Seller Provided Support for Sellers

Whatnot Support January 07, 2026 20:24

Seller Provided Support is available for all new U.S. sellers who were granted access on or after December 1, 2025, and will expand to additional sellers in the coming months. If you don’t have access yet, you can join the waitlist here, and will be notified when it becomes available to your account.

Overview

The strongest seller businesses are built on trust – trust that grows every time you go live for your community, ship orders quickly, and make sure buyers receive exactly what they ordered. Taking ownership of those moments helps you build a reliable, consistent brand on Whatnot.

Seller Provided Support (SPS) gives you even more ownership over the post-purchase experience. Formerly known as Customer Service or Direct Service, this feature allows sellers to manage eligible buyer issues — such as missing items, damaged items, or order delays, directly from their Inbox in the Customer Support tab without waiting for Whatnot Support to step in.

By handling issues directly, sellers can:

Provide faster resolutions and reduce wait times for buyers
Build trust and transparency through consistent communication
Deliver a seamless post-purchase experience that keeps buyers coming back

How It Works

All time frames listed are business hours/days and exclude the weekend.

When a buyer requests help with an order in-app, the request will be sent directly to the seller’s Inbox. The seller is expected to respond as soon as possible; if a seller does not respond within 48 business hours, it may impact your account standing.

Sellers can respond in one of the following ways:

Seller provides a full refund and does not require a return

The buyer will see their refund reflected on the original form of payment within 3–5 days.

Seller provides a full refund and does require a return

The buyer has 5 days to drop off their return package. If the package isn’t dropped off within that window, the refund request will be cancelled.
After the seller receives the return package, they have 48 hours to review the returned items.
If the seller confirms the return, the buyer will see their refund reflected on the original form of payment within 3–5 days.
If the seller disputes the return, the request will be put on hold and escalated to Whatnot Support.
Whatnot will investigate the buyer's refund request. If the request is approved, buyers will see their refund reflected on the original form of payment within 3–5 days.

Seller offers a partial refund

Please discuss the partial offer amount in Messages with the buyer before sending an offer. Once the offer is sent, you are not able to edit it.
The buyer has 48 hours to respond to the partial refund offer.
- If the buyer accepts, the refund will be reflected on the original form of payment within 3–5 days.
- If the buyer declines, they will automatically be approved for a full refund if they return the item to the seller. The buyer will have 5 days to ship their return.

Seller sends a replacement

Seller should discuss the replacement with the buyer, send photos, and confirm the buyer is willing to accept the replacement before processing it.
The seller needs to generate a shipping label and upload the tracking information when submitting a response.
If the replacement is not sent within 48 hours, Whatnot may authorize the buyer to send the original item back to the seller within 5 days for a full refund.

Seller sends a message explaining why they are not issuing a refund

If the buyer is not covered under Whatnot’s Buyer Protection Policy, the seller should message the buyer letting them know why they will not be receiving a refund and provide any relevant evidence.
The buyer can escalate the request to Whatnot Support for a second look. If the request is approved, buyers will see their refund reflected on the original form of payment within 3–5 days.

Seller sends a message requesting more information or clarification

The seller can request additional details, photos, or videos to better understand the buyer issue.

Seller does not respond

The buyer may escalate the request to Whatnot Support, and our team will investigate the buyer's refund request.
If the request is approved, buyers will see their refund reflected on the original form of payment within 3–5 days.

Note: Product change made September 2025. Sellers will no longer see an option to reject a request. If you feel the buyer is not entitled to a refund through Whatnot’s Buyer Protection Policy, you can respond via message to let them know why you won’t be offering a refund.

