Whatnot creating organizational requirements for repackers on its platform

Whatnot will begin regulating sellers of Professionally Sealed Surprise Products, popularly known as "repacks," on its site.

Effective Nov. 3, 2025, all Whatnot users who sell repacks will be required to be pre-approved and included on an "Identified Product List" after submitting a form. Repacks typically involve a number of sealed envelopes containing a card or cards, which are sold with "buy-in" prices. Some envelopes will contain cards worth less than the buy-in, and a few will contain cards worth more.

Sellers, known as "repackers," who fill out the submission form will be evaluated by Whatnot based on, "whether the manufacturer [seller] has sufficient business and operational controls in place to ensure their product information is consistently accurate and reliable. This includes factors such as organizational structure, public-facing product documentation, manufacturing procedures, and the overall maturity of business operations."

One of the biggest requirements for repackers will be providing links to recent sales that include a checklist. The following checklist requirements will be enforced starting Dec. 3, 2025:

1. Brand/Manufacturer
2. Title of Product
3. Series Name
4. Condition
5. Quantity of each individual item
6. Key distinguishing features of each item:
- Sports cards: Card year, Player or card name, variation, and grade (if applicable)
- TCG cards: Card year/set, Character or card name, variation, language, and grade (if applicable)

🚨 RESEALED PACKS 🚨

Collector StockNTrade (IG) highlights just how easy it is to get scammed when buying loose packs from unknown sellers.

This kind of deception has no place in the hobby.

Be safe out there…😳 pic.twitter.com/cgHZiaAaQf
— The Collectibles Guru (@gurucollects) May 4, 2025

Repackers will also have to upload a photo of their products in their professionally sealed packaging to demonstrate the quality of the packaging.

But that's just the first step. After the first submission for inclusion in the Identified Product List, repackers will "engage a specialized, independent auditor to perform an audit of your manufacturing process."

In a press release, Whatnot said the company is vetting sellers on its platform to "ensure our policies promote a fun, transparent, and trustworthy experience for the Whatnot community. We developed this policy so that buyers can have clear, consistent, and reliable product information for their purchases of Professionally Sealed Surprise Products."

Whatnot has long come under scrutiny for having lax regulations and ineffective enforcement policies. One of the biggest scandals occurred in Jan. 2025 when Backyard Breaks co-founder Grant Telford violated Whatnot's Youth Safety Policy for offensive language involving minors. Though Telford's account was banned on Whatnot a few days after the incident, he was allowed back on three months later under a rebranded account.

It's uncertain what kind of impact this will have on smaller, independent repackers as opposed to larger outfits like Backyard Breaks. However, the new policy suggests that it could reduce the number of repackers by virtue of their inability to meet the new requirements.