Whatnot Fees For Sellers: How Much Does Whatnot Take?

Picture this: you find a new online marketplace — like Whatnot — that seems promising. You post a few listings and make your first sale soon. You’re excited for that money to hit your bank account.. only to realize that the payout is lesser than you imagined. 

The reason? You didn’t factor in all the fees. What a bummer, right? 

With Crosslist’s fee explainer series, you’ll be able to calculate your exact profits with ease. No more nasty surprises. Today, let’s tackle Whatnot fees and see how much the platform takes. 

How much does Whatnot take from sellers?

For each sale, you’ll have to pay a commission fee and a payment processing fee. The commission fee is charged only on the selling price of the item (minus shipping and taxes), but the payment processing fee is calculated on the total order value (i.e. selling price + shipping + taxes). 

These fees vary based on the items you sell and the country you’re selling from.

Here’s the lowdown on Whatnot’s fees for US, Canada, and Australian sellers:

Item category	Commission fee	Payment processing fee
Comics and anime, trading card games, toys and hobbies, and sports singles	8% on final price for items priced up to $1500; 0% on the portion over $1500 (for a limited time)	2.9% on total order value + $0.30
Coins and money	4% on items priced up to $1500; 0% on the portion over $1500 (for a limited time)	2.9% on total order value + $0.30
Electronics	5%	2.9% on total order value + $0.30
All leftover categories	8%	2.9% on total order value + $0.30

For instance, if you sell a handbag for $200, this will be your final sale price. So your commission will be 8% of 200 = $16. Let’s say the buyer pays $10 for shipping and $10 in taxes. Your total order value = $200 + $10 + $10. So, the payment processing fee will be 2.9% of $220 + $0.30 = 6.38 + $0.30 = $6.68.

Your total Whatnot fees for this sale = $16 = $6.68 = $22.68.

For a limited period, any sales made by Canadian sellers will only attract a 4% commission.

Now, let’s have a look at the Whatnot fees for UK and EU sellers:

Item category	Commission fee	Payment processing fee
Comics and anime, trading card games, toys and hobbies, and sports singles	6.67% + VAT on final price for items priced up to £/€1500; 0% on the portion over £/€1500 (for a limited time)	2.42% on total order value + £/€0.25
Coins and money	4% + VAT on items priced up to £/€1500; 0% on the portion over £/€1500 (for a limited time)	2.42% on total order value + £/€0.25
All leftover categories	6.67% + VAT	2.42% on total order value + £/€0.25

How does Whatnot’s reduced commission on high-value orders work?

When you sell an item priced over $/£/€ 1500, you won’t have to pay any commission fees for the portion exceeding $/£/€ 1500. Here’s an example to illustrate it better. 

Let’s say you sell a rare card collection for $2500. Here, you’ll pay the standard 8% commission for $1500. For the portion exceeding $1500 (i.e. $2500 – $1500 = $1000), you’ll pay a 0% commission fee. 

The payment processing fee, however, will be charged on the entire transaction value, i.e. on $2500 + any shipping and taxes.

This reduced commission applies only to a select category of products:

✅ Comics and anime
✅ Trading card games
✅ Coins and money
✅ Toys and hobbies
✅ Sports singles

It does NOT apply to:

❌ Sports breaks
❌ Surprise products

This offer is only available for a limited period, so do some social media and email outreach (through SignalHire and its competitors) and market your Whatnot account to get more sales before the promotional period ends.

Other things that may impact your final earnings from Whatnot

Sometimes, you may notice that, despite factoring in Whatnot’s commission fees and the payment processing fees, your final payout is still less than what you thought it would be. This could be because of the following reasons:

Shipping fees

Typically, the buyer pays for the shipping on Whatnot. You need to enter the correct weight of the package and a buyer-paid shipping label will be sent to you. The shipping cost may vary depending on the item weight and how far the buyer stays from you. 

Keep in mind that the shipping fee is also included in the total order value when calculating the payment processing fees. So, if you sell an item to a buyer on the other corner of your country, the shipping price will be high, which, in turn, increases your payment processing fee. This could be why you see a lesser amount in the payout. 

While the buyer does pay for shipping, you may choose to incur the full (or partial) cost yourself to entice more users to purchase from you. This will also reduce your final earnings. 

When adding the weight of the package, you need to be very accurate so that the shipping label can be printed correctly. If the item weight is heavier than what you indicated, Whatnot will have to print a different label for the correct weight (which will likely be more expensive than what the buyer paid for). In this case, you may have to pay the difference in cost, which, again, will lower your final earnings. 

Taxes

Like shipping costs, the buyer-paid taxes vary based on the buyer’s location. If a buyer lives in a locality with higher taxes, this will reduce your final payout. Why? Because, taxes are also factored into the final order value on which payment processing fees are calculated.

What are Whatnot’s fees for giveaways?

When you host a giveaway, the winner receives the item as a gift, i.e. they pay $0 for the item. Since the total order value here is zero, you won’t be charged a commission fee or a payment processing fee!

How do coupons affect your total earnings on Whatnot?

On Whatnot, there are two types of coupons: seller-generated coupons and Whatnot-generated coupons.

For any purchases made using seller-generated coupons, the discount amount is deducted from the final sale price. Let’s say you’re selling an item for $500. A buyer uses a $50 coupon generated by you. Here, the final sale price will be $500 – $50 = $450. You’ll be paying your Whatnot commission on $450 only. 

But, the same rules don’t apply to Whatnot-generated coupons. If the same buyer purchases from you using a $50 coupon generated by Whatnot, your final sale price will still be considered $500. This means you’ll pay your Whatnot commission of the entire $500. 

However, the great part here is that Whatnot-generated coupons don’t affect your earnings! Does this mean that Whatnot will eat the cost of these coupons? Yes, it will. So, it won’t impact you whatsoever. 

Do sellers need to pay a commission on Whatnot tips?

Whatnot has a great tipping feature that lets people tip sellers — either during livestreams or out of it. 

Whenever you receive a tip, you get to keep 100% of it. No commissions, no fees.

Where can you see a breakdown of your Whatnot fees?

To find a fee breakdown and earnings for a particular order:

1. Go to Orders.
2. Select the order you want to view the breakdown for. 
3. Select Receipt and earnings details.

To see the fee deductions from a livestream:

1. Go to Seller Hub.
2. Click on the Analytics page.
3. Here, click on the Livestream button and select the show for which you want to view the earnings. 

When do you get paid on Whatnot?

If you live in the US, your earnings will land in your Whatnot balance within 4 hours after the item is delivered (confirmed by a carrier scan). If you live outside the US, you’ll have to wait for a minimum of 96 hours (for the funds to settle in Whatnot’s system) and till the order is delivered. 

If you’re an Early Payout seller, your earnings will be reflected in your Whatnot balance as soon as the shipping label is generated.

Once you see the earnings in your Whatnot account, you can request a payout to your linked bank account, which typically takes 1-2 business days.