Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji glossary: every abbreviation and term buyers run into
Quick answer
Most Marketplace shorthand is about price, pickup or condition. OBO means or best offer. PPU means porch pickup, though in buy-and-sell groups it can mean pending pickup. ISO means in search of: a wanted post from a buyer. NWT is new with tags, EUC excellent used condition. Pending means someone has dibs, but nothing is paid. Sift, a free browser extension for Facebook Marketplace, can hide wanted, pending and “Ships to you” listings.
| Term | Means | In a listing |
|---|---|---|
| OBO | Or best offer: the price can come down | “IKEA Hemnes dresser, $120 OBO” |
| Firm | The price will not move | “$450 firm, no trades” |
| Neg | Negotiable | “Snowblower, $300 neg” |
| ONO | Or nearest offer, the British and Australian OBO | “Dining table, £150 ONO” |
| PPU | Porch pickup, or in groups, pending pickup | “Kids’ bike, $40, PPU in Leaside” |
| Porch pickup | Collect it from the seller’s step, usually paid first | “Porch pickup, e-transfer on your way” |
| ISO | In search of: a wanted post | “ISO standing desk under $150” |
| WTB | Want to buy, another wanted post | “WTB PS5 controller, Mississauga” |
| FS | For sale | “FS: 4 winter tires 205/55R16” |
| Pending | Someone has dibs, nothing is paid | The label on a saved item |
| NIB, BNIB | New in box, brand new in box | “Ninja air fryer, BNIB, unwanted gift” |
| NWT | New with tags | “Arc’teryx shell, size M, NWT” |
| NWOT | New without tags | “Lululemon Align, NWOT” |
| EUC | Excellent used condition | “Uppababy Vista, EUC, $450” |
| GUC | Good used condition, wear you can see | “Office chair, GUC, $40” |
| SPF | Smoke-free, pet-free home | “Linen sofa, SPF home” |
| Curb alert | A free item left at the curb | “Curb alert: bookshelf at Dundas and Bathurst” |
| Ships to you | Facebook’s label for an item mailed to you | Shown where the town would be |
| Lowball | An offer far below the asking price | “No lowballs, I know what I have” |
| Cross-posted | Listed on several sites or groups at once | “Also on Kijiji, first to come gets it” |
Meta says more than 3.5 million listings go up on Marketplace every day in the US and Canada, mostly typed on phones in a hurry. Nearly all the shorthand covers price, pickup, condition, or whether anything is for sale at all. Each term below has its own link, such as /glossary#ppu.
Pickup and delivery terms
PPU
PPU has two meanings, both in everyday use. In a description, next to a place, it means porch pickup: “PPU in Leaside” says the item will be left outside for you. In buy-and-sell groups it also means pending pickup: someone has claimed the item and is due to collect it. Wiktionary lists only pending pick-up, but you will meet both.
- In the description, often with a neighbourhood: porch pickup.
- Edited into the title, or a reply like “PPU, sorry”: pending, and the item is spoken for.
- Still unsure? Ask “porch pickup, or pending?” before you drive over.
Porch pickup
The seller leaves the item on the step and you collect it without meeting, which suits a $15 baby gate. The catch: you usually send an e-transfer, Venmo or Zelle payment first, so you pay before you see the item, and Facebook’s Purchase Protection doesn’t cover it. Keep porch pickups to low prices, or send the money from the porch once you have looked. See Marketplace payment methods and deposit scams for why paying first is the riskiest step.
Curb alert
A post saying something free is out on the curb, with a street or intersection, for whoever gets there first. Our curb alert guide covers finding them fast.
Ships to you
Facebook’s label for a listing the seller will mail to you. It sits where the town would be, because there is no pickup point, which is why shipped items ignore your search radius. Buying through Facebook’s checkout is the one kind of Marketplace purchase Purchase Protection can cover. More in what “Ships to you” means.
| Term | Means |
|---|---|
| Local pickup | Facebook’s Delivery method filter for items you collect (how to set it) |
| Pickup only, you haul, bring help | No delivery, and carrying it is your job, so ask about stairs |
| Meetup, public meet | Exchange in a public place, ideally a safe exchange zone |
| Delivery for a fee | The seller drops it off; agree the fee in writing |
| Shipping, checkout | Bought inside Facebook, so eligible for Purchase Protection |
Price and offer terms
OBO
Or best offer, sometimes o.b.o. The listed price is the seller’s opening number and they will hear less: “Road bike, $600 OBO”. Our page on what OBO means covers how far below to go.
