General Information About Chit Chats
What is Chit Chats and why is Whatnot partnering with them?
Chit Chats (CC) is a low-cost shipping provider in Canada that partners with carriers like USPS and Canada Post who handle the final delivery. Chit Chats has 66 dropoff locations across Canada (BC, AB, ON, QC, and Atlantic Canada - NB, NL, NS, PEI). Whatnot is always striving to provide the most reliable and affordable shipping service to its buyers and sellers. Partnering with ChitChats allows us to offer Canada sellers increased flexibility and decreased shipping costs.
Who can use Chit Chats on Whatnot?
Chit Chats is available to all sellers in Canada. We recommend sellers first check if they are located near a Chit Chats dropoff location in order to ensure they are able to fulfill their orders with Chit Chats. Canadian sellers will still be able to set Canada Post as their default carrier on Whatnot if they do not wish to use ChitChats as their default shipping carrier.
Where are Chit Chats dropoff locations?
Sellers can see their nearest Chit Chats location on the Chit Chats website. Chit Chats has 66 locations throughout Canada. Please note, for sellers in Atlantic Canada, there is a fee for dropping packages off at the Maritime Bus dropoff locations.
Who can Chit Chats ship to?
Chit Chats can ship to anywhere in Canada or internationally. Depending on the buyer’s location, box weight and dimension, etc. the shipment may only qualify for certain kinds of Chit Chats services, which may fluctuate the cost of shipping.
Availability & Setup
Who can use Chit Chats on Whatnot?
Chit Chats is available to all sellers in Canada. Canadian sellers can choose Chit Chats or Canada Post as their preferred shipping provider on Whatnot.
Do I need to do anything differently if I want to use Chit Chats?
You will need to opt-in to setting your default shipping provider as Chit Chats in Account >> Seller Hub >> Shipping >> Preferred Shipping Provider on mobile. From there, you can generate labels like you usually do after your show in Seller Hub. Instead of seeing Canada Post labels, you will now see Chit Chats labels. After that, just drop off the packages at your nearest Chit Chats branch and you’re good to go!
How can I switch between default shipping providers?
On mobile, you can go to Account >> Seller Hub >> Shipping >> Preferred Shipping Provider to change your default shipping provider. The changes go into effect immediately.
I don’t see my carrier options toggle on web. Where is it?
Currently the option to switch default carrier between Chit Chats and Canada Post is only available via mobile. You can navigate to the setting by following this path: Account >> Seller Hub >> Shipping >> Preferred Shipping Provider.
Will I be able to switch default shipping carriers whenever I want?
Yes! You can head to Account >> Seller Hub >> Shipping >> Preferred Shipping Provider any time and switch the shipping provider you use. Please note this will only affect orders that do not have labels AFTER you switch the provider. For example, if you generated labels for a show with Canada Post and then switch to Chit Chats, the Canada Post labels will still be there.
Can I use my non-default shipping provider for just one shipment?
No. All labels generated will be via your chosen default shipping provider. If you wish to use the alternative, you can navigate to Account >> Seller Hub >> Shipping >> Preferred Shipping Provider in the Whatnot app to switch it. Note - this will only affect orders that are completed AFTER you switch the provider. All orders completed with the former setting will generate labels accordingly.
The return address is not my address, why?
If you are shipping to the US with Chit Chats, the return address will be the local US Chit Chats warehouse. If a buyer returns an item, Chit Chats will reach out to you and Whatnot to determine where to ship the returned package.
Pricing & Shipping Costs
How does pricing work with Chit Chats?
Chit Chats uses a combination of origin, destination, and weight to determine the cost of shipping between two locations. Generally the further a package has to travel or the more it weighs, the more expensive shipping will be. Buyers that live in more urban areas where Chit Chats has a large presence can generally expect larger shipping cost decreases. Buyers in more rural areas of Canada will likely not see a large difference in shipping costs vs. Canada Post.
Are shipping costs for Canadian sellers now cheaper?
By partnering with Chit Chats, we can now offer significantly lower shipping costs for the majority of buyers. When we launched Whatnot in Canada, we introduced a simple flat rate shipping fee structure to bring Whatnot to Canadians as quickly as we could. We have now evolved our overall shipping cost structure from a simple flat fee to be based on what our shipping partners (Chit Chats, Canada Post) charge, which is based on a combination of origin, destination, weight, dimensions.
Why is Chit Chats charging me a fee for dropping off my packages?
If you are located in Atlantic Canada, please note that if you are accessing a Maritime Bus dropoff location, you will be subject to the cost of shipping the package to a Chit Chats distribution center. There is a nearby free drop-off location in Bedford, Nova Scotia.
If you are in Montreal, Quebec, the UPS dropoff location in Montreal, Quebec will charge $3 + tax for each bag or box dropped off. There is a nearby free drop-off location in Montreal, Quebec. All other Chit Chats dropoff locations will be free to drop off your shipments. The most updated information on fees and dropoff locations can be found here on the Chit Chats website.
Shipping Issues & Troubleshooting
A Chit Chats label failed to generate. What should I do?
If a Chit Chats label failed to generate, please reach out to Whatnot support and include your username and order/shipment ID, and we would be happy to generate a label for you.
Chit Chats is not shipping my package due to lack of invoice and/or insufficient items description. What should I do?
If Chit Chats is not shipping a package due to a lack of invoice or item description, please kindly let them know that the information is available in the packing slip, which should be included in the shipment. In case the shipment still does not begin moving, please contact Whatnot support to escalate.
Chit Chats is not accepting my dropoff because the value of my multiple packages to a single buyer is over $800. What should I do?
In the case that the value of multiple shipments going to a single buyer per day is >$800 but no single package is >$800, you can ask Chit Chats to ship out one of the shipments the following day. If issues persist, please contact Whatnot support to escalate.
Shipping Restrictions & Limitations
Shipping with Chit Chats for US-bound orders >$800 USD and Canada-domestic orders >$2500 CAD
If you are using Chit Chats and you have either A) a US-bound shipment exceeding $800 USD in value or B) a CA-bound shipment exceeding $2,500 CAD in value, please contact Whatnot support to generate a Canada Post label. You will need to drop these shipments at a Canada Post location. Please do not drop these shipments at a Chit Chats location.
Why is Chit Chats spacing my shipments out over several days?
Chit Chats has a limit of $800 on shipments from any unique seller to any unique buyer per day. This is so that the buyer does not have to pay any customs fees. If more than $800 in value goes to the buyer in one day, they will have to pay import customs. Chit Chats may space out your shipment across several days if possible to keep the shipment values <$800 and avoid any additional fees for the buyer
What are the restrictions for Chit Chat’s international services (e.g. CA>US)?
Prohibited items that cannot be shipped include (full in the Prohibited Items Policy):
- Hazardous materials: Flammable, explosive, or toxic substances
- Weapons and illegal items: Firearms, ammunition, drugs, or paraphernalia
- Food, beverages, and plant matter: Includes perishable goods and agricultural products
- Medical devices: Items regulated by authorities
Shipments cannot exceed USD $800 retail value per package or combined packages sent to the same address on the same day. Also, each carrier may impose further limits, such as on alcohol, tobacco, lithium batteries, and oversized items. You can learn more in the Carrier-Specific Restrictions Guide.
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