Consignment commission splits: 50/50 vs 60/40 vs 70/30
The consignment commission split decides how the money from every sale gets divided between your store and the person who brought the item in. Here's how a consignment split actually works, the typical ranges by category, when to use tiered rates or store-credit bonuses, and a free calculator to run your own numbers — plus how ResaleOS tracks and pays every split automatically.
A consignment commission split divides each sale between the store and the consignor. 50/50 is the classic default; general apparel and resale commonly run 40–60% to the store, while luxury and designer often favor the consignor at 60/40 or 70/30. The right number reflects how much work and cost the store absorbs. Tiered splits and store-credit bonuses fine-tune it. Whatever you choose, track it automatically — ResaleOS applies each split at the moment of sale and calculates consignor payouts for you.
How a consignment split works: who keeps what
Consignment is simple at its core. A consignor hands you an item to sell; you list it, market it, sell it, and handle the transaction. When it sells, the sale price is divided by an agreed percentage — the commission split. Nothing changes hands until the item actually sells, which is the whole appeal for the consignor: no upfront cost, no risk if it does not move.
A "50/50 consignment split" means the store keeps 50% and the consignor keeps 50%. A "60/40" split usually means the store keeps 60% because it is doing the selling work; a "70/30" split in the consignor's favor means they keep 70%. The one rule that prevents every argument: write down exactly which side the percentage refers to. On a $100 sale at a 60/40 store-favored split, the store keeps $60 and the consignor is paid $40.
What justifies the store's share is real work: photographing, writing listings, pricing with sold comps, crosslisting to marketplaces, storing inventory, running the point of sale, and handling returns. The more of that you do — and the faster you sell — the more your share is earned rather than just charged.
Typical consignment split ranges by category
These are ranges, not gospel. Your split should reflect your service level, your local market, and the value of the goods. Use them as a starting point, then check your real numbers in reports.
Apparel & general resale
40–60% to the storeThe most common consignment split for clothing, shoes, accessories and general secondhand goods. A 50/50 split is the classic default; higher-volume or full-service stores that photograph, list and ship often keep 60%.
Luxury & designer
Often a lower store %Because item values are high and consignors have more leverage, luxury and designer consignment often lands the seller a larger share — 60/40 or 70/30 in the consignor’s favor is common, sometimes on a sliding scale that improves as the price climbs.
Furniture & big-ticket
Varies widelyFurniture, art and high-value one-off items are all over the map — anywhere from 40% to 60% to the store, sometimes with flat handling or pickup fees layered on. Storage footprint and effort per sale drive the number more than a fixed rule.
Whatever range you land in, price the item itself with real market data so the split is dividing the right number in the first place. See how to price consignment inventory for the full method.
Tiered splits, sliding scales & store-credit bonuses
A flat percentage is the easiest place to start, but the most profitable stores rarely stop there. Two refinements do most of the work.
Tiered & sliding-scale splits
Change the percentage by sale price or cumulative volume — for example 50% to the consignor under $100 and 60% over $500, or a better rate once a consignor passes a lifetime-sales threshold. Tiers reward higher-value inventory and loyalty, and they give you a reason to court consignors with better goods.
Store-credit bonuses
Offer a higher rate for store credit than for cash — say 50% cash or 60% credit. It protects your margin, keeps money circulating in your shop, and many consignors happily take the bump. Offer both and let them choose.
The catch with any of this is bookkeeping: the more nuanced your split rules, the harder they are to track by hand. That is exactly why you want the rules living in software instead of a spreadsheet.
How to track and pay splits without spreadsheets
The split math is trivial for one item. The pain is at scale: hundreds of consignors, thousands of items, cash-versus-credit balances, tiered rates, and a month-end reconciliation that eats a weekend and still sparks disputes. The fix is to calculate the split at the moment of sale and let each consignor see their own balance.
ResaleOS does exactly that. Set each consignor's commission rate once and it is applied automatically on every sale — in person through the POS (including Square Tap to Pay) or online across the 28+ marketplaces you crosslist to, with automatic delisting so a one-of-a-kind item is never oversold. Each consignor's share is recorded per item, and consignor account management gives them a self-serve portal to watch their inventory and balances in real time.
When it is time to pay, payouts are calculated for you. The mechanics — cash versus credit, thresholds, holds — are covered in how consignor payouts work, and if you are still standing up your shop, the consignor portal setup guide and pricing rules walk you through it.
Consignment split calculator
Enter a sale price and your store's commission percentage to see each side's share instantly. Add a monthly sales volume to see store revenue versus total consignor payout.
ResaleOS calculates these splits automatically on every sale and tracks exactly what each consignor is owed — no spreadsheet math. See automated splits & payouts
Pick a fair split, then let software run it
There is no universally correct consignment split — only the one that fairly reflects the work you do, the value of the goods, and what your market will bear. Start near the category norm, layer in tiers or a store-credit bonus if they fit, and revisit the number once reports show your real per-item margin and sell-through.
Once the split is set, the winning move is to stop touching it. ResaleOS applies your rates automatically, keeps every consignor's balance current, and calculates payouts for you — across in-store POS, your own storefront, and every marketplace at once. New to this? Start with how to start a consignment store and how to sell consignment inventory online, or check margins with the resale profit margin calculator.
Ready to transform your resale business?
List once. Sell anywhere. Ship everywhere.
Get started.
Frequently asked questions
What is a typical consignment commission split?
The most common consignment split is 50/50 — the store and the consignor each keep half of the sale price. From there it ranges widely: general apparel and resale stores commonly keep 40–60%, while luxury and designer consignment often favors the consignor at 60/40 or 70/30 because item values are higher. There is no single right number; the split reflects how much work and cost the store takes on (photography, listing, crosslisting, storage, shipping, marketing).
Does the consignor or the store keep the bigger share?
It depends on the split and the category. In a 50/50 split they are even. In a 60/40 split the store usually keeps 60% (it does the selling work), while in higher-value luxury categories the consignor often keeps the larger share — a 70/30 split in their favor is common. Always state clearly in your consignment agreement who the percentage refers to so there is no confusion at payout time.
What is a tiered or sliding-scale consignment split?
A tiered split changes the percentage based on sale price or total volume. For example, a store might give the consignor 50% on items under $100 and 60% on items over $500, or improve a consignor’s rate once their cumulative sales pass a threshold. Sliding scales reward higher-value inventory and loyal consignors. ResaleOS lets you set these rules once and then applies them automatically on every sale.
Should I offer store credit instead of cash payouts?
Many stores offer a bonus for taking store credit — for example 50% in cash or 60% in store credit. It improves your margin and keeps money circulating in your shop, and plenty of consignors happily take the higher credit rate. Offer both and let the consignor choose. ResaleOS tracks cash-versus-credit balances per consignor so you always know what is owed and in which form.
How do I track consignment splits without spreadsheets?
Use software that calculates the split at the moment of sale. ResaleOS applies each consignor’s commission rate automatically, records their share on every item, and gives them a self-serve consignor portal to see their inventory and balances. When it is time to pay, payouts are calculated for you — no month-end spreadsheet reconciliation, no manual math, no disputes over who is owed what.
Related Posts
Sell more on eBay
How to Increase eBay Sales: 8 Tactics That Sell More in 2026
Grow online sales
