Last updated: May 2026

tl;dr: Consignment software automates payout calculation using configurable commission models (flat-rate, tiered, or per-item). When an item is marked as sold, the software calculates the consignor's share based on the agreed commission rate, tracks the payment through pending → paid → disputed statuses, and generates itemised monthly statements. Consignors can view their earnings and pending payouts through a self-service portal. For accounting, payout data exports to Xero and MYOB via CSV.

Consignment stores deal with a fundamental tension: you hold someone else’s inventory, sell it, and need to get them paid — accurately, quickly, and without disputes. Do it wrong and you burn trust with your consignors. Do it manually and you burn hours every month reconciling spreadsheets.

Consignment software solves this by automating the entire payout lifecycle: from commission calculation at point of sale through to payment tracking and statement generation. Here’s how it actually works.

How Payout Calculation Works

At the core of any consignment payout system is the commission model — the formula that determines how sale proceeds are split between the store and the consignor.

Tiered Commission Models

Most Australian consignment stores use a tiered structure where the store’s commission percentage decreases as the sale price increases. A typical setup looks like this:

Sale Price Store Commission Consignor Payout
Up to $2,000 20% 80%
$2,001 – $5,000 15% 85%
Over $5,000 10% 90%

This structure incentivises consignors to bring in higher-value items while ensuring the store still makes margin on smaller sales. The software applies these tiers automatically based on the sold price — no manual lookups or calculator needed.

Flat-Rate and Per-Item Overrides

Some stores prefer simplicity: a flat 15% commission on everything. Consignment software supports that too, via a single configurable rate applied to all sales.

More importantly, stores can override the commission on individual items. A high-volume consignor might negotiate 12% instead of 15%. A luxury handbag consigned at a premium rate might be set at 18%. The software stores these overrides at the item level and uses them in the payout calculation automatically.

The Mark-as-Sold Flow

When a consignment item sells, the payout process kicks off immediately. Here’s the sequence:

  1. Item marked as sold — Staff records the sale price, date, and optionally the buyer details through the POS or dashboard.
  2. Commission calculated — The software looks up the item’s commission rate (tiered, flat, or per-item override) and calculates the store fee and consignor payout.
  3. Payout recorded — A pending payout entry is created, linked to the consignor’s account with the calculated amount.
  4. Sale metadata stored — The full record includes sold price, commission rate, payout amount, platform (in-store, eBay, Facebook Marketplace), and sale date.

This happens in seconds. The consignor’s running balance updates so they can see what’s owed.

Payout Status Tracking

Consignment software tracks each payout through three statuses:

  • Pending — Item is sold, payout amount is calculated, but payment hasn’t been sent to the consignor yet. This is the default state when a sale is recorded.
  • Paid — The store has paid the consignor. Staff marks the payout as paid (optionally recording a payment date and method).
  • Disputed — The consignor has raised a query about the payout amount. This status flags the record for review and prevents accidental double-payment until resolved.

This simple status system prevents the most common payout errors: forgetting to pay someone, paying the wrong amount, or paying twice.

The Consignor Portal: Self-Service Payout Visibility

Modern consignment software provides a consignor portal — a self-service login where consignors can see their own data without calling the store.

Through the portal, consignors can view:

  • Total earned — The running total of all payouts across all sold items
  • Pending payout — The amount currently owed (sold items not yet paid out)
  • Individual item details — Each item’s sold price, commission rate, and calculated payout
  • Payout history — Records of past payments with dates and amounts
  • Active inventory — Items still on the floor or listed for sale

The portal is pull-based, not real-time push. Data updates when items are marked as sold or payouts are recorded — typically within seconds of the action in-store. This gives consignors transparency without burdening store staff with “how much have I sold?” phone calls.

Monthly Consignor Statements

Beyond the live portal, consignment software generates formal monthly statements. These are branded PDF documents showing:

  • Consignor details and negotiated commission tier
  • All active items (currently listed for sale)
  • All sold items with sale prices, commissions, and payouts
  • Period summary totals (total sales, total commission, net payout)
  • Payment status for each sold item

For Australian stores, these statements serve as the record for consignor payment tracking and are useful during EOFY reconciliation. They’re typically generated with a single click or scheduled to run automatically at month-end.

Accounting Integration

Payout data doesn’t live in isolation — it needs to flow into the store’s accounting system. Consignment software typically handles this through CSV export to major platforms:

  • Xero export — Payout records formatted for Xero’s bank reconciliation and accounts payable workflow
  • MYOB export — Similar structured data for MYOB users

These are CSV exports, not direct API sync. Staff download the export and import into their accounting software. For most Australian consignment stores, this is sufficient — the alternative is manually recording each payout, which is error-prone and time-consuming.

What to Look for in Payout Features

If you’re evaluating consignment software, here are the payout features that matter:

  • Flexible commission models — Can you set tiered rates AND override individual items?
  • Payout tracking — Does it track pending, paid, and disputed statuses?
  • Consignor portal — Can consignors check their own earnings without calling you?
  • Monthly statements — Does it generate itemised PDF statements automatically?
  • Accounting export — Can you get payout data into Xero or MYOB?

TurnGoods supports all of these: tiered commission with per-item overrides, full payout lifecycle tracking, a pull-based consignor portal, monthly PDF statement generation, and Xero/MYOB CSV export.

Getting Started

If you’re running a consignment store and still tracking payouts in spreadsheets, automating this workflow saves hours of admin time and eliminates payout disputes. TurnGoods handles commission calculation, payout tracking, consignor portal access, monthly statements, and Xero/MYOB export — all built for Australian stores with AUD pricing and BAS/GST compliance.

👉 See pricing and plans → 👉 Learn how consignment software works →