Seller Provided Support: Building Trust, Together
Strong seller businesses are built on trust.
That’s always been true on Whatnot. From day one, the sellers who grow the fastest are the ones who ship quickly, communicate clearly, and consistently deliver what buyers expect. Just as important is what happens when something doesn’t go as planned. Whether it’s a delayed package or a buyer receives the wrong item, these moments are opportunities to build trust and create experiences that bring buyers back.
As Whatnot has grown, one thing has become clear: the way post-purchase issues are handled plays a major role in long-term success. Buyers remember how you show up when it matters most. Sellers who handle these moments well build stronger, more resilient businesses. That’s why we’ve been evolving how post-purchase support works on Whatnot.
Expanding Seller Provided Support to All Sellers
Seller Provided Support (SPS) is now rolling out to all sellers in 2026. Over the past couple of years, we’ve been building toward this better support experience – one that we’ve tested in different forms and continued to refine based on feedback.
SPS gives you direct ownership of buyer issues along with the tools and visibility to resolve them quickly and fairly. Already live for new US sellers, SPS will expand to existing active sellers over the coming months. All US sellers will be enrolled by September 1, 2026 (international rollout is beginning later this year) and become the standard support model on Whatnot. You’ll have the opportunity to opt-in sooner, and we’ll reach out to sellers as it’s available.
You will continue to have support from Whatnot. We will step in when needed while continuing to raise expectations for responsiveness and accountability across the marketplace. The goal is to maintain a marketplace buyers trust and where great sellers can grow for the long term.
How it Works
With SPS, buyer issues come directly to you, giving you more control, faster resolution times, and better visibility into your business.
When a buyer submits a request for an eligible issue, it will appear as a task in your Seller Hub and in the Customer Support tab of your Inbox. You will also receive an email and push notification so you don’t miss it.
You will have two business days to respond. During that time, you can:
Issue a full or partial refund (with or without a return)
Send a replacement
Message the buyer to gather details or explain why a refund isn't covered under our Buyer Protection Policy
If you don’t respond within two business days and the buyer escalates the issue, Whatnot may step in to resolve it, including issuing a refund and billing the amount back to you. If you believe a billback was applied in error, you’ll be able to submit an appeal for review.
We’re also making SPS a requirement for Premier Shop. Starting September 1, 2026, in order to earn or keep Premier Shop status, all US sellers will need to maintain a high support rating of “Great” or “Excellent” and respond to at least 95% of buyer requests within two business days. For international sellers, this will go into effect once SPS becomes available, starting later this year.
Great service doesn’t end at the sale. Fast shipping, clear communication, and reliable support are essential for building long-term buyer trust. That’s exactly what Premier Shop is designed to recognize, and what SPS helps you deliver.
How to Monitor Performance
Once you opt in or are enrolled to SPS, you will also see additional internal metrics in your Inbox:
Response Rate: How often you reply within two business days
Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): Buyer feedback after support interactions
These metrics give you insight into your support performance so you can spot patterns and make informed improvements. They are not visible to buyers. If your metrics begin to decline, we’ll reach out with guidance on how to improve.
New Seller Rating Added to Your Profile
SPS also introduces a Support Rating that is visible to buyers on your public profile. It shows buyers how you handle issues when they come up, and that visibility builds trust.
Trust plays a meaningful role in driving repeat purchases and building a loyal customer base. After your first few SPS cases, your Support Rating will appear on your profile, ranging from Excellent to Below Average. It is based on factors like response time, escalations, refund patterns, and buyer satisfaction.
Keeping your rating strong comes down to a few consistent habits: responding within two business days, communicating clearly, and working toward timely, fair resolutions.
How We Support You
While you’re taking on more ownership, you’re not on your own. We will continue to step in when appropriate to support our sellers:
Refund abuse: If a buyer is misusing refund policies, we’ll take action on their account and handle their support directly.
Situations outside your control: If an issue is clearly beyond your control, like stalled tracking or carrier logistics problems, we’ll manage those cases.
Inconclusive cases: When fault isn’t clear, we’ll often help cover the refund, as long as there isn’t a lack of response or a broader pattern of issues.
Right to appeal: If a buyer escalates a case and a refund is billed back to you, you can submit an appeal. If approved, we’ll reimburse the refunded amount to you, including eligible return shipping, directly to your seller ledger.
The goal is balanced protection, giving sellers more ownership while keeping the right safeguards in place. Read more about how we support you in our Seller Protection Policy.
We’ll continue improving SPS and expanding access over time. To learn more about how to respond, what tools are available, and which issues are covered, check out the full guide in the Help Center. Together, we’re building a trusted marketplace that supports both buyers and sellers for the long term.
