Selling clothes for other people works best when you agree on the service before taking the bag of garments. Decide what you will accept, what you will charge, which expenses come out first and what happens if an item is returned or never sells.
Your commission pays for more than uploading photographs. It can cover inspecting, measuring, researching, storing, answering messages, packing and resolving problems. A low-priced garment may require almost as much work as a more valuable one.
This guide is for the person doing the selling. Use the free printable consignment record sheet to record the commercial details and item movements. It is a working sheet, not a legal agreement template.
Decide which service you are offering
Separate three arrangements before discussing percentages:
| Arrangement | What you do | What must be clear |
|---|---|---|
| Listing assistance | Prepare photos or drafts for the owner to review and publish | The work delivered, access arrangements and who handles the sale |
| Selling on commission | Sell authorised stock and account to its owner under an agreed arrangement | Permission, costs, discounts, refunds, custody and payouts |
| Buying the clothes outright | Pay an agreed purchase price and take on the resale decision | The purchase and transfer of ownership, rather than a later profit split |
Do not drift between these models. If you buy a jacket outright, record the purchase. If you receive it on commission, keep the owner attached to its stock record throughout.
What should you charge to sell clothes for someone else?
Start with a service budget. Estimate the minutes per garment, direct costs you will absorb and the amount you need to retain for that work. Then check whether the likely sale price can support both your charge and a worthwhile owner payout.
For an original illustration, suppose an A$80 item takes 45 minutes of work. A 30% charge on the item price is A$24. If you absorb A$8 in agreed selling costs, A$16 remains for your labour and overheads before tax. A higher percentage on a low-value item can still leave very little.
Australian operators publish different arrangements. PPHH lists a 35% commission for cash payouts and 30% for store credit, with a payout delay to allow for online returns. That is one operator’s published service, checked 6 November 2026, not an industry average or a recommended rate for your business.
Consider a minimum expected item value, a minimum service charge or a different arrangement for low-value batches. Explain those choices before accepting anything. A friend expecting A$50 back from every A$60 sale needs to understand the economics before you do the work.
Define exactly what your percentage applies to
“We split it” is not a calculation. Use a named base and show an example.
Assume an item sells for A$80, with A$10 of agreed selling expenses. Buyer-paid postage exactly covers delivery in this simplified example, so it is excluded from the item-price calculation. No GST, tax or other costs are modelled.
| Agreed method | Seller retains after the A$10 expenses | Owner receives |
|---|---|---|
| Seller charges 30% of A$80 and absorbs the expenses | A$14 | A$56 |
| Deduct A$10 first, then split the remaining A$70 equally | A$35 | A$35 |
| Seller charges 30% of A$80 and expenses are separately deducted from the owner’s balance | A$24 | A$46 |
All three rows reconcile to A$80 when the A$10 expenses are included. They produce different results because the cost allocation and percentage base differ. These are hypothetical methods, not suggested standard terms.
Define treatment of marketplace fees, advertising, postage collected, actual postage, packaging, cleaning, travel and refunds. Use actual transaction records. Do not call the entire buyer payment “profit”, or deduct the same expense twice.
Agree on the decisions that cause disputes later
Before receiving stock, record permission to sell and the owner’s confirmation that they have the right to provide it. Inspect the items together where practical and retain condition photographs.
Write down the initial price, your authority to accept offers, the minimum owner payout or discount limit, the selling period and what happens at its end. Include who pays for authorised preparation, how lost or damaged stock is handled, and the process for returning unsold items. Donation or disposal needs the owner’s agreement.
Real operators make these decisions explicit. Studio61’s published terms address ownership, pricing, discounts, the consignment period and unsold collections. Use that as evidence of the subjects to resolve, rather than copying another business’s contract.
Give every garment its own owner and stock reference
Use an owner code plus a unique item reference. For example, OWN-03 / DRESS-042 can identify one garment through intake, storage, listing, sale and settlement. Store the owner’s contact details securely in your private records rather than putting them in public adverts.
Record at least:
- Owner code, item reference, intake date and condition notes.
- Agreed price, commission method and discount permission.
- Storage location and every marketplace listing link.
- Actual sale amount, postage collected and each agreed expense.
- Refunds, adjustments, the owner balance and the settlement date/reference.
The reseller inventory spreadsheet can support stock tracking, but check its fields before using it for someone else’s money. Keep your settlement calculation separate if it does not capture your agreement. The printable record sheet provides a starting structure.
Keep marketplace responsibility with the selling workflow
Permission from the owner is only one part of the arrangement. Check the marketplace’s current terms, account requirements and item eligibility before offering the service. Do not promise that every platform accepts every consignment model.
Depop’s terms place responsibility for items sold on its sellers and set requirements for business users. An agreement to reimburse you does not make a marketplace order, buyer complaint or refund disappear.
If you sell as a business, Australian consumer guarantees can apply to second-hand goods. The ACCC explains those rights; an owner agreement cannot remove a buyer’s applicable rights. Regularly offering a paid selling service also deserves a business and record-keeping assessment. Start with business.gov.au’s business-versus-hobby guidance and our ABN guide. Get advice on the obligations that apply to your arrangement.
Settle completed sales and account for returns
Agree when a payout becomes due and how later refunds or disputes will be handled. A marketplace balance becoming available is not proof that every possible return issue is closed.
For each settlement, give the owner a statement showing the sold item, calculation, agreed deductions, adjustments and amount paid. Record the payment reference. When an item is returned, update its condition, stock availability and owner balance before advertising it again.
Where Listalong helps
Listalong can reduce repeated listing work through its supported eBay, Depop and Facebook Marketplace workflows. Confirm the correct stock links and connection requirements when the same garment is advertised in several places. Owner agreements, commissions and settlements still need their own records.
Start with a small, agreed batch and review what you actually earned for the hours spent. If unfinished stock is already accumulating, use the death-pile plan before taking on more. If the owner mainly wants a different way to sell their wardrobe, the rent-a-rack comparison helps assess that option.