OBO on a Facebook Marketplace listing means “or best offer.” The seller has set a price but will take less if you make a reasonable offer. You make that offer in a message to the seller. Most listings have no offer button, so a clear number in Messenger is how the deal starts.
- OBO = “or best offer.” The price is a starting point, not a floor.
- Make your offer by messaging the seller from the listing. Name one number and a pickup time.
- OBO is a habit borrowed from classified ads. Meta doesn’t treat it as a setting, so nothing about it is binding.
How to make an offer on an OBO listing
- Open the listing in the Facebook app or on facebook.com/marketplace.
- Tap Message (on some listings it reads Send seller a message).
- Replace the default “Is this still available?” with your offer, for example: “Would you take $90? I can pick up Saturday morning.”
- Tap Send and wait for a reply in Messenger.
- If the seller agrees, confirm the price, the pickup place and the time in the same chat so there is a record.
Some shipped listings show a Make offer button. It sends the same kind of offer, just through a form. If you don’t see it, messaging is the normal route.
How much to offer
There is no official rule. Sellers who add OBO usually expect something under the asking price, and buyers commonly open 10 to 20 percent lower. Go further only if you have a reason you can say out loud: a scratch in the photos, a similar item listed for less nearby, or you can collect today.
A lowball with no reason usually gets ignored. A specific number plus a pickup time usually gets an answer.
If you’re the seller
- Put OBO in the title or the first line of the description. Buyers scanning the feed see the title and price first.
- Price with room. If you’d accept $100, listing at $120 OBO leaves space to meet in the middle.
- Answer offers in order. First reasonable offer with a pickup time usually wins. Say so in the listing if you want to avoid bidding wars in your inbox.
- Use “Firm” when you mean it. If you won’t negotiate, write “price firm” instead of OBO.
Other Marketplace abbreviations you’ll see
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| OBO | Or best offer: price is negotiable |
| Firm | Price is not negotiable |
| PPU | Pending pickup: someone has claimed it |
| ISO | In search of: the poster is looking to buy |
| NWT | New with tags |
| EUC | Excellent used condition |
Gotchas
- An accepted offer isn’t a contract. On local pickup, either side can back out until money changes hands. Confirm the day before.
- Don’t pay a deposit to “hold” an OBO item. Deposit requests before you see the item are a common scam pattern. Pay at pickup, or use checkout on shipped items so Purchase Protection applies.
- “Highest offer” is not OBO. Some sellers run informal auctions in comments. Nothing on Facebook enforces the winner.
Running a Page for your shop too? Our guide on how to delete a Facebook Page covers what happens if you close it down.
FAQ
Is OBO the same as negotiable?
Yes, in practice. OBO says the seller will consider offers below the listed price. “Negotiable” or “neg” means the same thing. Neither commits the seller to accept any particular number.
Can a seller ignore my offer on an OBO listing?
Yes. OBO is an invitation, not a promise. Sellers often get many messages and answer the ones with a specific price and a pickup time first.
Is it rude to offer less when a listing doesn’t say OBO?
No. Polite offers are normal on Marketplace. Skip it only if the listing says “firm.” A short, specific message with a reason gets the best response.
Does Facebook have an offer button?
Some listings, mostly ones with shipping, show Make offer. Most local listings don’t, so you make your offer in Messenger.
Checked against Meta’s Marketplace help pages for the Facebook app on Android and iPhone and facebook.com, October 2026. Sources: Meta Help Center: How Marketplace works, Vendoo: What does OBO mean.