Key Inbox Features

Customer Support Requests are found in your Inbox, which you can access from Home on mobile and web
All Customer Support Requests related to your sales can be found in the “Customer Support” tab in Inbox. The “All Messages” tab will also include any social DMs or Support Requests where you’ve requested help on your purchases
You can respond to your buyers by offering a refund or replacement, messaging them to discuss a resolution, or letting them know why you won’t be able to offer a refund
You can manage your Inbox by marking messages unread to return to later, or by archiving a conversation. An archived conversation will return to your main Inbox if you send a new message

Whatnot Buyer Protection Coverage

When buyers request help with an order for any of the reasons listed below, the request is sent to the seller to resolve the issue directly with the buyer. The issues below are covered by Whatnot’s Buyer protection policy, which sellers are required to honor when handling buyer requests (sellers are not required to honor refunds or returns for buyer’s remorse or other reasons not covered):

The item is substantially delayed in getting shipped
An item is missing*
An item is incorrect or the item is correct but the wrong size/color*
The item does not match the description, condition, or photos listed
The item is defective, doesn’t work, or expired
The item was returned to Sender
The item was damaged in transit (eligible for automated USPS claim**)

*Excludes consumable products like Breaks/Surprise Products and any product that can be opened (e.g., beauty and cosmetics). Missing and wrong item requests from purchases of consumable products will be sent to Whatnot Support, in addition to order issues not listed above

** Learn more about Automated Claim Filing here

Seller FAQ

General

What are the benefits of Seller Provided Service?

Direct ownership of the post-purchase experience: At Whatnot, we're empowering you to build trust and loyalty by delivering a high-quality, end-to-end experience for your buyers. With this update, you will have more direct interaction with your buyers and greater transparency into customer sentiment.
Efficiency and better resolutions: For many issues, you are in the best position to provide quick and dynamic resolutions for your buyers. Seller Provided Service provides streamlined communication and refunds tooling so sellers can work with buyers to find a fair outcome without needing to ask for assistance from Whatnot.
Full visibility into trackability of support requests: You will receive updates in-app throughout the support request process so you always know the latest status, understand what’s coming next, and can review past requests.

What options do I have to resolve requests from buyers and how am I charged?

The amount you will be charged depends on how you resolve the request for the buyer. Where you are charged for refunds, the amount will be deducted from your Whatnot ledger

Seller Response	Timing of Ledger Adjustment	Ledger Adjustment Amount
Full refund without a return	After you offer the refund	Total payout + buyer paid shipping + payment processing fee
Full refund after the item is returned	After you confirm the return or 48 business hours after return delivery, whichever comes first	Total payout + buyer paid shipping + payment processing fee + return shipping cost
Send a replacement item	N/A	N/A (sellers must purchase a shipping label to send the replacement item)
Offer a partial refund	After buyer accepts the partial refund offer	Partial refund amount
No refund or replacement offered*	N/A	No charge from Whatnot

*Please note that if a buyer escalates a request and Whatnot Support determines the buyer should be refunded, you may be charged for the refund.

How will I know I have a support request?

All support requests are accessible in the Inbox by clicking into the Customer Support tab and you will be notified via email and in-app notifications whenever you receive a new request. You can also find support requests related to a specific order from the Orders page by clicking “View Support Request”.

Will I receive the item(s) back if I provide a buyer with a refund?

You have the option to select if you want the item returned to you when offering refunds. If you choose to have the item returned, you will not be charged for the return until you confirm the returned items in your Inbox or 48 business hours after delivery, whichever comes first.

How do returns work?

If you offer a refund contingent on the return of the item, buyers have 5 business days to drop off their return. If they do not drop off the item within five business days, the return will be canceled and you will not be charged.

After the returned item is delivered to you, you will have 48 business hours to confirm the returned items are correct. Refunds will be issued to buyers after you confirm receipt of the item or 48 business hours after delivery, whichever comes first.

If something does not look right with the returned items, you can dispute the return in your Inbox. Disputing the returned items will notify Whatnot Support and put the request on hold, meaning you will not be charged until Whatnot Support investigates the issue.

By default, all returns will go to the Return Address you’ve set in your account settings. To update your Return Address, please follow the below steps:

On Web: Click your profile icon > General > Settings > Scroll down to Seller settings > Click “Update return address”
On Mobile: Navigate to your profile > Two-line menu icon > Addresses > Add a new address (if needed) > Tap the address you want > Tap “Set as return address”

Please note: Failure to accept returns does not prevent a billback.

What protections am I offered as a seller?

