Apply as a seller, sort UK shipping, build a stock list and run your first Whatnot show from a spare room with a phone and a ring light.
Updated 6 October 2026
Before you start
Apply as a seller, sort UK shipping, build a stock list and run your first Whatnot show from a spare room with a phone and a ring light.
Whatnot is a live shopping app where you sell to viewers in real time, mostly through quick auctions. It runs in the UK and generates shipping labels for its sellers, so the packing side looks much like any other marketplace.
Follow these steps if you know your stock well, such as cards, trainers, vintage or toys, and have never gone live. They run from the application to the morning after your first show.
Kit for this
The products this guide uses, with typical UK prices.
Overhead phone arm
Card and small-item shows sell on the shot of your hands. An overhead arm holds the phone steady and out of your way while you open packs.
Typical price£20 to £35
See on Amazon
150 cm phone tripod with remote
Clothing and trainer shows need a full-body or full-shoe shot from in front. A tripod gets the phone to eye height and the remote starts recording from across the room.
Typical price£18 to £30
See on Amazon18 in ring light with stand
Daylight in a spare room shifts through the day. Set the ring light once and your items look the same in the evening show as in your photos.
Typical price£35 to £60
See on AmazonClip-on wireless phone mic
Viewers leave a show when they can't hear you. A clip-on mic keeps your voice level while you reach for stock.
Typical price£25 to £45
See on AmazonThe guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Apply to sell
Whatnot asks new sellers to apply before they can host a show. Its help centre says many people get access straight away while some applications go to review.
Have your category, a rough idea of your stock and any links to existing shops ready. A clear answer about what you sell helps the review.
Set up shipping
Whatnot provides shipping labels to UK sellers through the app. Read its UK shipping article for the services, who pays and how to set weights on your listings.
Weigh a typical packed order before your first show. Setting the right weight on each listing keeps the label cost the buyer pays close to the real cost.
Kit for this step
Build a stock list for one show
Pick 30 to 60 items you can describe without notes. Photograph each one and create the listings in advance, so you only press start during the show.
Put the run order on a sheet beside you. Group items by price and save the strongest pieces for the second half.
Set up the room
Your phone is the camera. Hold it steady on an overhead arm for flat items like cards, or on a tripod at chest height for clothing.
Spend on a ring light off to one side and a clip-on mic before a new phone. Turn off the ceiling light so colours stay true.
Schedule and share the first show
Whatnot lets you schedule a show ahead and share a link to it. Post that link a few days before, wherever your buyers already follow you.
Keep the first show short, around an hour. Watch the replay afterwards and fix one thing for the next show.
Pack the orders the next morning
Print every label in one batch on a thermal printer. Pack in the order of the label stack and tick each one off the sold list.
Check Whatnot’s seller help for the current dispatch timeframe and fees. Whatnot updates both, and you need the current figures to price.
Checklist
Run through it before each one goes out.
- 1Apply to sell and wait for access
- 2Read Whatnot’s UK shipping help article
- 3Weigh a typical packed order
- 4List 30 to 60 items before the show
- 5Test the camera, light and mic on a recording
- 6Schedule the show and share the link
- 7Print labels in one batch the next morning
Setups
Complete kits for one kind of seller, costed and laid out.
Questions
Can you sell on Whatnot in the UK?
Yes. Whatnot runs in the UK and has a help article on shipping for UK sellers.
Do I need to apply to sell on Whatnot?
Yes. Many applicants get access straight away and some are reviewed first, according to Whatnot’s help centre.
How much does it cost to sell on Whatnot?
Whatnot charges seller fees on sales. Check its seller help pages for the current rates instead of figures quoted elsewhere.
Who pays shipping on Whatnot UK?
Whatnot generates the labels through the app. Its UK shipping help article explains how the cost is set and charged.
What do I need for my first Whatnot show?
A phone, a way to hold it steady, a light and a mic. A thermal label printer helps once orders pile up.
What sells well on Whatnot?
Trading cards, trainers, vintage clothing and collectables are common categories. Sell what you know best: buyers ask questions live.