Canada Post Strike Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is happening exactly?

As of 10/16/2025, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) announced a rotating strike which started 10/11/2025 - this is a transition from the national strike which commenced 9/25/2025. Rotating strike activity may be isolated to specific locations, affecting those areas for a specified period of time. During a rotating strike, Canada Post will accept, process and deliver mail and parcels in unaffected areas, but you can still expect delays. Learn more here. 

What is Whatnot doing in response?

SELLERS: Starting 10/16, Whatnot Canada sellers will be able to print labels with Canada Post again. ChitChats will remain online. BYOL will remain online only for the duration of the strike - this is to help sellers in cases where the rotating strike is impacting the seller and the seller is unable to fulfill using ChitChats or Canada Post. 

See below for a step-by-step guide on how to use BYOL. You can also learn more about BYOL in the BYOL FAQ here.

BUYERS: Canada buyers are currently able to purchase / win giveaways from International sellers.

How do I use BYOL? (Canada Sellers unable to use Canada Post or ChitChats)

1. Go to whatnot.com on your web browser.
2. Click the profile icon in the top right-hand corner and select Seller Hub. 
3. Click on the "Shipments" tab then select the livestream you just ran.
4. Click on the order to find the address information for each buyer.
5. Purchase the trackable label from UPS or Fedex’s website. The label must be trackable. Shipping service levels without tracking cannot be used for the BYOL program. 
6. Return to the Whatnot Seller Hub and select Enter Tracking Code on the right-hand side of your screen to update with the UPS or Fedex tracking number.
7. Drop off all packages within two days of your show
8. You will be paid seven days after the order’s tracking number is entered. Your payout will include the total order amount and the shipping costs paid by the buyer

For more in-depth information, read the complete BYOL FAQ here. Please note if the cost you pay for a label for UPS / Fedex is greater than what we charge buyers for shipping, you are responsible for the overage, and Whatnot will not reimburse you. 

Sellers, please note that orders will be marked as delivered two weeks after you enter a tracking number and you will be paid seven days after the order’s tracking number is entered. For Early Payout sellers, you will be paid out for the orders and the shipping costs as you add tracking numbers to your orders. BYOL also applies to giveaway orders and the shipping costs for those will be added to your payout.

I already shipped something using Canada Post and now it’s stuck - what’s going to happen?

As of 10/11/2025, Canada Post moved to rotating strikes, which means Canada Post is slowly resuming operations. They will begin processing mail and parcels trapped in our network. As they continue to operate with an unstable network, it will take time to clear the trapped volume and manage operational resources, so customers should expect delays in processing and delivery.

We will be reviewing Canada Post issues with our support team on a case-by-case basis to come to the best solution for each individual problem. In general to accommodate these circumstances, Whatnot will provide exceptions for high shipping delays due to the strike.

When will Whatnot return to usual service?

At this time we do not know when Canada Post workers will conclude their strike fully and resume operations. Until then Whatnot service will proceed as outlined above.

Should I expect higher shipping costs from Canadian sellers?

As a buyer, there will be no changes to your shipping cost during this period.