Firm
The price is not up for discussion. “$450 firm” often means the seller has had a week of low offers already.
ONO and OBRO
ONO, or nearest offer, is how sellers in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand write OBO; our guides to Marketplace in the UK and in Australia cover local habits. OBRO, or best reasonable offer, is OBO with a warning attached.
Lowball
An offer far below the asking price, often sent with no question first. “No lowballs” means the seller will ignore them. Our guide to lowball offers separates a cheeky offer from a fair one.
Message for price
“PM for price”, “DM for price” and “inbox for price” all mean the price shown is not the price. The listing says $0, $1 or nothing, often to show up in searches for free things. Our free stuff guide shows how to spot these bait listings.
| Term | Means |
|---|---|
| Nego, make an offer, open to offers | Negotiable, often with no sensible price listed |
| Asking | The starting price, as in “asking $200” |
| Placeholder price | $1, $123 or $1,234 typed to get listed; the real price is elsewhere |
| Free, à donner | Actually free, unless the text says otherwise |
| FT, WTT | For trade, want to trade |
| Bundle, lot, take it all | Several items at one price |
| Retail, MSRP, paid $X | What it cost new, not what it is worth used |
| ET, e-transfer | Interac e-Transfer, Canada’s bank transfer (scams to know) |
| F&F | PayPal Friends and Family, which has no buyer protection (PayPal on Marketplace) |
| Deposit, no holds | Money to reserve it; “no holds” means first with cash wins |
| FCFS | First come, first served |
Reduced or price drop means the price has come down since the item was listed. Facebook shows one old price, crossed out, and nothing about when or how often; our guide to Marketplace price history covers the rest.
Price history
$380−16%
Tracked since Sep 8, lowest $380
Fair price
Below typical
Typical range $405 to $540
Median $475, 18 listings on this page
Listing status
Pending
The seller has marked the item as spoken for while a buyer arranges to collect or pay. It is only a hold, nothing has been paid through Facebook, and pending deals fall through all the time. Our guide to hiding sold and seen listings explains pending and sold in detail, and what to send if you want to be next.
Cross-posted
The same item listed on Marketplace, Kijiji and a few local groups at once. It is why a listing that looks an hour old gets you “sorry, sold”.
| Term | Means |
|---|---|
| Sold | The seller marked it sold (seeing sold items) |
| On hold, HOLD | Pending, in group language |
| SOLD or PPU in the title | A group habit: the seller edits the post instead of deleting it |
| Reposted, relisted | The same item put up again as a new listing, so it looks fresh |
| Bump | In groups, a comment that pushes a post back up; on Kijiji, a paid promotion |
| Listing in review | Facebook is checking a new or edited listing before buyers see it |
What kind of post is it?
FS and WTS
For sale and want to sell. Every Marketplace listing is for sale already, so these turn up mostly in groups, on Kijiji and in titles copied from elsewhere: “FS: Trek Marlin 5, size M”.
ISO
In search of. A buyer asking for something: “ISO Bugaboo Fox, will pay up to $400”. It comes from personal ads, and Wiktionary cites it in a Usenet post from 1992. On camera listings, ISO is the sensor setting instead, as in “clean files at high ISO”; our used camera lens guide has that vocabulary.
WTB
Want to buy, or in plain English, “looking for”. Same as ISO with a sharper edge, and common in gaming, card and car-parts groups: “WTB Switch OLED, cash today”.
Can you post an ISO on Facebook Marketplace?
Not reliably. Meta’s Commerce Policies have a rule called “No item for sale”: commerce content has to offer a product, and a wanted post offers none. Meta doesn’t name ISO posts, so this is our reading, but in practice wanted listings tend to be removed or sit unseen. ISO posts belong in buy-and-sell groups, and on Kijiji, which has a Wanted ad type.
| Term | Means |
|---|---|
| WTT, FT | Want to trade, for trade: a swap |
| Rent to own, lease takeover | Not a sale: you take over payments |
| For parts, as-is | Doesn’t fully work, or sold with no promises |
| Dealer, private seller | Kijiji lets you filter by either; Facebook doesn’t |
| Curbsider | An unlicensed car dealer posing as a private seller (how to spot one) |
| Flipper, reseller | Buys to resell at a profit (how flipping works) |
Condition abbreviations
Condition words are the seller’s opinion. Photos, a test and your questions decide.
NIB and BNIB
New in box, brand new in box: never used, in its original packaging. NIP, new in package, is the same for smaller things. Ask whether the box has been opened, because new in box and sealed are different claims.
