What Does PPU Mean on Craigslist?

People who post goods and services for sale on the online classified website Craigslist often use a number of acronyms in their item descriptions. These acronyms are a way of writing the listing quicker, and while people who frequently use Craigslist will recognize them right away, terms such as "PPU" may be confusing to new visitors to the site.

Please Pick Up

A common meaning for the acronym "PPU" on Craigslist stands for "Please pick up." This often means that the item is free for the first person who arrives at the designated address to pick it up. Because the transactions on Craigslist are typically done in person, by a buyer visiting the home of a seller, "PPU" isn't used for items for sale. This is because it's assumed that when the buyer pays for the item, he will pick it up and take it with him.

Example

When you browse through Craigslist and see the acronym "PPU," there typically won't be a price listed with the item. If there's a contact number or email address, you can make contact with the seller to put your claim in on the item. Depending on the nature of the item, the seller may want to arrange a time at which it can be collected, or may inform you that the item is in the yard or driveway and free to the first person who visits to pick it up.

Pending Pick Up

Sometimes, you will also see "PPU" as part of a Craigslist advertisement but it might not stand for "Please pick up." In some cases, "PPU" represents "Pending pick up," which means someone has made a claim or verbal agreement to buy the item, but has not yet arrived to pick it up. If you're interested in the item, keep monitoring the ad or contact the seller. If the previous buyer doesn't follow through, you may be able to get the item.

Determining Which

Because there are two recognized meanings for the acronym "PPU," it is important that you decipher which "PPU" the seller is using in a listing. You can find out this information by contacting the seller, but you can get a quicker understanding by looking for clues within the listing. If there's a price, "PPU" likely doesn't stand for "Please pick up." Additionally, if there's a date next to the "PPU," it often means the item is pending pick up on a certain date; if it's not taken by the date, it goes back on the market.