Whatnot is committed to ensuring a trustworthy buying experience for everyone. Whatnot will provide several protections in multiple areas, including the following:

Fraudulent requests: Whatnot tracks refund behavior across the platform to help prevent buyers from submitting fraudulent refund claims. Where refund fraud is suspected, Whatnot will step in, and you will not have to handle the buyer’s request.
- If you have concerns about the merit of a buyer’s support request or do not believe it is covered by Whatnot’s Buyer Protection Policy, you should message the buyer letting them know you will not be offering a refund. Please note, the buyer may still escalate the request to Whatnot Support and if we determine the buyer is owed a refund, you may still be charged for the refund.
Chargebacks: You will not be responsible for any chargebacks initiated by buyers.
Returns: When you require that item(s) are returned for a refund, you have 48 business hours from delivery to dispute the returned items if you have concerns about their accuracy. You can dispute the returned items in the Seller Hub.
- You can dispute a return to escalate the request to Whatnot if there are issues with the return (i.e., the item is incorrect, missing, or is damaged in transit).

What happens if my buyer escalates their support request to Whatnot Support?

If a buyer needs additional help with their support request or cancellation request, they are able to escalate it to Whatnot Support.

Once a support / cancellation request thread is escalated:

The conversation will be closed and buyer/seller can no longer communicate in the thread
You will receive an update via email with the resolution from our Whatnot Support team

Please note: if Whatnot Support approves a refund with return for an escalated request, you will receive an email when the item has been delivered, and you will have to confirm or dispute the request from the support request conversation, or from the Orders page in Seller Hub on web.

What is the Support Rating on my profile, and how is it determined?

Your Support Rating gives buyers insight into the level of customer support they can expect from you. It appears on your profile once you’ve had enough support interactions for us to measure your performance reliably.

Your rating will show on your profile once you’ve had 10 or more lifetime support requests.

Once you qualify:

If you’ve handled 10 or more requests in the last 90 days, your rating is based on your performance over the last 90 days.
If you’ve handled fewer than 10 requests in the last 90 days, your rating is based on your most recent 10 support requests.

Your rating will show as one of the following:

Excellent
Great
Good
Average
Below Average

How is your rating determined?

Your rating improves when:
- You provide appropriate resolutions based on the situation (e.g., refunds, replacements)
- You receive positive feedback from buyers on how the issue was handled
Your rating decreases only when:
- You do not respond to your buyer within 48 business hours, and the buyer escalates to Whatnot Support for help
- Your buyer escalates, and Whatnot determines the original decision was incorrect and overturns the seller decision
- You receive negative feedback from your buyers on their support experience
Your rating is not impacted when:
- You determine that an issue does not qualify for a refund under Whatnot’s policies and you explain this clearly to the buyer
- Your buyer escalates a request and Whatnot agrees with the original seller decision or Whatnot covers the refund

What does my Customer Satisfaction score mean?

Your Customer Satisfaction score shown on the Customer Support tab reflects how buyers feel about the support you provide during a support request. After a request is completed, buyers may see a quick thumbs up / thumbs down survey asking specifically about their support experience with you.

This score does not include your general buyer reviews or marketplace ratings. Your Satisfaction score is not public to buyers and does not affect your Account Health or Premier Shop eligibility. However, it is one of the factors used to calculate your overall public Support Rating shown on your profile.

If you have only a few support interactions, a single negative response may have a larger impact, but your score will update over time as you handle more requests. Each new interaction is an opportunity to strengthen your score by responding clearly, promptly, and within Whatnot’s policies.

Your Customer Satisfaction score is also a helpful signal for identifying what’s working in your support interactions and where buyers may be getting stuck. Many sellers use it as an opportunity to improve their buyer experience and build more trust over time.

Shipping

This section addresses commonly asked questions about a seller’s responsibilities in handling shipping issues, and instructions on how to file automated claims and protect high-value shipments.

How do USPS automated claims work?

USPS automated claims allow you to recover costs for lost, stuck, or damaged packages after refunding the buyer. You can opt into this feature when offering a refund in Inbox for eligible USPS shipments, which are insured for up to $100, unless additional shipping insurance was purchased for the shipment.

