Payment Security

  • How Whatnot keeps your payments secure

    Every payment on Whatnot runs through encrypted payment systems. We never see or store your full card details, and every transaction is monitored for unusual activity in real time.

  • Why payments are required to stay on Whatnot

    When you pay through Whatnot, Buyer Protection covers your order, sellers get paid reliably, and we can help if something goes wrong. Once a payment moves off-platform – over DMs, bank transfers, or another app – we can't offer the same protections. That's why we require that payments stay on Whatnot, and why sellers aren't allowed to ask you to pay another way.

  • How your payment information is protected

    Your card details are handled by Stripe, our payment processor, which meets the highest level of payment security certification (PCI-DSS Level 1). Whatnot doesn't store your full card number on our servers. Transactions are encrypted in transit, and every payment is screened against fraud signals before it's processed.

  • Payment methods we support

    At checkout, you can pay with:

    • Credit and debit cards

    • PayPal

    • Apple Pay (iOS) and Google Pay (Android)

    • Venmo

    • Affirm and Klarna (Buy Now, Pay Later)

    The Whatnot app supports the most payment options. You can manage your payment methods anytime from Account → Payments & Shipping.

  • How we catch unusual activity

    Our systems analyze every transaction in real time. If something looks unusual – a new device, an unexpected location, a pattern we've seen tied to fraud – the payment can be paused for review, sent for additional verification, or declined.

    If you ever see a charge from Whatnot you don't recognize, report it through the app right away, and we'll investigate.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes. Payments on Whatnot are processed by Stripe, which holds the highest level of payment security certification (PCI-DSS Level 1). Whatnot doesn't store your full card number.

  • Payments made outside Whatnot aren't covered by Buyer Protection, and asking buyers to pay another way is against our Community Guidelines. If a seller asks – through DMs, a bank transfer, or another app – decline and report it.

  • No. Stripe handles your full card details. Whatnot stores limited payment-method information, like the last four digits and an encrypted token, so you can recognize and use your saved payment method without Whatnot storing your full card number. 

  • Report it through the app right away. Our team will investigate, and if the charge is unauthorized, we'll work with you and your bank to resolve it.