Once you’ve made a sale, you’ll need to pack and ship your order so your buyer receives it on time and you get paid. This article covers the process from sold to shipped.
On this page:
- Shipping timeline and responsibilities
- What you’ll need before you ship
- Step-by-step: Ship your order
- After you ship
- Shipping tips
- Fix problems with shipping
New to selling on Whatnot? Set up shipping options before your show.
Shipping timeline and responsibilities
- Ship within 2 business days of the sale to meet seller requirements and keep your shipping time reliable. Consistently late shipping can lead to account action under our What Actions We Take guidelines.
- Buyers pay for shipping by default at the time of sale, unless you offer free or discounted shipping, send a giveaway, or make shipping adjustments after purchase.
- You must use Whatnot generated shipping labels, unless you're in a country that supports Bring Your Own Label (BYOL). Using your own label in unsupported regions can cause tracking issues and delay your payment.
What you’ll need before you ship
- Computer or tablet to use whatnot.com (the app has limited shipping tools)
- Pop-ups enabled in your browser so you can view and print labels
- Standard printer (for 8.5x11 inch labels) or a thermal label printer (for 4x6 inch labels)
- Packaging materials like boxes, mailers, padding, tape
- Scale to weigh packages accurately
Step-by-step: Ship your order
As you’re shipping, use whatnot.com for the full experience. The mobile app supports label generation, but you’ll need the website to adjust shipment details or bulk generate labels.
Step 1: Set your shipping label options
Before creating new shipping labels, double-check your default label settings including:
- Label size (4x6 inch or 8.5x11 inch)
- Packing slip size (4x6 inch or 8.5x11 inch)
- Return address
Note: Once you generate a label, you can’t change your return address.
How to update your default label options.
Step 2: Review your pending shipments
Each shipment is one package. If a buyer ordered multiple items, those may be bundled together.
Review shipments before printing labels. If weight or size is wrong, the label won’t match the package. Carriers may return it to you or charge buyers extra postage.
To review and adjust shipment details
- Sign in to whatnot.com
- Go to the Shipments page in Seller Hub
- Filter by Needs Label (and by Show or Marketplace if helpful)
-
Check for:
- Cancellation requests → Look for a ! warning icon. Approve or deny before printing labels.
- Bundled orders → Orders from the same buyer may bundle automatically, but you can manually bundle and unbundle items as needed.
- Package details → Confirm weights and dimensions reflect the item(s) plus packaging.
- To adjust a shipment’s details:
- Use the pencil icon, or
- Select the order and click Edit Shipping Details
Learn more about:
Step 3: Pack your orders
Printing packing slips is optional, but they list the items in the order and help you confirm what goes in each package. Including them inside the package can also help buyers check what they received.
To print packing slips
- From whatnot.com, open the Shipments page in Seller Hub
- Select the order(s)
- Under Shipping Actions, choose Export Shipping Labels / Slips
- Check the box next to Packing Slip
- Pick a sort order
- Choose View & Print PDF or Send via Email
- Print the slip(s)
Pack your order
- Use packaging that fits the shipment’s size, weight, and carrier requirements
- Wrap your item(s) securely and place in the package
- (Optional) Add the packing slip inside
- Leave the box open until you’re ready to attach the shipping label, or keep the slip on top for reference
- Weigh the full package to confirm shipment details are true and adjust if necessary
Tip: See category-specific packaging guidelines for best practices.
Step 4: Print and attach your shipping labels
Once things are packed and you’ve confirmed shipment details, you're ready to print and attach your labels.
- Generate labels from the Shipments page in Seller Hub, one at a time or in bulk.
- Print the labels, then match them to correct package using the packing slips for reference
- Attach the label flatly with the barcode fully visible
- Seal the package securely
How to generate and print labels.
If a label looks wrong, check Change or fix your shipping label for troubleshooting steps.
Step 5: Drop off your package
Your order is ready to go!
(Optional, but recommended) Confirm drop-off using the in-app scanner.
Drop off your package with the carrier listed on the shipping label, or schedule a pickup if your carrier supports it.
Ask for a drop-off receipt from your carrier if you want extra proof in case there’s an issue later.
Tip: Use the in-app scanner to confirm drop-off right before handing your package to the carrier. This notifies the buyer (with a photo) and helps keep your average ship time accurate. Learn more.
After you ship
- Buyers are automatically notified with tracking information (if available)
- You can track packages from the Shipments page in Seller Hub
- Most sellers’ earnings are available 4 hours after delivery confirmation
- Once earnings are processed, request a payout to move funds to your bank
Shipping tips
- Double-check your shipping settings before you sell
- Create custom shipping profiles for the items you ship often that need special handling
- Learn about Smart Bundling™ and how to manually bundle or unbundle items
- Learn how to create shipping labels
- Add insurance or signature confirmation for high-value items
- Mark shipments as hazmat if needed
Fix problems with shipping
If you need help with a label or shipment, try:
Was this article helpful?
Articles in this section
- Pack and ship your order
- Packaging Guidelines
- Make a shipping adjustment
- Bundle or unbundle shipments
- Manage your default label options (label size, return address)
- Generate and print shipping labels
- Change or fix your shipping label
- Troubleshoot label generation error messages
- Export livestream report
- About shipment statuses in Seller Hub