How to Accept Money on Facebook

Accepting money on Facebook isn't just about friends paying each other back for pizza night anymore. It's a powerful tool for businesses, creators, and even non-profits to turn their social presence into a revenue stream. This guide will walk you through the different ways you can receive payments directly through Facebook, whether you're selling products, monetizing content, or raising funds for a cause.

Understanding Meta Pay: The Foundation

Before jumping into specifics, you need to know about Meta Pay (formerly known as Facebook Pay). This is Meta's native payment system that securely stores your debit card, credit card, or PayPal information, making transactions seamless across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. For most of the methods below, setting up Meta Pay is the first step. It’s a simple, secure way to manage your payment details without having to re-enter them every time you make a purchase or receive money.

You can set it up in your Facebook settings under “Payments.” Once configured, it powers all personal and many business-related transactions on the platform.

Method 1: Personal Payments Between Friends via Messenger

This is the most common and straightforward way to exchange money on Facebook. It's designed for personal transactions - splitting a bill, sending a gift, or paying a friend back. It’s fast, free, and integrated directly into the chat where you're already talking.

How to Receive Money on Messenger: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Set Up Your Payment Info First: Before anyone can send you money, you need to add a payment method to your Meta Pay settings. Go to your Facebook menu > Settings & Privacy > Settings > Payments > Meta Pay. Add a U.S.-issued debit card or PayPal account. This is where your received funds will go. It's wise to do this ahead of time so you're ready to receive payments instantly.
2. The Sender Initiates the Payment: The person sending you money will open your Messenger chat, tap the "$" icon (or "+" then the "$" icon), enter the amount, and hit "Pay." They will confirm the transaction with their PIN or biometric ID.
3. Accepting Your First Payment: The very first time someone sends you money, you'll receive a notification in Messenger prompting you to accept it. You'll need to confirm your payment details (your debit card or PayPal account) within a few days for the funds to transfer.
4. Automatic Transfers for Future Payments: After you accept your first payment, all future payments sent to you will be automatically accepted and transferred to your default payment account. The transfer usually takes 1-3 business days, although some banks offer instant transfers.

Important Note: This method is strictly for personal, peer-to-peer exchanges. Using it for business transactions violates Facebook's terms and offers no buyer or seller protection. For commercial activities, use one of the business-focused methods below.

Method 2: Selling Products with Facebook Shops

If you're an ecommerce business, artisan, or anyone with physical products to sell, Facebook Shops is your gateway to social commerce. A Facebook Shop is a free, customizable mobile-first storefront that lives on your Facebook Business Page and can be linked to your Instagram profile. It allows customers to browse, discover, and purchase your products without ever leaving the app.

How Payments Work with Facebook Shops

When you set up your shop through Meta's Commerce Manager, you get two choices for how customers can pay:

1. Checkout on Facebook or Instagram: This creates the most seamless experience for the customer. They can complete their entire purchase using Meta Pay without being redirected elsewhere. Meta handles the payment processing, and deposits the funds (minus a small selling fee) into your linked bank account.
2. Checkout on Your Website: If you'd rather process payments through your own ecommerce platform (like Shopify, BigCommerce, or your own site), you can set up your shop to redirect customers to your website to complete their purchase. This is a great option if you want to keep all your transactions and inventory management in one place.

Setting Up and Getting Paid

• Eligibility: You need a Facebook Business Page, an Instagram Professional account (if selling on both), and representation that you are the official representative of the business.
• Commerce Manager: All setup happens in Meta Commerce Manager. Here, you’ll connect your accounts, choose your checkout method, build your product catalog, and customize the look of your shop.
• Payouts: If you use Checkout on Facebook, you'll need to provide your business information, including your business address, a state tax registration number for each state you do business in, and your bank account details for payouts. Payouts are typically initiated within a few days of marking an item as shipped. Keeping track of your sales, payouts, and fees is all done inside your Commerce Manager dashboard.

Method 3: Monetization for Content Creators

Facebook isn’t just for connecting with friends or selling products, it’s a platform where creators can build a loyal following and earn money directly from their content. These creator monetization tools are designed to reward engaging content and a dedicated community.