NWT and NWOT
NWT, new with tags, is clothing never worn with its store tags still on. NWOT, new without tags, says the same with nothing to prove it: “Aritzia Super Puff, NWOT, tried on once”. Pilling under the arms tells you more than the label.
EUC, VGUC and GUC
Excellent, very good and good used condition, in that order. Wiktionary defines EUC as used but in excellent condition, especially clothing. In practice EUC means you have to look hard for wear, GUC means you will see it, and VGUC sits between. “Bugaboo Bee, GUC, some fading on canopy” is a fair description.
SPF
Smoke-free, pet-free home, sometimes SFPF. It matters most for sofas, mattresses and clothes, where smells and hair stay. It is a claim, so sniff the cushions; our used furniture guide has the other checks.
| Term | Means |
|---|---|
| MIB, MISB, NISB | Mint in box, mint (or new) in sealed box: toys and LEGO |
| Sealed | Never opened, though boxes can be resealed (how to tell) |
| Open box | New, but opened, often a store return |
| Well loved, needs TLC, project | Worn, damaged or not working |
| Refurbished | Repaired and tested; who did it matters more than the word |
| Retired | No longer made: LEGO sets, some cards |
Facebook Marketplace labels and features
| Label | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Sponsored | An ad paid for by a business (hiding them) |
| Partner listings | eBay and Poshmark items, marked with an icon on the photo; you check out on the partner’s site (Marketplace vs eBay) |
| Checkout, shipping | Paying inside Facebook, the only route Purchase Protection can cover |
| Purchase Protection | Meta’s cover for eligible checkout purchases; local pickups, Messenger deals and partner sites are excluded |
| “Is this still available?” | The ready-made first message; some sellers now let Meta AI answer it |
| Saved, Collections | Your bookmarks; since November 2025 they can be grouped into public or private collections |
| Ratings | Given only in the app, can go public after 5 eligible ratings, and Meta doesn’t check a sale happened |
| Buy and sell groups | Facebook groups, not Marketplace, with their own rules |
| Meta AI price suggestion | A price drafted from similar items listed nearby: asking prices, not sales (fair prices) |
eBay says only its listings that offer shipping appear on Marketplace, so Local pickup clears most partner listings too. For a better opening message than the default, see negotiating on Marketplace.
Kijiji terms
Kijiji is Swahili for “village”. It has fewer abbreviations than Facebook and more labels, mostly paid promotions, which say more about the seller’s budget than about the item.
| Term | Means |
|---|---|
| Offering, Wanted | The two ad types; filter to Offering to drop wanted ads |
| Private seller, dealer | A search filter, handy for cars |
| Top Ad | Paid placement at the top of the category; sort settings don’t move it |
| Bump Up | Paid: refreshes the posting date, so an old ad looks new |
| Highlight | Paid: a bigger, more visible ad |
| Urgent | Paid: the seller wants it gone quickly, which can mean room to offer |
| Reduced | Paid: the asking price was lowered recently |
| Homepage Gallery | Paid: the ad also appears on Kijiji’s homepage |
| Please contact | No price given |
| Swap / Trade | The seller wants a trade |
Weighing the two sites? See Facebook Marketplace vs Kijiji, and before paying anyone, Kijiji scams.
Quebec French terms you will see
Search anywhere near Quebec and many listings on both sites are in French. A few words go a long way.
| French | English | In a listing |
|---|---|---|
| à vendre | for sale | “Bureau en chêne à vendre” |
| à donner | free | “Divan à donner, faut venir le chercher” |
| prix ferme | firm price | “250 $ prix ferme” |
| négociable, négo | negotiable | “400 $ négo” |
| meilleure offre, faites une offre | best offer, make an offer | “Faites une offre” |
| prix sur demande, veuillez communiquer | price on request, please contact | Kijiji’s no-price label |
| comme neuf, état neuf | like new | “Poussette comme neuve” |
| pour pièces | for parts | “Laveuse pour pièces” |
| je recherche, je cherche | wanted | “Je recherche un vélo de route” |
| très recherché | much sought after, not a wanted post | “Modèle très recherché” |
| irrécupérable | written off for good | A car’s branded status |
| VGA, véhicule gravement accidenté | severely damaged vehicle | “VGA reconstruit, inspecté SAAQ” |
| reconstruit | rebuilt | On a car, a branded title; “moteur reconstruit” is only an engine |
| TP, TG | très petit, très grand: XS and XL | Bike frame sizes |
Category shorthand
One line each; the linked guides do the explaining.
