tl;dr: The best consignment software should include inventory tracking, cross-listing, AI pricing, consignor management, GST/BAS compliance, payout automation, authentication tracking, laybuy management, accounting integration, and a free plan to start. Australian stores need all of these to run efficiently — missing even one creates manual workarounds.
Last updated: June 2026
What to look for in consignment software
The right consignment software does more than track inventory. It replaces spreadsheets, eliminates double-handling, and automates the workflows that consume the most time in a consignment store — listing items, calculating commissions, managing consignors, and reporting for tax.
Australian consignment stores have additional requirements that US or UK-focused platforms don’t always address: GST compliance on commission splits, TPAR reporting, AUD pricing, and local marketplace integrations like eBay Australia and Trade Me NZ.
Here are the features that matter most.
1. Inventory Tracking & Item Management
At its core, consignment software must track where every item came from, what it’s worth, and what stage it’s at in the sales cycle.
Look for: barcode scanning at intake, photo capture, condition logging, consignor assignment, and automatic status updates as items move through intake → listed → sold → paid out. The system should track which items are on consignment versus owned stock.
Australian-specific consideration: Items over $1,000 may need authentication tracking. Choose software that supports third-party authentication integration.
2. Multi-Marketplace Cross-Listing
Listing items on a single marketplace limits your buyer pool. Good consignment software lets you publish to multiple channels from one workflow.
Key capabilities: one-click listing to eBay Australia, Shopify, Whatnot, and Trade Me NZ; AI-generated titles and descriptions optimised per platform; automatic delisting when an item sells; and sale detection across channels so you never double-sell an item.
Australian stores benefit most from eBay Australia direct API integration (which avoids manual CSV uploads) and Whatnot sale detection via email parsing.
3. AI Pricing & Market Analysis
Pricing used and consigned items is one of the hardest parts of running a consignment store. Price too high and items sit; price too low and consignors feel shortchanged.
AI pricing tools analyse live sold data from marketplaces to recommend optimal prices. Look for features like: automated price recommendations based on comparable sold items, deal-scoring for acquisition pricing, and periodic price audit alerts for items that haven’t sold in 30-60-90 days.
For Australian stores, the AI should pull data from eBay Australia listings (not just US or UK marketplaces) to reflect local pricing realities.
4. Consignor Management & Portal
If you take items on consignment, you need a way to manage consignor relationships at scale.
Essential features: per-item consignor assignment with custom commission splits, automatic payout calculations based on actual sale price (after fees), and a self-service consignor portal where sellers can check item status, view earnings, download statements, and book drop-offs.
A consignor portal eliminates “where’s my money?” calls — consignors check 24/7 on their own schedule. This alone saves hours of admin per week for busy stores.
5. GST/BAS & Tax Compliance
This is where US-built platforms fall short for Australian stores. Australian tax law requires special handling for consignment sales.
Critical features: automatic GST calculation on the full sale price (the store’s GST obligation), correct handling of consignor payouts (BAS Excluded / N-T classification), BAS-ready monthly reports, and TPAR-ready annual contractor payment reports.
Without these, you’re manually reconciling GST at tax time — or worse, getting it wrong and facing ATO penalties.
6. Automated Payouts & Commission Splits
Paying consignors should happen automatically, not manually.
Look for: per-item commission splits (percentage or fixed amount), automatic payout calculation on sale, batch payout processing, and consignor statement generation with full transaction history.
Some platforms support direct bank transfer integration — consignors get paid without you touching the process.
7. Authentication Tracking for Luxury Items
If your store handles designer handbags, watches, or luxury goods, authentication tracking is essential.
Features to look for: Entrupy or similar third-party authentication integration, authentication record attached to each item’s digital file, verification badges visible on listings, and authentication expiry tracking.
8. Layaway & Laybuy Management
Layaway (also called laybuy in Australia) is a popular payment option for higher-value consigned items. Customers pay in instalments while the store holds the item.
Good consignment software handles: laybuy offer creation and acceptance, automated instalment tracking and reminders, partial payment logging, and what happens to deposits if a laybuy is relinquished (correctly split between store and consignor).
9. Accounting Software Integration (Xero/MYOB)
Manual data entry between your consignment platform and accounting software is error-prone and time-consuming.
Look for: CSV export formatted for Xero and MYOB, automated export of sales data, consignor payouts, and GST summaries. Some platforms offer direct Xero/MYOB integration via API.
For Australian EOFY (June 30), this feature becomes critical — exporting a year’s worth of reconciliation data manually is a multi-day job.
10. Free Plan or Low-Cost Entry
The best consignment software lets you start without a big commitment. A free or low-cost tier should cover the basics: inventory tracking, listing on at least one marketplace, and basic consignor management.
Look at the starter plan’s limits — does it cap items? Does it limit marketplaces? Can you upgrade without losing your data?
Final checklist
Use this checklist when evaluating consignment software for your Australian store:
- Inventory tracking with barcode scanning
- Multi-marketplace cross-listing (eBay, Shopify, Whatnot, Trade Me)
- AI pricing with AU market data
- Consignor portal (self-service)
- GST/BAS compliance (not just generic tax)
- Automated payouts and statements
- Authentication tracking for luxury items
- Laybuy management
- Xero/MYOB export
- AUD pricing
- Free plan available
- Australian support during business hours
What TurnGoods covers
TurnGoods is purpose-built for Australian consignment stores and resellers. It includes all 10 features above — from cross-listing and consignor management through to GST/BAS compliance and Xero/MYOB export — in one platform with a free Starter plan.
Photograph, price, and list on eBay, Whatnot, and Shopify in under 3 minutes per item. Track consignors, calculate commissions, generate statements, and run BAS-ready reports without leaving the platform.