> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.supercycle.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Consignment overview

> Sell stock owned by brand partners and track the revenue share you owe them.

**Consignment** lets you list and sell stock you don't own. A **consignor** (a brand partner, supplier, or individual) provides items, you rent or resell them, and Supercycle automatically tracks the **revenue share** you owe the consignor as their items earn.

Supercycle keeps a running balance for each consignor, builds it up as their items are paid for, reverses it on refunds, and lets you record payouts to settle up. Consignors can follow along in their own portal.

<Note>
  **Beta feature.** Consignment is currently in beta and is off by default. Access is granted on a per-store basis upon request and approval. Contact support to request access. If you don't see the **Consignment** tab in **Settings**, it isn't enabled for your store yet.
</Note>

***

## How it works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Enable consignment">
    Turn consignment on in **Settings** and choose how you'll pay consignors. See [Enable consignment](#enable-consignment) below.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add consignors">
    Create a [consignor](/documentation/manage/consignment/consignors) and set their **revenue share**, the percentage of net revenue from their items they keep.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Assign items">
    [Assign items](/documentation/manage/consignment/assigning-items) to the consignor. You can override the commission rate per item if a particular item has different terms.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Earn">
    When a charge on a consigned item is paid, Supercycle adds the consignor's share to their **balance owed**. Refunds reverse it automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pay out">
    Record [payouts](/documentation/manage/consignment/payouts) to settle the balance. Consignors see their balance, activity, and payouts in the [consignor portal](/documentation/manage/consignment/consignor-portal).
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Key concepts

| Term                | What it means                                                                                                                              |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Consignor**       | The brand partner or person who owns the stock. Has a name, an optional linked customer, a default revenue share, and payout methods.      |
| **Revenue share**   | The consignor's percentage of net revenue from their items, set on the consignor and used as the default for every item assigned to them.  |
| **Commission rate** | A per-item override of the revenue share. If set, it applies to that item's cycles; if blank, the item uses the consignor's revenue share. |
| **Balance owed**    | The money you've accrued for a consignor but haven't yet paid out.                                                                         |
| **Earning**         | An entry added to a consignor's balance when a charge on their item is paid.                                                               |
| **Refund**          | An entry that reverses part of a consignor's balance when a charge is refunded.                                                            |
| **Payout**          | A record of a payment you've made to a consignor, which settles part or all of their balance.                                              |
| **Payout run**      | A batch of payouts recorded together, labelled `Run #1`, `Run #2`, and so on.                                                              |

***

## Payout methods

You choose how you pay consignors in **Settings** > **Consignment**.

| Method            | Status      | Description                                                                         |
| ----------------- | ----------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Manual**        | Active      | Record payouts you make outside Supercycle, like cash or a transfer from your bank. |
| **Store credit**  | Coming soon | Pay consignors with credit to spend in your store.                                  |
| **Bank transfer** | Coming soon | Send payouts directly to consignor bank accounts.                                   |

Recording a payout in Supercycle tracks what you owe and what you've paid. It doesn't move any money itself. With the **Manual** method you make the actual payment outside Supercycle.

***

## Consignment and your other methods

Consignment is independent of how an item is sold. An item can be on resale, on a rental method, or both. Assigning it to a consignor simply changes who earns a share of the revenue when it's paid for.

* Store-owned items have no consignor and earn you 100% of the revenue.
* Consigned items earn the consignor their revenue share, and you keep the rest.

This means you can run consigned and store-owned stock side by side, and a single order can include both.

***

## Enable consignment

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open consignment settings">
    In Shopify admin, go to **Supercycle** > **Settings** > <Icon icon="shopify" iconType="solid" /> [**Consignment**](https://admin.shopify.com/apps/supercycle/settings/consignment).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable consignment">
    Turn on **Enable consignment**, then **Save**. Once saved, **Manage consignors** becomes available.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review payout methods">
    Under **Payout methods**, **Manual** is active by default: record payouts you make outside Supercycle, like cash or a bank transfer. **Store credit** and **Bank transfer** are coming soon.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Consignment is rolling out gradually. If you don't see the **Consignment** tab in settings, it isn't enabled for your store yet, so contact support to request access.
</Note>

***

## Consignment FAQs

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="When does a consignor start earning?">
    A consignor earns when a charge on one of their items is **paid**, not when the order is placed. The amount added to their balance is the charge's revenue multiplied by the commission rate that applies to that item.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens on a refund?">
    If a paid charge is later refunded, Supercycle adds a reversing **refund** entry that reduces the consignor's balance by their share of the refunded amount, using the same rate as the original earning.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What rate is used if I change a consignor's revenue share later?">
    The rate is locked in at the moment each earning is recorded, so changing a consignor's revenue share only affects future earnings. Past balance entries aren't recalculated.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does recording a payout send money to the consignor?">
    No. Supercycle records what you owe and what you've paid. With the **Manual** method you make the actual payment yourself, then record it to settle the balance.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>