Cars
| Term | Means |
|---|---|
| Title, clean title | The vehicle’s legal status; clean means never branded |
| Salvage, rebuilt | Written off, then (for rebuilt) repaired and inspected (before you buy one) |
| Lien, lien-free | Money still owed on the car, or not |
| OAC, plus tax and licensing | Dealer wording: on approved credit, fees on top |
| Safety, safetied | Has Ontario’s Safety Standards Certificate, needed to plate it |
| UVIP | Ontario’s Used Vehicle Information Package, which the seller must provide |
| TMU | True mileage unknown (odometer rollback) |
| VIN | The 17-character vehicle ID (run a VIN check) |
| 180k | 180,000 km |
On Facebook, “title” in a car listing is the title status the seller picked; our used car inspection checklist covers the in-person checks.
Trading cards
| Term | Means |
|---|---|
| Raw | Ungraded |
| Slab, PSA 10, BGS, CGC | Sealed in a grading company’s case (check a slab) |
| NM, LP, MP, HP, DMG | TCGplayer’s scale, near mint down to damaged (card prices) |
| ETB | Elite Trainer Box, a sealed Pokémon product |
| Lot, bulk | Many cards together (buying lots) |
| Proxy | A printed stand-in for a real card |
LEGO
| Term | Means |
|---|---|
| Set number | The number on the box, such as 75192 |
| Minifig | A LEGO figure (buying minifigures) |
| MOC | My own creation: a custom build |
| LEGO-compatible, knockoff | Another brand’s bricks (spotting fake LEGO) |
| By the pound | Loose bricks sold by weight (bulk LEGO) |
Phones
| Term | Means |
|---|---|
| Unlocked, carrier locked | Works on any carrier, or on one |
| iCloud locked, Activation Lock | Still tied to someone’s Apple Account (locked iPhones) |
| FRP | Factory Reset Protection, Android’s Google account lock (used Samsung guide) |
| IMEI | The phone’s 15-digit ID |
| Blacklisted | Reported lost or stolen (check a phone) |
Bikes
| Term | Means |
|---|---|
| Frame size | S, M, L, or a number such as 54 cm (find your size) |
| Groupset | The gears, shifters and brakes |
| Serial number | Stamped under the frame; check it on Bike Index (is it stolen?) |
Scam and safety terms
| Term | What it is |
|---|---|
| Deposit to hold | Pay to reserve it, then the seller vanishes (deposit scams) |
| Pay first | Any request for money before you see the item |
| “Text me”, WhatsApp | Moving you off Facebook’s messages and records |
| Verification code | A request to read back a code texted to you, used to set up a Google Voice number in your name |
| Courier, shipping agent | A third party who “collects” the item or a fee (shipping scams) |
| F&F | PayPal Friends and Family, no buyer protection |
| Zelle, Venmo | Instant and hard to reverse (Zelle, Venmo) |
| Too good to be true | A price far below every similar listing |
Description
Space black, battery health 88%. Always in a case with a screen protector. E-transfer $50 to hold it and pay the rest at pickup. Text me at 416-555-0187, I don’t check messages on here.
Phone
Things to check
Asks for money before you see it“E-transfer $50 to hold it”
Wants to talk outside the site“416-555-0187”
Check elsewhere
The full set of patterns is in our guide to Facebook Marketplace scams.
Which of these can you filter out?
Facebook gives you a filter for one row of the table below. Kijiji covers two more: choose Offering to drop wanted ads, and private sellers to drop dealers. Everything else you read past by hand, unless you use Sift.
Sift, a free browser extension for Facebook Marketplace, removes the posts these terms describe. There is no account, it works right in Chrome (and in Edge and Brave) on a computer, and setting it up takes about a minute.
| Term | Facebook’s own option | Sift on a computer |
|---|---|---|
| ISO, WTB, wanted posts | None | Hide wanted posts |
| Ships to you, partner listings | Delivery method: Local pickup, per search | Hide shipped and partner listings |
| Pending, sold | None | Hide sold and pending listings |
| Message for price, Please contact | None | Hide message-for-price and no-price listings |
| $1, $123, $1,234 | None | Hide placeholder prices |
| “Free” that means make an offer | None | Real giveaways only, when you shop for free stuff |
| Dealer, OAC | None | Hide or tag dealers |
| For parts, as-is | None | Hide broken and for-parts listings |
| Reposted, relisted | None | Mark or hide reposted listings |
| Salvage, rebuilt, VGA | None | Hide salvage and rebuilt titles |
Sift tells a wanted post from a camera listing that happens to mention ISO, so the lens you came for stays in your results. Its one-click price links look up the item itself, leaving the shorthand out, so you compare like with like.
