Giveaways Overview

Giveaways allow sellers to give away items for free to their viewers during a livestream.

Giveaways can run up to five minutes to allow users to enter. Sellers can draw a winner early or wait until the time limit is reached, at which point the winner will be drawn automatically. Winners are selected by the app using a randomizer and shown on stream for all viewers. 

The shipping costs on giveaways are paid by the seller and taken directly from their Whatnot account balance. Custom and import charges for international shipments are the responsibility of the recipient of the giveaway. Users are required to have their shipping address and payment info entered in order to participate in any type of giveaways.

Giveaway Types

There are three types of giveaways sellers can run during a livestream: standard giveaways, follower-only giveaways, and Buyer Appreciation giveaways.

Standard Giveaways

• Standard giveaways allow users to enter using the “Enter Giveaway” button once the giveaway goes live. 
• Sellers can limit standard giveaways to domestic users (based on the seller's location). 

Follower-only Giveaways

• Follower-only giveaways are similar to standard giveaways but allow only viewers who follow the seller to enter using the “Enter Giveaway” button once the giveaway goes live. 
• Sellers can also limit follower giveaways to domestic users (based on the seller's location).

Buyer Appreciation Giveaways

• Buyer Appreciation giveaways are intended to show appreciation for users who have made a purchase during a seller’s livestream. 
• Available in the US, Canada, the UK, and France. 
  • Users who want to enter a Buyer Appreciation giveaway must live in the same country as the seller running the giveaway.  
• Users who want to enter must make a purchase AFTER the giveaway is created to qualify.
  • Exception: United States users can enter for free by filling out a web form found on the giveaway details page.
• Sellers and buyers must use the mobile app to create or enter a Buyer Appreciation giveaway. 
• Sellers must include rules pertaining to the giveaway. 
  • For United States users, visit our US Terms of Service (see “Whatnot Promotions and Giveaway Rules” to learn more about our giveaway requirements).
  • For UK and France users, visit our EU Terms of Service (see “Section 15. Giveaways” to learn more about our giveaway requirements). 
• NFT livestreams do not qualify for Buyer Appreciation giveaways. Purchasing an NFT item will also not qualify a buyer to enter a Buyer Appreciation giveaway. 
• Buyer Appreciation giveaways cannot be deleted or canceled once they’re created. 

Visit Buyer Appreciation Giveaways Rules and Requirements for more info.

Guidelines for Running a Giveaway

• You cannot deny a user the item they won during a giveaway. 
• Only the following restrictions can be applied while running a giveaway:
  • Limit entries to followers only. 
  • Limit entries to domestic users (based on seller location) only.
  • Limit entries to buyers who have purchased an item in your livestream and users who enter for free via a web form. 
• Sellers may not have additional restrictions for users to enter a giveaway. For example, you cannot require a user to follow you on another platform to be eligible for the giveaway.
• Do not impose a requirement for buyers to spend above a certain amount in their livestream to qualify for a Buyer Appreciation giveaway. This is prohibited and will result in a violation. In the United States, no purchase is necessary to enter the giveaway.
• Do not inflate the sale price of an item to allow entry into a giveaway. Using Buyer Appreciation giveaways as a stand-in for conducting a raffle is prohibited.
• Once started, a giveaway can’t be paused or canceled. A winner will be automatically drawn at the end of the five-minute time limit. 
• Once a giveaway is started, no other product can be pinned until the winner is drawn.
• If a seller does not ship out the giveaway item within Whatnot’s standard shipping timeframe, they may be subject to corrective action.
• Giveaways must align with our Terms of Service and abide by the seller’s local and state guidelines.
• You must disclose what the giveaway winner will receive before running the item. You cannot downgrade the prize if the buyer has not made a purchase.

Participating in Giveaways

We want our whole community to participate in and enjoy giveaways, which requires giveaways to be fair for all users. Each user is allowed one entry per eligible giveaway and must submit entries manually. If your use of giveaways indicates potential fraud or abuse, or a violation of our terms or giveaway rules, such as if we detect that you're entering an unnatural number of giveaways, we may suspend your eligibility to enter giveaways. We detect violations and determine limits through automated signals, and if needed, human review.

Frequently Asked Questions 

If I enter a giveaway and leave the livestream before it’s run, will I still be entered to win the giveaway? 

No, if you leave the livestream before the giveaway is run, you will be removed from the list of entries. However, if you rejoin the livestream before the giveaway is run, you’ll be automatically re-entered into the giveaway. 

Who pays for shipping?

Sellers will pay for shipping on giveaways, including international shipping. Giveaway shipping costs will be taken from the seller’s account balance once a giveaway is run. However, it’s your responsibility to check which customs and import charges for international giveaways may apply to your item and to pay those charges. 

I don’t have any money in my Whatnot account. Are the shipping costs still taken from my account?

If you don’t have any money in your account balance when the giveaway is run, the shipping costs will still be taken out of your account, and your account balance will reflect a negative balance. The amount you owe will be deducted from future earnings.

Can I run a giveaway while an auction is in progress?

No, you can’t run a giveaway at the same time as an auction. 

What happens if I do not receive my giveaway item? 

Sellers are required to ship out all items won in the giveaway. However, if the seller hasn’t shipped your giveaway within the standard shipping timeline or if the item was lost in transit, please reach out to Whatnot Support.  

What happens if the item I won in a giveaway is damaged?

Whatnot cannot provide a refund to the giveaway winner since they did not purchase the item. 

How do I tell if a user is present when they win the giveaway? 

Sellers can’t ask the winner of a giveaway if they are present in the chat. However, when a user enters a giveaway but leaves the livestream, they will be automatically removed from the list of entries for that giveaway. If the user returns before a winner is drawn, they will be automatically entered into the giveaway again. 

Can I ask users who enter the giveaway to follow me or others on Whatnot, TikTok, or other social platforms?

A user is allowed to enter the giveaway as long as they meet the restrictions allowed by Whatnot. Sellers can’t add their own restrictions to enter a giveaway, including requiring users to follow them or others on other social media platforms.

Sellers cannot deny the winner the giveaway prize for any reason. 

As a user, what information do I need to enter giveaways?

Giveaways are free to enter but a user will need to have their payment info and shipping address on file to enter giveaways even though they will not be charged for shipping or any associated costs related to the giveaway.

Additional Resources

• Adding Standard Giveaways in a Livestream
• Adding Buyer Appreciation Giveaways in a Livestream
• Running a Giveaway During a Livestream
• Entering a Standard Giveaway
• Entering a Buyer Appreciation Giveaway