposit and the seller goes quiet, Facebook wasn't part of the payment, so there is no claim to file.
Side by side
| Pact | Facebook Marketplace | |
|---|---|---|
| Local deals | The buyer pays by credit or debit card in the app before the meetup. The money is held until the deal is done. | Arranged between you and paid at the meetup. Local pickups don't qualify for Purchase Protection. |
| Deposits | Held by Trustap, not sent to the seller, until the deal is done. | Sent straight to the seller. Facebook's advice: verify the item before paying or sending a deposit. |
| If something goes wrong | A formal dispute process, and a full refund to the buyer if the deal is cancelled. | For local deals, the payment happened outside Facebook, so there is no claim to file. |
| Cost | 5.5% + $0.40 per side, only when a deal completes. | $0 for local sales, which are arranged outside Facebook's checkout. |
The deposit problem
"Send a deposit and I'll hold it for you" is where a lot of local deals go wrong. Once the deposit is sent, it's the seller's, whether or not the item turns up.
On Pact a deposit is just the start of the deal. The buyer pays in the app, Trustap holds it, and the seller can see it's there. It only moves to the seller when the deal is done and the 24-hour window has passed. If the deal is cancelled, the buyer gets it all back.
When to use which
Picking up a free chair or paying $20 cash for something you can see and test? Marketplace is fine, and it costs nothing.
You are paying before you see the item, sending a deposit, hiring someone, or buying something worth more than you'd be comfortable losing.
Common questions
What does Pact cost compared to Facebook Marketplace?
Facebook charges nothing for local sales. Pact charges each side 5.5% + $0.40 when a deal completes. On a $100 deal the buyer pays $105.90 and the seller receives $94.10. Deals with a price of $0 cost nothing. See the fee calculator.
Doesn't Facebook already have Purchase Protection?
For orders paid through Facebook checkout, yes. Local pickups, Messenger deals and payments through other apps don't qualify. Pact's protection is built for exactly those local deals.
What if the seller doesn't show up?
If a deal is cancelled, the buyer gets a full refund. If you disagree about whether it was done, either side can open a dispute and Pact reviews both sides.
Does Pact hold my money?
No. Trustap holds it, not Pact's bank account. It is released to the seller once the deal is done and the 24-hour dispute window has passed.
Sources. Facebook's policies were checked against its own help pages on September 24, 2026. Policies change, so follow the links for the current version.
- Facebook: local transactions vs. checkout, how Purchase Protection works, buy and sell responsibly
- Pact: fees, support and disputes.
More comparisons: Pact vs. OfferUp · Pact vs. Craigslist · all platforms
Post what you're selling or what you need done, agree a price, and let Trustap hold the payment until it's done.