Sift doesn’t run in the Facebook app or on a phone. See everything Sift can filter.
Questions people ask
What does PPU mean on Facebook Marketplace?
It has two meanings. In a description, such as “PPU in Leaside”, it means porch pickup, so the seller leaves the item outside for you. In buy-and-sell groups, or in a reply like “PPU, sorry”, it means pending pickup, so someone else has claimed it. If the context doesn’t settle it, ask the seller.
What does ISO mean on Facebook Marketplace?
ISO stands for in search of. It marks a wanted post from someone who wants to buy, such as “ISO jogging stroller under $150”, so nothing is for sale. The exception is camera gear, where ISO is the sensor setting, and “clean at high ISO” describes a camera.
What does pending mean on Facebook Marketplace?
The seller has marked the item as spoken for while a buyer arranges to pay or collect. It is only a hold, and no money has gone through Facebook. Pending deals often fall through, so if you want the item, message the seller and ask to be next in line.
What does OBO mean on Facebook Marketplace?
OBO means or best offer. The asking price is the seller’s starting point and they will consider less, so “$120 OBO” invites an offer under $120, while “$120 firm” does not. An offer with a pickup time attached does better than a bare number.
What do NWT, NWOT and NIB mean?
NWT is new with tags, never worn or used, with the store tags still on. NWOT is new without tags, unused but harder to prove. NIB is new in box, and BNIB brand new in box. All three are the seller’s claims, so check the photos for wear.
What do EUC and GUC mean in a listing?
EUC means excellent used condition, used but with little visible wear. GUC, good used condition, usually means normal wear you can see, such as scuffs or fading. VGUC, very good used condition, sits between them. The grade is the seller’s opinion, so ask for close photos of any worn spots.
Can you post an ISO on Facebook Marketplace?
Not reliably. Our reading of Meta’s Commerce Policies is that a listing must offer something for sale, and a wanted post doesn’t, so ISO listings can be removed or simply go unseen. Post them in local buy-and-sell groups instead, or on Kijiji, which has a Wanted ad type.
What does “Ships to you” mean on Facebook Marketplace?
The seller will mail the item instead of meeting, so the listing shows “Ships to you” where a town would be. Shipped items aren’t held to your search radius, which is why they fill local searches. Paying through Facebook checkout is what makes an eligible shipped purchase covered by Purchase Protection.
Sources
- 01Wiktionary PPU (pending pick-up)
- 02Wiktionary ISO (in search of)
- 03Wiktionary OBO (or best offer)
- 04Wiktionary ono (or near offer)
- 05Wiktionary NWT (new with tags)
- 06Wiktionary EUC (excellent used condition)
- 07Wiktionary kijiji (Swahili, village)
- 08Meta Transparency Center Commerce Policies (No item for sale)
- 09Meta Help Centre Purchase Protection policies on Facebook
- 10Meta Help Centre About shipping on Facebook Marketplace
- 11Meta Help Centre Find items to buy on Facebook Marketplace
- 12Meta Help Centre Ratings on Facebook Marketplace
- 13Meta Help Centre Marketplace listing management (listings in review, marking items sold)
- 14Meta Newsroom Facebook Marketplace gets a glow-up (November 2025)
- 15Meta Newsroom New Meta AI tools make selling on Facebook Marketplace faster and easier (March 2026)
- 16eBay Seller Center Your eBay listings on Facebook Marketplace
- 17Kijiji Community Benefits of promoting ads: promotion types (May 2026)
- 18Kijiji Community Radial search: how search works on Kijiji (May 2026)
- 19Kijiji Help Centre Sorting search results
- 20PayPal What are Friends and Family payment scams?
- 21Federal Trade Commission The Google Voice verification code scam
- 22Ontario.ca Used Vehicle Information Package
- 23Ontario.ca Safety standards certificate
- 24Ontario.ca Mandatory Vehicle Branding Program
- 25SAAQ Severely damaged and rebuilt vehicle
- 26TCGplayer Help Center Card conditioning overview
- 27LEGO.com Help Identifying LEGO set and piece numbers
- 28Apple Support Activation Lock for iPhone and iPad
- 29Google Android Help Reset your Android device to factory settings
- 30Canadian Telecommunications Association devicecheck.ca
- 31Bike Index Search registrations