Whatnot Manifest

A bulk tool for keeping your buyers in the loop and getting credit for shipping on time.

Note: The Whatnot manifest is currently in a limited-release and only available to a small number of sellers.  For most sellers, the in-app scanner is the best option for confirming shipment and keeping buyers in the loop.

We know you work hard to ship out sales, but sometimes carriers don't scan your package accurately, which can affect your shipping metrics and leave buyers wondering when their package will arrive.

The Whatnot Manifest allows you to mark packages as shipped in bulk so you get credit for shipping on-time and your buyers stay informed. 

Why does providing proof of drop-off matter?

1. Keep buyers in the loop on their orders
   Confirming packages are shipped on time builds buyer confidence in you as a seller.
2. Ensure your ship time is accurately counted
   Your scan rate directly affects your average ship time and is part of your Account Health.
3. Avoid unnecessary cancellations and charges
   Providing proof of drop-off helps you avoid cancellation requests from buyers and potential charges related to refunds. 

When should you use the Whatnot manifest?

In most cases, the individual in-app scanner is the best option for marking a package as shipped.  It takes less than 2 seconds on average to scan a package, and provides your buyers with the highest-confidence experience by sending them photo confirmation that their package was shipped.

The Whatnot manifest was designed for very large shipments where individual scanning is not feasible.  

How it works (step-by-step)

1. Generating a manifest

• After generating labels, you can tap the "Create New Manifest" button in the sidebar of the shipments tab.  You can select the individual shipments to include in the manifest, or if no shipments are selected, the manifest will be generated for all shipments that are "Ready to ship" that match the set of filters you have applied 

  • For example, if you've filtered to a particular livestream, the manifest will include all "Ready to ship" shipments from that livestream.

• During manifest creation you’ll see a breakdown by carrier and service level (so you know exactly what’s included).

2. Accessing your manifest

• Go to the “Manifests” section in your seller sidebar.

• You’ll see a list of active manifests, along with the date they were created and the number of shipments included

• Click the icon to open the manifest PDF.

• Manifests stay “active” in the sidebar until you scan them or until all included shipments are marked as shipped.

3. Drop-off confirmation via scanning

• On the manifest, you’ll find a QR code.

• Use the Whatnot mobile app (or your phone’s camera) to scan the QR code.

• The app will prompt you to take one or multiple photos of the packages you’re handing over.

• Once submitted, all included shipments move into “shipping” status and the drop-off timestamp is recorded.

Questions sellers often ask

Q: If I use the Whatnot manifest, will it update my shipping metrics like average ship time or on-time scan rate?
A: When you scan the Whatnot manifest, it will update your average ship time based on the time the manifest was scanned.  This scan is not currently reflected in your on-time scan rate used for Account Health or Premier Shop, but we are working on updating this and it will be reflected in this metric soon.

Q: What if I forget to scan the manifest when I drop off? 
A: If you forget to scan at drop-off, the shipments will be marked as "shipping" when we receive an in-transit update from the carrier, which typically occurs within a couple days of drop-off.  When all the shipments in the manifest are marked as "Shipping", the manifest will be removed from the Manifests section of the sidebar.

Q: What if I have shipments with different carriers and service levels?
A: No problem. The Whatnot manifest supports all carriers and service levels. You’ll see a breakdown in the manifest so you know exactly what’s being included.

Q: Can I still use the USPS SCAN Form?
A: Yes. If your shipments qualify (USPS service levels that support SCAN forms), you can create a USPS SCAN Form instead of a Whatnot Manifest.

Q: Do the labels have to be generated the same day as the Whatnot manifest?
A: With the Whatnot manifest, you do not need to generate labels on the same day the manifest is generated.  For legacy USPS SCAN Forms, you still must generate labels on the same day the SCAN form is generated.

Q: When should I not use a manifest?
A: In most cases, the individual in-app scanner is the best option.  It takes only a couple seconds per package, and provides the best experience for buyers.  The Whatnot manifest is only designed for very large shipments.

Q: What happens if someone misuses the Whatnot manifest and doesn't actually ship when they say they do?
A: We use a variety of signals to detect fraud with both the in-app scanner and the Whatnot manifest.  When we see patterns of fraud, we may action the seller and/or remove access to these features.

Requirements for using the Whatnot Manifest

• Only scan the Whatnot manifest when you are ready to ship all of the packages in the manifest.
  • If you are only ready to ship some of the shipments on the manifest, you can either generate a new manifest, or scan those packages individually with the in-app scanner when you drop off.
• Scan the Whatnot manifest as close to carrier hand-off as possible (within a few hours maximum)
• Scan at the drop-off location, or at your pickup spot if the carrier comes to you
• Only scan when all of the labels are attached to the packages or envelopes and you are ready to ship