Is it still possible to sell on Facebook?
Yes.
Kind of.
In the past, Facebook allowed you to be in other countries and collect payments through your local currency. That’s no longer allowed.
The primary way to still configure a store on Facebook is to use an external eCommerce platform like WordPress+WooCommerce along with the official WooCommerce Facebook plugin.
If you’re using any other eCommerce platform, like Shopify, or anything else, you’ll have to check to see if anything is supported. Most of them have apps similar to the Facebook for WooCommerce plugin.
This process doesn’t allow for payments on Facebook, though. Instead, it makes product pages with buttons that redirect to your own website shopping cart. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing!
To show you how this works, I activated a VPN to make it seem like my computer is located in Germany.
The error you’ll see for non-US bank accounts
Let’s say your shop is in Germany, or anywhere outside of the US for that matter. You’ll get an error if you go through the same steps we walked through above (for US businesses).
At one stage, you’ll see this popup that tells you that the business address must be in the US. Therefore, completing transactions is banned for non-US businesses, at least for now.
The main workaround
The official Facebook for WooCommerce app is currently the only method for adding a simple store for non-US companies. Shopify, BigCommerce, and other platforms also have apps similar to this.
The plugin isn’t rated that well, but it does get the trick done. However, don’t be surprised if you run into some interface downfalls.
To begin, install and activate the Facebook for WooCommerce plugin on your WordPress site. Also, make sure you already have WooCommerce installed (and perhaps a nice WooCommerce theme there as well).
After activation, Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Integration. Then, find and click on the Get Started button.
This page explains that you need to choose a Facebook Page, install a Pixel, and import your products. All you have to do is click on the Next button for now.
Here, you’ll select the Facebook Page you want in the dropdown menu. Click on the Next button to proceed.
Next, choose the Facebook Pixel you want from the dropdown menu. If you don’t have one already, you can make one. After that, click on the Next button again.
As long as you already have products in your WooCommerce store, this step only takes a few seconds. Choose the catalog you would like to import and click on the Finish button. It should tell you how many products are located in this catalog.
The following popup indicates that you’re ready to start viewing and managing your products on the Facebook page. In short, this new plugin connection gives you the functionality to serve up your products in Facebook advertisements and to show them as a product catalog.
When I go to the frontend of my Facebook Page, I can click on Shop to see the results.
As you can see, all of the products from my WooCommerce website are populated into the gallery. It takes some time to process all of them, but most of it is usually done within 24 hours.
When clicking on one of the products, it shows a Check Out on Website button. It also provides product images, titles, descriptions, and pricing.
Compared to the previous method for US businesses, this Facebook Shop (for companies outside the US) sends users directly to the product pages on your website.
And that is it! This is how to create a Facebook shop page without a US address.
Do you have any questions about how to sell on Facebook?
Facebook was, is, and will continue to be finicky for store owners. Some of these procedures may change in the near future, but what’s good to know is that the process of adding the Shop tab and walking through the steps has largely remained the same.
Right now, US businesses have a tool for completing transactions on Facebook, with the money being sent to your banking account.
Non-US businesses are able to make Facebook Shops as well, but you don’t link to a banking account, and the Buy button is a redirect to your real website.
Some people may find this complicated, but both methods are great for at least showing your products to customers online. Furthermore, you’re able to link to these products for advertisements.
If you have any questions about how to sell on Facebook, let us know in the comments below!
