If you\u2019re a collector or a reseller, who has a large inventory of almost anything that you\u2019d like to sell, you ought to know about Whatnot.<\/p>\n
What is Whatnot?<\/p>\n
Whatnot is an international marketplace where people can buy and sell thousands of different items primarily through live shows and auctions.<\/p>\n
How it works<\/p>\n
To create an account, you can plug in your email and a password, or you can sign up using your email and password from either Google or Facebook.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll then agree to a handful of terms, which specify that you can\u2019t cancel final sales, won\u2019t sell counterfeit items nor mislead buyers about an item\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n
Finally, you\u2019ll check the category where you\u2019ll do most of your selling, note where you\u2019re selling now (if anywhere), and the kind of revenue you currently earn from the process.<\/p>\n
After completing those steps and verifying your phone number, payment method, and identity, you can start selling immediately.<\/p>\n
Whatnot review<\/p>\n
Whether you\u2019re a collector looking to tighten (or widen) your collection, a reseller, or just an average person who has a vast amount of stuff to get rid of, Whatnot is worth considering.<\/p>\n
This international live-auction marketplace pulls in millions of buyers and sellers from around the world and is one of the most popular selling apps on the Apple App Store.<\/p>\n
Smart design<\/p>\n
Indeed, Fortune magazine profiled the company in 2025, calling it a \u201cwildly entertaining, FOMO-inducing\u201d $5 billion (sales) site that you\u2019ve \u201cprobably never heard of.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part of what makes Whatnot compelling is that many sellers game-ify the process by having contests, super-bargain starting prices and offer instant give-aways. That heightens buyer enthusiasm and makes the whole process more addictive.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the set-up is streamlined to make buying, selling and shipping easy. The site requires anyone who registers here \u2014 buyers and sellers \u2014 to plug in a payment method and some personal details before they can engage in the auction process. Thus, there are fewer lookie-loos, who really don\u2019t intend to bid.<\/p>\n
Followers<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019re established, anyone who \u201cfollows\u201d you on Whatnot will get a notification when you have scheduled a show. Potential buyers also can bookmark your shows to get a reminder right before you go live.<\/p>\n
You can also sell through a Whatnot storefront. However, the key to this marketplace are the live auctions that generate the FOMO feeling that snags more impulse buys.<\/p>\n
The site encourages sellers to get going immediately, even offering \u201csales bonuses\u201d if you schedule an auction in your first week on the site.<\/p>\n
Shipping<\/p>\n
When someone buys one of your products, Whatnot automatically generates a shipping label. (The buyer pays the freight, unless you specifically choose to shoulder the cost of shipping as a seller.)<\/p>\n
Sellers are expected to ship sold items within 48 to 72 hours of the sale.<\/p>\n
Payments and fees<\/p>\n
Whatnot charges an 8% commission on all sales, which also are subject to a 2.9% plus 30-cent payment processing fee through Stripe. Sellers are paid 48 to 72 hours after the product is delivered to the buyer.<\/p>\n
Challenges<\/p>\n
Hosting a hot live auction is kind of like creating viral web content. It can occasionally happen semi-accidentally. But that\u2019s rare. If you want to sell effectively here, you\u2019ll need a strategy and loyal followers, says\u00a0Cayley Elaine, a reseller who has studied what it takes to succeed on Whatnot.<\/a><\/p>\n After all, the more people who attend your live shows, the better your chance of starting a buying frenzy that sells out your inventory at a reasonable price. And, while some people may stumble onto your show, the key to getting a good audience is having followers who are notified when you\u2019ve scheduled an auction and are committed enough to show up.<\/p>\n Consistency<\/p>\n And, while you may be able to convince people who follow you on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or\u00a0Poshmark<\/a>\u00a0to join you here, the best way to gather followers on Whatnot is to be a regular seller, says Elaine. That means you should have a regular auction schedule, develop your niche and stick with it.<\/p>\n It may take months to get enough followers to make selling here really lucrative, she adds.<\/p>\n Discounts and giveaways<\/p>\n Another technique that many sellers use to generate fast-paced sales is to start their auctions at bargain prices, encouraging buyers to snap up your products before they\u2019re gone. However, that\u2019s a double-edged sword. If buyer enthusiasm causes your prices to get bid up, you win. If people just buy at the starting price, you can sell a lot of merchandise but make almost no profit.<\/p>\n Another technique some sellers use to keep people engaged during an auction is to run a product giveaway. These are fast-paced programs where customers have just 5 minutes to \u201center\u201d your contest to get the giveaway. But giveaways also are costly. Sellers not only shoulder the cost of the free item, but they pay for the shipping, too.<\/p>\n Remember that a successful auction isn\u2019t just about moving a lot of product; it\u2019s about taking home a reasonable profit, too.<\/p>\n Benefits<\/p>\n This site draws millions of buyers every month and is growing at a rapid pace. And buyers love the platform. Some\u00a070% of the 9,100 buyers who reviewed the platform on Trust Pilot<\/a>\u00a0gave Whatnot 5 stars.<\/p>\n Additionally, like eBay and many other good sales sites, Whatnot offers a buyer guarantee. This gives buyers the ability to return products that were misrepresented. This boosts buyer confidence. But Whatnot also limits what can be returned and how, providing some protections to sellers, too.<\/p>\n For instance, Whatnot requires buyers to physically return the product when they want a refund. Other sites do not, which leads to game-playing, with buyers using the complaint\/return process to get products for free or for a post-sale discount.<\/p>\n Moreover, Whatnot returns must be completed within a narrow window that varies based on the product. Live plants, for example, must be returned within two days.<\/p>\n Volume at a bargain price<\/p>\n Whatnot is all about volume and persistence. Thus, only sell here if you are a collector or reseller that has a ton of inventory \u2014 and can continually refresh that inventory.<\/p>\n At Whatnot, you\u2019re likely selling to other enthusiasts, who understand the value of your inventory and will come back for more if you\u2019re offering quality products at a discounted price.<\/p>\n Recommendations<\/p>\n Naturally, when you realize that the best way to sell here is regularly, it\u2019s clear that Whatnot is not a good place to sell one-off items. For instance, if you\u2019re selling your car, do that on\u00a0CraigsList<\/a>. If you have a few household items, clothing or purses, you\u2019re better off listing those at\u00a0Poshmark<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0eBay.<\/a><\/p>\n But if you\u2019re an active reseller or a collector who constantly refreshes your inventory, Whatnot can be a great choice. You can\u00a0sign up with Whatnot here.<\/a><\/p>\n