Selling Products and Taking Orders From Your Listing

Selling Products and Taking Orders

Most directories stop at showing your phone number. Buy it Local.US lets customers buy from you directly on your listing page. If you sell products, gift certificates, tickets, packages, or anything with a fixed price, this is worth setting up. It takes an hour once and then runs by itself.

What You Need First

A Growth or Brand Plus package, since selling is not part of the free plan
A payment account with PayPal or Stripe, connected to your bank
Photos and prices for what you want to sell
A plan for how customers will receive the item, whether that is pickup, local delivery, or shipping

If you have not set up a payment account yet, start with the PayPal or Stripe guides, then come back here.

What You Can Sell

Almost anything with a fixed price works well:

Physical products, from bakery boxes to lavender wreaths to auto parts
Gift certificates, which are pure upside for most small businesses
Tickets for classes, tastings, tours, and workshops
Prepaid service packages, such as a set of six training sessions or a seasonal maintenance plan
Deposits that hold a booking

Work that needs a custom quote is better handled through the quote request form instead.

Step 1: Connect Your Payment Account

Sign in and open My Business. In your listing settings, find the payment section and connect your PayPal or Stripe account. You will be sent to that provider, asked to sign in and approve the connection, and returned to your listing. Money from sales goes to your account, not to us.

Step 2: Create Your Items

In the offers section of your listing, create the item you want to sell and enable selling on it. For each item, fill in:

Name. Plain and specific. Half Dozen Cinnamon Rolls, not Bakery Item
Price. The amount the customer pays
Description. Size, weight, quantity, flavor, color, what is included
Photo. A clear picture of the actual item, in daylight, against a simple background
Availability. How many you have, or the dates it is available

Step 3: Decide How Customers Get It

Be explicit in the description. Customers abandon orders when they cannot tell what happens next.

Pickup: say where, during which hours, and how long you will hold it
Local delivery: say which areas, on which days, and any minimum order
Shipping: say how long it takes and include the cost in the price if you can, since surprise shipping charges kill orders

Step 4: Test It Yourself

Before you tell anyone, place a real order yourself. Go to your own listing as a visitor, add the item to the cart, and complete checkout. You will see exactly what customers see, and you will find any confusing wording before they do. Refund your own test order afterwards through PayPal or Stripe.

Step 5: Handle Orders Promptly

You will receive an email when an order comes in, and orders are visible from your control panel. Small businesses win against large competitors on responsiveness, so use that advantage.

Acknowledge the order the same day, even if fulfilment takes longer
Tell the customer when it will be ready and how they will know
If something is out of stock, contact them immediately and offer a refund or an alternative
Keep your availability numbers current so you do not sell what you do not have

Pricing and Fees

Payment processors charge a fee per transaction, typically a small percentage plus a fixed amount. Check the current rates on the PayPal or Stripe site and factor them into your prices so your margins hold up. If you offer free local delivery, build that cost in too.

Taxes

You are responsible for charging and remitting any sales tax that applies to your business. If you are unsure how tax applies to online orders in your state, speak to your accountant. Tax settings can be configured for your listing, so ask us if you need help getting them right.

Refunds and Problems

Decide your refund policy before your first sale and state it in your item descriptions. Refunds are issued through your PayPal or Stripe account, the same way you received the payment. Handling a problem gracefully often produces a better review than a sale that went perfectly.

Getting the Word Out

Post an offer alongside your items so they appear on the Special Offers page
Share the direct link to your listing on social media
Mention that customers can order online when you talk to them in person
Add seasonal items ahead of the season, not during it

Getting Help

If a payment connection is not working, the most common causes are an unverified payment account or a bank account that has not finished confirming. Check that first, then contact the Buy it Local.US team. More guides are in the Support section.