Whatnot approves luxury bag sellers case by case. To apply, schedule a show or list a product in Luxury Bags & Accessories and follow the application in the app. Whatnot says it reviews your history on Whatnot, your experience selling luxury elsewhere and your authentication expertise.
Once you're approved, you have to be able to prove that what you sell is authentic. If you link a certificate in a listing, Whatnot says your business name should match the name on it. That catches resellers who buy wholesale, because a certificate from a supplier can carry the supplier's name instead of yours.
Checked against Whatnot's help pages on November 1, 2026. Whatnot changes these, so read the linked pages before you rely on them.
What Whatnot counts as luxury
Approval applies to bags and accessories from these brands, per Whatnot's gated categories page: Louis Vuitton, Hermรจs, Chanel, Celine, Goyard, Dior, Gucci, Fendi, Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent, Burberry, Balenciaga, Chloรฉ and Prada. Luxury watches are a separate category with their own application.
What to have ready when you apply
Whatnot's help pages don't list required documents, and we haven't seen the form itself. They do name what gets reviewed, so this is our read of what backs up each one:
- Your history on Whatnot: a clean record in the categories you already sell.
- Your experience selling luxury elsewhere: sales history from eBay, Poshmark, TikTok Shop, your own store or wherever you've sold.
- Your authentication expertise: an account with an authentication service, certificates from past sales, and supplier invoices that show where your pieces came from.
The rules once you're in
From Whatnot's luxury policy and counterfeit policy:
- Condition: use Whatnot's six grades, from New with tags to Poor, and state the grade out loud or in the listing.
- Flaws: on any piece that isn't new, describe every flaw out loud and show it on camera. Corners, hardware, edges, handles and interiors are the ones Whatnot calls out.
- Repairs: disclose them. An undisclosed repair counts as misrepresentation.
- Proof: you're responsible for authenticity and must be prepared to show proof for what you list, sell or give away. Before Whatnot rules a piece inauthentic, it gives you a chance to submit evidence. If it rules against you, the buyer is refunded and you're billed for the refund.
- Gifts with purchase and branded parts: these need a certificate from Real Authentication specifically, the only approved authenticator Whatnot names for them.
- Stay on category: consistently selling non-luxury items there can cost you access.
The certificate name rule
Whatnot's Pre-Authentication Program gives four instructions for adding a certificate to a listing:
- Add a link to the Entrupy or Real Authentication certificate in the listing description.
- Make sure the product images on the certificate match the images in your listing.
- "Your business name should match the name on your COA."
- Don't reuse or duplicate certificates.
The wording is "should", and the penalties Whatnot spells out, from a warning up to removing selling privileges, are for duplicated or falsified certificates. Whatnot also says sellers who misuse certificates may lose the discounted rates. We didn't find anything saying what happens when the name alone doesn't match, so treat the match as the rule and don't test it.
Here's how the name works at each service:
| Service | Whose name shows | Getting your name on it | Where Whatnot stands | Cost through Whatnot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Authentication | The account holder's, by default | Change it per document at purchase, or once afterward for $2 (FAQ, services). Its FAQ says some sellers name their buyer | Program partner | $10 for basic authentication with certificate |
| Entrupy | The verified business that ran the check | A verified business can reauthenticate, which generates a new certificate in its own name. Transfers to a new holder are listed as planned, not live | Program partner | $7 an item, specialty items such as Hermรจs excluded. You also need Entrupy's device: free for the first 50 new sellers, then $250 |
| LegitApp | Not checked | Not checked | Recommended in the counterfeit policy, not in the program | None listed |
If you buy your inventory wholesale
You have three honest options, and you can mix them.
Ask your supplier before the piece is certified. Some can put your business name on the certificate. At Luxe Supply, certificates carry our name by default, and any buyer can ask for their business name instead, on CheckCheck certificates only. Only a few buyers do that today. If you also sell on TikTok Shop, CheckCheck is on its approved list. Ask before your order ships, not after. Certificates may carry a per-piece fee, shown on your invoice.
Certify it yourself when it arrives. Run the piece through Real Authentication or your own Entrupy account at Whatnot's rate. That gives you a certificate in your name from a service Whatnot names. It also adds a cost per piece, so put that in your margin first. Our free Whatnot fee calculator handles the fee side.
Keep the supplier's certificate on file anyway. Whatnot asks sellers to keep certificates, brand documentation or similar records as proof, and calls them your best defense against a wrong claim. A supplier's certificate plus the invoice for that piece is a real record even if it isn't the one you link. Whether it's enough in a given dispute is Whatnot's call.
One thing not to do: don't edit the name on a certificate yourself. Real Authentication says any mismatch in the client name voids its document. Whatnot acts against falsified certificates, up to removing selling privileges.
FAQ
Do I need approval to sell designer bags on Whatnot?
Yes, for the brands above in Luxury Bags & Accessories. Whatnot reviews each application individually.
Does every bag need a certificate on Whatnot?
Whatnot doesn't say every bag needs one linked. It does say you must be able to prove authenticity for what you sell. Gifts with purchase and branded parts do require a certificate from Real Authentication.
Can I use a wholesaler's certificate on Whatnot?
Whatnot doesn't address this directly. Its program says the business name should match yours and names Entrupy and Real Authentication, so a certificate from one of those in your business name fits the instructions as written. Anything else is evidence Whatnot weighs at its discretion.
Can I get my name on an Entrupy certificate?
Entrupy's certificates show the verified business that ran the check. If you're a verified business, you can reauthenticate, and the new certificate carries your name.
How much does authentication cost for Whatnot sellers?
Whatnot lists $7 an item with Entrupy, specialty items such as Hermรจs excluded, and $10 for basic authentication with a certificate from Real Authentication. Whatnot says these rates can change.
About Luxe Supply
Luxe Supply Co. is a B2B wholesaler of authenticated pre-owned luxury, one of the largest in the US and Japan, and has sold 100,000+ pieces to resellers. Every piece is authenticated before it ships, using Entrupy or CheckCheck plus in-house specialists with 12+ years of experience. Live sellers can read how we work with them or browse the Luxe Supply wholesale catalog.
Luxe Supply Co. is an independent reseller of pre-owned goods and isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Whatnot, TikTok, the authentication services or the brands named here. This is general information, not legal advice or a statement of Whatnot's policy.