If you sell on Whatnot, you can choose to require Verified Buyers to participate in your shows. This means only buyers who meet Whatnot’s verification requirements can place bids or enter giveaways.
This helps reduce troll bids, protect your listings, and make sure bidders are ready to follow through on purchases.
Note: In some large shows on Whatnot, all buyers may be asked to re-verify, even if they’ve been verified before. This is different from the Verified Buyers setting. If you turn on Verified Buyers for your show, only unverified buyers will be prompted to verify their payment method before bidding.
On this page:
- What is a Verified Buyer?
- What happens when I turn it on?
- When should I use this setting?
- How to turn on Verified Buyers for your show
- Tips for Verified Buyer shows
What is a Verified Buyer?
Buyers are considered verified if they meet at least one of the following:
- They’ve successfully purchased on Whatnot before
- They’ve successfully verified their identity
- They’ve confirmed their payment method by approving a temporary $10
The $10 hold is usually released within 24 hours, but it may take a few days for this to update on the buyer’s bank statement.
Learn more about how verification works for buyers.
What happens when I turn it on?
When you turn on Verified Buyers for a show:
- Unverified buyers can still watch but won’t be able to bid or enter giveaways
- They’ll be asked to verify their payment method when they try to bid
- They must complete verification before they can participate
- Once verified, buyers can continue bidding normally
When should I use this setting?
Requiring verified buyers is a way to help make sure bidders are serious and ready to pay for your products.
It’s optional, but can help when:
- You’re selling high-value or high-demand items
- You expect a large audience
- You’ve had issues with fake or troll bids in the past
How to turn on Verified Buyers for your show
You can turn on Verified Buyers for any show you've already scheduled.
Note: This setting is only available from the Whatnot app, not on whatnot.com.
- Open the Whatnot app
- Tap Seller Hub at the bottom of the screen
- Scroll to Upcoming Shows and tap the show you want to update
- Tap the More (⋯) icon
- Toggle Verified Buyers on
Tips for Verified Buyer shows
- Let buyers know this setting is on. Mention it in your Show Notes or during your stream.
- If someone asks why they can’t bid, point them to the verification prompt they’ll see when they try.
- Let them know about the $10 hold. It's temporary and usually disappears from their bank statement within a few days.