The best consignment software, and how to start a consignment store

In a consignment shop, people bring you their clothes, you sell them, and you share the money when each piece sells. You don't pay for stock up front, which makes it one of the lowest-cost ways to fill a rail. In return you take on more admin: tracking whose piece is whose, what each person is owed and when to pay them. Get that part right and consignors bring you their best things for years.

What to look for in consignment software

The best consignment software takes the bookkeeping off your plate, so you can spend your time on intake and selling instead of spreadsheets. Look for these:

• Splits worked out for you at each sale, with your own rules by price, brand or category, and a different rate for a particular consignor when you need one.
• An agreement consignors accept when they join, so every piece comes in on the same terms.
• A consignor portal, where consignors see what's sold and what they're owed without messaging you.
• Payouts your way, by direct deposit, store credit, cash or check, held until the return window has passed.
• Consigned pieces sold everywhere you sell, on your own website, in person and on marketplaces, with the consignor's share worked out wherever it sold.

Consignment or buying outright?

Many resale shops do both. The difference comes down to cash, margin and work:

A common pattern is to buy outright when a piece is cheap and you're sure it will sell, and to consign higher-value pieces where paying cash up front would tie up too much money.

1. Decide what you'll accept

The fastest way to fill a shop with stock that never sells is to say yes to everything. Write down clear acceptance standards and share them before anyone arrives:

• Categories and brands. For example: womenswear and accessories only, vintage before 2006 or contemporary designer, no fast fashion.
• Condition. Freshly cleaned, no stains, holes, odours, pilling or missing buttons.
• Season. Accept coats in autumn and linen in spring, so the rack matches what people are shopping for.
• Quantity. A cap per visit, such as 15 or 20 pieces, keeps intake manageable.
• Minimum value. If a piece would sell for less than a set amount, the admin may not be worth it.

2. Set your split

The split is the share of the sale price each side keeps. Splits between 40% and 60% to the consignor are widely used, with 50/50 the most familiar. Lower-priced clothing that takes a lot of handling often pays the consignor less; high-value designer pieces often pay more. A tiered split is a fair way to handle both:

Some shops also offer a bonus for taking store credit instead of cash, for example an extra 10% or 20%. It keeps money in the shop and turns consignors into customers. In VYA you can set a default split, rules by price band, brand or category, a consignor's own rate, a store credit bonus, and who covers marketplace fees.

3. Write a clear consignment agreement

The agreement protects both sides and answers most questions before they're asked. Every consignor should sign or accept it before you take their pieces. VYA can ask each consignor to accept your agreement when they join. Cover at least:

• The split, including any tiers, and who pays marketplace or card fees.
• The consignment period, such as 60 or 90 days from intake.
• Pricing and markdowns. Who sets the price, and your markdown schedule, for example 20% off after 30 days and 40% off after 60.
• What happens at the end. How long the consignor has to collect unsold pieces, and that uncollected pieces are donated or become the shop's after that date.
• Payout timing and methods. When you pay (for example monthly, once any return window has passed) and how: direct deposit, check, cash or store credit.
• Loss and damage. What you'll do if a piece is lost, stolen or damaged in the shop.
• Any fees, such as an intake or account fee.
• Ownership. The consignor confirms the pieces are theirs to sell and authentic.
• Contact and tax details you'll need to pay them.

Some states have laws specific to consignment, particularly for art and certain goods. Have a local lawyer read your agreement once before you use it. It's a small cost against a dispute later.

4. Run a smooth intake

Intake is where the shop and the consignor first meet, and where most mistakes start. A simple process:

1. Book appointments, or set drop-off hours. Appointments keep intake calm and let you review pieces with the consignor there.
2. Inspect every piece. Check against your standards and hand back anything you won't take, on the spot.
3. Agree prices. Explain how you priced each piece, using recent sold prices where you can. Our pricing guide covers the method.
4. Tag and record. Give each piece a tag with the consignor's number, an item number and the intake date, and add it to your records.
5. Give a receipt. A list of every piece accepted, with prices, so the consignor knows exactly what you hold.

5. Sell, mark down and keep track

Treat consigned pieces like your own stock: good photos, clear listings, and selling online as well as in the shop if you can. Apply markdowns on schedule. Consignors trust a shop that sticks to the dates it promised.

Keep a running record for each consignor: what you hold, what sold, for how much, the split, and what you owe. When a consignor calls to ask, you should be able to answer in a minute. A consignor who can see this for themselves, online, calls far less. VYA's consignor portal does exactly that: each consignor signs in with their email and sees their own pieces, sales and balance.

6. Pay consignors on time

Paying reliably is the biggest reason consignors come back. Choose a payout cycle and keep to it. Monthly is common; weekly or every two weeks feels generous but adds admin. Many shops hold each payout until the return window on that sale has closed, so they're not paying out on a piece that comes back. VYA does this for you, holding each consignor's share until the return window in your returns policy has passed.

Offer more than one way to be paid. Direct deposit is easiest for most people. Store credit, ideally with a bonus, keeps money in the shop. Cash and checks still suit some consignors.

7. Taxes and records

• Sales tax. In most states the shop collects sales tax on the full sale price of consigned goods, just as on its own stock. Our sales tax guide covers the basics.
• Your income. Your share of each sale is your revenue. The consignor's share is money you hold for them, so keep it clearly separate in your books.
• Reporting payouts. Whether you need to issue forms for what you pay consignors depends on your setup. For payments made from 1 January 2026, the federal threshold for Forms 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC rose from $600 to $2,000. Many shops collect a Form W-9 from each consignor at sign-up so the details are on file. VYA can ask for one as part of signing a consignor up. Ask an accountant what applies to you.

8. Choose software early

A notebook or spreadsheet works for your first handful of consignors. Past that, the split maths, markdowns and payouts are where errors creep in, and errors with other people's money damage trust fast. Look for software that tracks each piece by consignor, works out splits when a sale happens, holds payouts until returns close, and pays out in the ways your consignors want.

A quick launch checklist

• Written acceptance standards, shared before intake.
• A split, including who pays marketplace fees.
• An agreement reviewed by a local lawyer.
• An intake process with tags, records and receipts.
• A markdown schedule and an end-of-period rule.
• A payout cycle, with methods consignors can choose from.
• Sales tax registration, W-9s on file and an accountant's view on reporting.

How VYA helps

VYA's consignment suite is built into the same shop you sell from:

• Consignors and their pieces together, with each balance kept up to date as pieces sell.
• Splits your way: a default, rules by price band, brand or category, or a consignor's own rate.
• A consignor portal, where consignors see their own pieces, sales and balance.
• Payouts by direct deposit, store credit (with an optional bonus), cash or check, held until your return window closes.
• Consigned pieces sold everywhere: on your site, in person with Market Mode, and cross-listed to eBay and Depop.

Consignment is on the Studio ($129 a month) and Pro ($199 a month) memberships, along with cross-listing. Starter ($49 a month) covers your own shop without consignment.

Start selling with VYA

Common questions

Consignment, tax and reporting rules vary by state and change over time. Figures in this guide were checked in October 2026; this is general guidance, not legal or tax advice, so have a local lawyer and accountant review your agreement and setup.