Whatnot's new commission structure took effect on 21 September 2026. Your total sales over a four-week period set your tier, and rates go as low as 3%. Payment processing is charged on top.
What changed
Whatnot's help center says its new commission rate structure took effect on 21 September 2026 for existing sellers. Sellers who joined after that date get the new structure at 12:00 a.m. local time on the following Monday.
How it works: all sales in all categories count toward one total over a four-week period, which is 28 days. That total sets your tier, and the tier sets the commission rate you pay in the next four-week period. Whatnot says rates go as low as 3%. The rate within a tier still varies by category, and for live sales it follows the category of the show. Your rate is locked for the full period; if you reach a higher tier mid-period, the lower rate starts next period. The threshold has to be reached within one window, and sales do not carry over.
Starting tiers were set for existing sellers using their sales from 24 August to 20 September 2026, so nobody opened at zero. Cancelled orders, private shows and local pickup orders are not counted toward your total.
Whatnot charges commission on the item price, which it calls gross merchandise value, and not on buyer-paid shipping or taxes. It gives an example in which an 8% commission on a $10 item costs $0.80, against $0.95 for a 6% rate applied to a $15.84 total that includes shipping and tax. That is Whatnot's own illustration, not a comparison we have tested.
Payment processing is separate. The help page lists 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction in the US, Canada and Australia, and 2.42% plus €0.25 or £0.25 in the EU and UK, with VAT on top. Processing is calculated on the full order the buyer pays, including shipping and taxes. In the EU and UK, Whatnot says all commission rates are subject to VAT.
Thresholds and rates differ by country, and the page has a separate rate card for each of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the US. We have not copied the tables here; use the market-specific card on the source page.
Who it affects
Every Whatnot seller is moved onto the new structure. High-volume sellers are the ones who can reach the lowest rates; small sellers may see less change. Because tiers reset every four weeks, a quiet period can raise your rate for the next one.
What to do
- Open Seller Hub and check your current tier, projected rate and cutoff date.
- Look up your own market's rate card on the Whatnot page before you reprice.
- Work out your net with both commission and processing fees, as the lower commission alone is not your total cost.
- Plan big show nights with the four-week window in mind: a strong period lowers next period's rate, not the current one.
Sources
- Whatnot Help Center: Whatnot seller fees (page read 4 October 2026)