WeChat Red Envelope Covers: Market Surge, Fraudulent Sales, and Official Response

In 2021, the popularity of WeChat red‑envelope covers surged, rivaling other digital gifting trends, and users began showcasing them in group chats.

However, some sellers started profiting by selling the serial numbers needed to redeem these covers on secondary platforms, pricing them from a few to dozens of yuan.

These serial numbers are one of the distribution methods provided by the WeChat Red Envelope Cover Open Platform, alongside QR codes and links, allowing customizers to choose the most suitable method for their campaigns.

Investigative reporting revealed a seller in Guangzhou offering dozens of cover designs for 8 yuan each, earning a profit of 7 yuan per sale after covering customization costs.

On various e‑commerce sites, sellers list popular brand‑related covers (e.g., Gucci, LV) to boost visibility, though many claim the items are out of stock.

Sales volumes for top‑ranking sellers reach tens of thousands of orders, generating transaction amounts in the hundreds of thousands of yuan, contradicting the original free‑distribution intent.

WeChat’s official response states that red‑envelope covers are meant to be provided free of charge to users, and customizers are prohibited from charging any fees.

The company has identified a few customizers selling covers for profit, violating the "WeChat Red Envelope Cover" usage terms, and will take actions such as removing the offending covers, disabling their use, and suspending the customizers’ accounts for a month.

Additionally, the article warns about malicious “red‑envelope” links that masquerade as legitimate offers, using enticing language, fake voice messages, or fabricated news to lure users—especially older adults—into clicking, which can lead to exposure to gambling, pornographic, or other illegal content.

Users are urged to obtain red‑envelope covers only through official channels and to avoid interacting with unknown or suspicious links.