Facebook Stars

Stars are a virtual good that fans can buy and send to you during your Facebook Live broadcasts, on-demand videos that have Stars enabled, and soon on Reels. Think of them as a digital tip jar. For every Star you receive, Meta pays you a fixed amount (currently $0.01 USD per Star).

• How to Receive Payments: To get paid, you need to set up your payout account in the Professional Dashboard or Creator Studio. You'll need to hit a minimum balance (usually $100) before a payout is initiated. Payments are sent approximately 30 days after the end of the month in which you earned the Stars.

Fan Subscriptions

This model allows your most dedicated followers to support you with a recurring monthly payment in exchange for exclusive content, special perks, or a supporter badge that appears next to their name. It's a fantastic way to create a more intimate community and a predictable revenue stream.

• How it Works: You set a monthly price. Fans subscribe and get access to your exclusive content (like behind-the-scenes videos, Q&As, or special groups). Meta processes the payments and, after app store fees (on mobile) and a percentage cut, pays you the remaining monthly balance once you meet the payout threshold. Payouts follow a similar schedule to Stars.

In-Stream Ads

For creators who produce longer video content, In-Stream Ads offer a more traditional way to earn money. These are short ads that can run before, during, or after your videos. You earn a share of the revenue from the ads shown to your viewers.

• Eligibility is Strict: There are strong eligibility requirements, including a minimum number of followers (e.g., 10,000) and a high number of eligible video views in the last 60 days. This tool is for established creators with a significant video footprint.
• Receiving Payments: Once approved, ads are placed in your eligible videos. Revenue accumulates in your account and is paid out monthly, just like other monetization methods, after reaching the minimum payment threshold.

Method 4: Donations for Non-Profits and Fundraisers

Facebook provides powerful, user-friendly tools for collecting donations, whether you’re a registered non-profit organization or an individual raising money for a personal emergency or cause they care about.

For Verified Non-Profits and Charities

Registered 501(c)(3) charities can enroll with Meta Payments to accept donations directly on the platform. This unlocks several features:

• Donate Button: Add a prominent "Donate" button to your Page, posts, and live videos.
• Fundraisers: Your supporters can easily create fundraisers on your behalf, tapping into their own networks to raise money for your cause.
• Zero Processing Fees: For charities, Meta covers 100% of the payment processing fees, so every dollar donated goes directly to the organization. Payouts are made to the charity's bank account every two weeks.

For Personal Causes

Individuals can create personal fundraisers for specific personal needs, like medical expenses, educational costs, or help after a crisis. While not for charities, this feature allows communities to rally around an individual in need.

• Payment Processing: The money raised goes to the person who created the fundraiser. Payments are processed by Meta Pay, and there are small processing fees deducted from each donation. The remaining funds are deposited into the organizer's linked personal bank account after a review period.

Putting It All Together

No matter who you are, Facebook likely has a payment tool that fits your needs. Start by identifying your goal: are you simply exchanging money with a friend, building an ecommerce empire, monetizing your talent as a creator, or raising funds for a good cause? Once you know that, you can set up the right tools, link your bank account, and start accepting money in the same place where you build your community.

Final Thoughts

From simple P2P transfers in Messenger to robust storefronts with Facebook Shops and creator monetization tools like Stars, the platform offers a variety of ways to accept money. Choosing the right method depends entirely on what you want to achieve, whether it’s for personal, commercial, or charitable purposes.

No matter which method you use, growing your presence on Facebook requires a consistent and engaging content strategy. For businesses and creators using these monetary features, this often means juggling product showcases, behind-the-scenes videos, engaging Reels, and interacting with your community. We built Postbase to solve this problem - to be the simple, modern social media management tool that helps you plan, schedule, and analyze your content across all your platforms from one clean dashboard. With a rock-solid scheduler designed for short-form video and a unified inbox for all your comments and DMs, Postbase gives you back the time you need to focus on what really matters: creating great content and connecting with the audience that supports you.