How to pay consignors on Shopify (without spreadsheets)
If you run a consignment shop on Shopify, you've probably noticed that Shopify doesn't track who owns each item or what you owe them. Most shops end up with a spreadsheet: export the orders, find the consigned items, work out each split, subtract refunds, then note what was paid.
That works until it doesn't. Discounts change the real sale price, refunds arrive after you've already paid someone, and in-store POS sales get missed.
What to track for each consignor
- Which products are theirs
- Their commission split (your share and theirs)
- Every sale, at the price the customer actually paid after discounts
- Every refund, which reverses their share of that sale
- Every payout you've made to them
Balance owed = their share of sales − their share of refunds − payouts already made.
A quick example
A consignor's jacket is listed at $100 and your shop keeps 40%. A customer buys it with a 10% discount code, so the real sale price is $90. You keep $36 and owe the consignor $54, not $60. If the jacket is later returned, that $54 comes back off their balance, even if you've already paid them.
Doing it by hand
- Once a month, export your orders from Shopify (Orders → Export).
- Filter to consigned products, using a tag or the vendor field to mark each consignor's items.
- Use the discounted line price for each item, not the list price.
- Apply each consignor's split, then subtract refunds and payouts already made.
- Keep a record of each payout (date, amount, method) so you can answer questions later.
Doing it automatically
Resalo is a Shopify app that records each consigned sale and refund as it happens, online and in Shopify POS. It works out each consignor's share from the price actually paid and keeps a running balance. When you pay someone, you record the payout and can give them a printable statement or CSV. It never moves money and doesn't touch your storefront. $19/month with a 14-day free trial, launching soon on the Shopify App Store.