Consignment commission on clothes: what percentage to charge, and how to set it

When you sell other people's clothes, the first question is always the same: what consignment commission on clothes should you charge? Too low, and the cheap pieces cost you more time than they earn; too high, and consignors go elsewhere. The right rate isn't guessed: it's built from what you actually do, then put in writing.

What the commission really pays for

A commission isn't an "extra" margin: it pays for everything the consignor doesn't do — photos, writing the listing, answering messages and offers, packing, dropping off the parcel, following it up until the buyer confirms. Then come the less visible costs: your expenses, disputes, the space taken up at home, and the risk of an item not selling — a piece that never goes has cost you time and earned nothing.

Writing listings is often the longest job when a consignor turns up with a big bag. Our sister app FriShot writes the listing from 3 photos: title, description, hashtags and a suggested price.

Consignment commission: flat rate, price grid or range?

Common practice runs from 30 to 50% of the sale price, and 40-50% is fully justified when you handle the whole process (see our complete consignment guide). Then you choose how to present it:

• A flat rate: easy to explain and calculate, but it treats a cheap piece and an expensive one the same way.
• A grid by sale price: the percentage falls as the price rises. It's the most logical option — a cheap item needs as many photos, messages and as much packing as an expensive one, so it deserves a higher percentage.
• A range: you announce a bracket and set the rate case by case (batch size, condition, brands). Flexible, but confirm it in writing for each drop-off.

What to calculate the consignor's share on

• The price actually achieved, not the listed price: if you accept an offer, the accepted price counts.
• Final sales only: a return or a dispute that cancels the sale also cancels the consignor's share.
• Bundles pro rata: if a piece sells in a discounted bundle, its share is calculated pro rata to its price within the bundle.

Who pays the inbound postage

If a consignor posts their clothes to you, the clearest arrangement is that these inbound costs stay with them and are deducted from their first payout, rather than claimed separately. Decide it before the first parcel.

Put everything in writing before the first item

Rate or grid, basis of calculation, bundles, returns, postage: all of it is settled before you list a single piece, in a contract. Our article on the consignment contract covers the clauses that matter.

On the accounting side: your income is the commission

If you sell as an agent, on the consignor's behalf, your revenue is in principle the commission rather than the full sale price; if you buy and resell, it's the full price. Where the line falls depends on your agreement, your actual practice and the rules of your country: have your situation checked by an accountant or your tax office before you declare anything.

Finding consignors

A clear commission also helps you recruit. On jeconfiemesvetements.fr, a French consignment directory from the publisher of Fripilot that only lists sellers based in France, individuals describe the batch they want to hand over and their request is passed to a professional seller, whose profile states their commission as a flat rate, a grid by sale price or a range. It's free on both sides; the site takes no commission and handles no money — the seller sells and pays the consignor's share.

And so every share calculates itself

In Fripilot (Pro plan), each consignor has their own commission and their share is calculated on every Vinted sale — bundles pro rata and returns included. Sales statements and payouts are tracked per consignor, and the contract is signed electronically, in person or remotely (see our consignment software). Free 30-day trial, no card required.