When to file a claim: Wait at least 14 days after the mailing date before opting in to submitting a claim.
Coverage limits: For higher value items, we highly recommend purchasing additional shipping protection through our partner, XCover, during the fulfillment process. This ensures that both sellers and buyers are protected if items are lost or damaged in transit. Learn how to purchase additional shipping protection here.

If using a non-USPS carrier, you’ll need to file claims manually through the carrier’s process.

Note: Claims do not apply to bullion, money, and some other categories. See full list of exemptions here.

Learn more about Automated Claim Filing here.

How can I ensure coverage for lost, stolen, or damaged items?

USPS Priority Mail and Ground Advantage include $100 shipping protection. For higher value items, you can purchase additional shipping protection through our partner, XCover, during the fulfillment process. This ensures that both sellers and buyers are protected if items are lost or damaged in transit. Learn how to purchase additional shipping protection here.

Am I liable for damaged items?

You are responsible for proper packaging to protect your items while shipping. If the carrier damaged the item in transit, you can file an automated claim for packages that are damaged in transit, but you must first offer a refund to take advantage of our automated claims filing system. You can also file a claim directly with USPS if you choose not to use the automated claims filing system.

For higher value items, you can purchase additional shipping protection through our partner, XCover, during the fulfillment process. This ensures that both sellers and buyers are protected if items are lost or damaged in transit. Learn how to purchase additional shipping protection here.

Seller Guidance for Seller Provided Service

Sellers will be able to directly respond to support requests from buyers for certain buyer issues.

Below we have set out some guidance on how sellers can respond to each support reason to ensure a positive commerce experience.

Support Reason	Seller Guidance
Item's condition does not match description	Buyers are entitled to a refund if the item they received does not match the description or condition listed/shown at purchase. We require buyers to include photos of the item when submitting the request, so you should check the photos that the buyer submitted first. Verify the item's condition against the video receipt or listing photos and description. - If the buyer doesn't point out specific flaws or issues, you should ask them to clarify what about the item was misrepresented. - If the flaw or issue from the buyer's claim was not shown during the show or in your video receipt, you can offer them a partial refund or a full refund. If you’d like the item back be sure to process a refund with return. - If the flaw or issue was explicitly mentioned and shown during the show, you should let the buyer know that you did disclose the issue at purchase. It's recommended to share a screenshot of where you showed the flaw or issue when you respond to the buyer
One of my items is missing	Buyers are entitled to a refund if any item from their shipment is missing. - If you have proof that the item was packed (e.g. photo or video evidence of packing station), we recommend sharing that proof with the buyer and letting them know you won’t be processing a refund. - If you did not pack the item in the buyer's shipment or are unsure, we recommend either processing a refund or sending the buyer a replacement item. You should message the buyer with details on the replacement to ensure they agree to the replacement item.
I received the wrong item	Buyers are entitled to a refund on items that are incorrect or in the wrong size / color. We require buyers to include photos of the item when submitting wrong item requests, so check photos that buyer submitted first. Compare against the item shown in the video receipt. If items are different, resolve the issue by: - Refunding the buyer with or without requesting the buyer return the item, or - Sending a replacement to the buyer.
Order is delayed and has not shipped	Buyers are entitled to a refund on items when sellers substantially delay dropping off their shipment (i.e. not dropping off packages within a reasonable time frame). If the tracking information for the package never updates or shows its in transit, the buyer is entitled to a refund. Confirm that you shipped the item. - If you did, then check tracking information. If there are tracking updates shown on the USPS website, let the buyer know that the order is on the way. - If you did not ship the item, process a refund for the buyer.
Item(s) damaged in transit	Buyers are entitled to a refund if an item is damaged during transit. Ensure that you packaged the item properly before shipping. If you did, you can file an automated claim for packages that are damaged in transit, but you must first offer a refund to take advantage of our automated claims filing system. You can also file a claim directly with USPS if you choose not to use the automated claims filing system. Learn more about Automated Claim Filing here.
Return to Sender	Buyers are entitled to receive the item they purchased. - Select "Send a replacement" to send the item back to the buyer. You will need to purchase a new shipping label from a carrier of your choice, then input the tracking number before submitting the response to the support request. - You can also choose to refund the buyer for the item.

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