Clearer Information, Better Tools: Seller Protection and Account Health Improvements
Postal carrier scan delays happen everywhere, especially over the holidays or when there’s bad weather. A package can get dropped off on time, but the postal carrier doesn’t scan it until a few days later. This shows up in your metrics as a late shipment, even when you did everything right.
Without the right tools, order issues are more difficult to evaluate fairly and it's harder for you to track your own performance. We're rolling out improvements to change that.
We’ve clarified our Seller Protection Policy to make it easier to understand how we help you handle disputes when shipment issues arise. And from 13 February, Account Health metrics will use better signals, such as our in-app scanner and Whatnot Manifest, to reflect when packages get dropped off, not just when postal carriers scan them.
A clearer Seller Protection Policy
Seller Protection is an important part of how we support you on Whatnot. When a buyer reports an issue, sellers on Seller Provided Support handle it directly with the buyer. When issues can’t be resolved directly, or for sellers not on Seller Provided Support, we step in to look at what happened and help reach a fair outcome. Our updated policy clarifies what happens when a buyer reports an issue, what information we review, when Whatnot typically covers a refund versus when a seller is responsible and how appeals work if you believe we missed important context.
When we step in, we may apply safeguards to resolve issues efficiently. For example, we handle chargebacks and payment disputes, protect against suspected fraud or abusive refund behaviour and cover verified postal carrier failures outside your control.
Sellers are responsible for refunds when the issue is within their control, including when an item is shipped incorrectly or doesn’t match its listing or description. When shipment timing is part of an issue, we look for clear signals to confirm what happened. The in-app scanner and Whatnot Manifest let you show exactly when you handed over an order to the postal carrier in these cases.
You can check out our full, updated Seller Protection Policy here.
Account Health fulfilment metrics
The in-app scanner and Whatnot Manifest give us a clearer drop-off signal and keep your buyers informed.
From, 13 February, you'll have access to fulfilment metrics in Account Health. In the Seller Performance section, you'll see:
On-Time Scan Rate: The percentage of orders you ship and scan on time.
Defect-Free Order Rate: The percentage of orders that haven't been cancelled by you or had issues resulting in a refund or cancellation.
These metrics help you see how you're doing and where you can improve.
Shipping within two business days is still required. We recommend using the in-app scanner or Manifest for every shipment to ensure your metrics are accurate and provide clear proof of drop-off timing if disputes arise.
How this affects Premier Shop eligibility
If you’re already part of the Premier Shop programme for February, your status will remain unchanged for this evaluation period and you’ll continue to be assessed using the metrics currently shown in your Premier Shop analytics. From 1 May 2026, Premier Shop evaluations will use the updated metrics displayed in Account Health.
Sellers who are not currently enrolled will be evaluated using these metrics.
More information about Account Health metrics can be found here.
What’s next
The day-to-day expectations for providing a great buyer experience on Whatnot are still the same. These updates give you more clarity when things go wrong and better tools to highlight the work you’re already doing.
A few things to remember:
Review the updated Seller Protection Policy so you know what happens if there’s an order issue.
Check Account Health on 13 February to see your new fulfilment metrics.
Keep shipping within two business days, as always.
Use the in-app scanner and Manifest consistently to keep buyers updated and build a clear record of your drop-off timing.
