After you create a Giveaway listing, start it during your live show so viewers can enter. Giveaways run for up to five minutes, and you can let the timer end or end the Giveaway early to select a winner.
On this page
Start a Giveaway
On the app
- From your show, tap the Shop
.
- From your show's inventory, tap the Giveaway tab.
- Create a Giveaway listing if you don’t already have one.
- Next to your listing, tap
Run Giveaway.
- Let the timer end or click End Giveaway in the right panel to end it early.
On web
- Go to the Shows page in Seller Hub.
- Open your active show.
- In the left panel, click the Giveaways tab.
- Find the Giveaway, then click Start Giveaway.
- Let the timer end or click End Giveaway in the right panel to end it early.
While a Giveaway is running
- Only you, the show host, can see the countdown timer.
- You can’t pause or cancel a Giveaway after it starts.
- You can only run one Giveaway at a time.
- At the end, Whatnot randomly selects a winner and announces them during the show.
- Entrants must be present in the show when the winner is selected.
- You can keep selling while a Giveaway is running; viewers can enter and keep making purchases.
Note: Sellers are responsible for the shipping costs of Giveaway items. These costs are deducted from your account balance when you run the Giveaway.
Learn more about requirements, eligibility, and policies in About Giveaways on Whatnot.
After the Giveaway
Next steps depend on the type of prize.
Giveaways with an item
- An order is created for the winner.
- You’ll see the order on the Shipments page in Seller Hub.
- The recipient can find it in their Activity tab.
- The item may ship separately or be bundled with the recipient’s other purchases.
- Make sure to ship the giveaway item within two business days, just like any other order on Whatnot.
Giveaways with a Whatnot Gift Card
Note: Whatnot Gift Card giveaways are currently available to eligible sellers in the United States and Canada.
- Whatnot sends the gift card digitally to the winner right away.
- You don’t need to ship anything.
- The completed giveaway moves to the Sold tab in your show’s listings.
- The winner needs to claim the gift card to add it to their Whatnot account before they can use it for eligible purchases on Whatnot.
Learn more:
- Create giveaway listings for your show — How to add Gift Card Giveaway listings
- Gift Card Giveaway Policies — Eligibility and requirements
- Whatnot Gift Cards — How to claim and use gift cards
Coupon Giveaways
Note: Coupon Giveaways are currently available to eligible sellers in Japan. Learn more.
If the prize is a coupon, it's automatically added to the winner's account right away. You don't need to ship anything.
Learn more:
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