Last updated:
8. Jan, 2026
Written by Max Schubert
Shopify is a popular choice for many consignment and thrift shops— and for good reason. It's especially useful for stores that sell both online and in physical locations. Combined with Circle-Hand, thrift and consignment stores can easily manage all their business processes: from seller management to payouts.
1. Shopify as a POS system for consignment and resale shops
Shopify has established itself as one of the best inventory management systems for retailers, thanks to its versatile features and no-code implementation.
One of Shopify’s key features is the ability to create barcode labels using Shopify’s free label app. These labels can automatically include product attributes like size, brand, and more. When used with Circle-Hand, you can generate barcode labels directly within Circle-Hand, further simplifying the process.
Another significant advantage of Shopify is its clear and efficient inventory management for both online and in-store sales. Shopify’s Point-of-Sale (POS) system offers great benefits for physical retailers. Importantly, not every product listed in Shopify’s inventory must be visible online—a little-known but valuable feature.
The Shopify POS system can be used for free, regardless of which Shopify subscription you have. Additionally, it can run on a smartphone or tablet, eliminating the need for a traditional cash register or barcode scanner. All you need is the Shopify POS mobile app on your device and a card reader. Alternatively, you can use Tap-to-Pay on your phone, so you’ll only need your smartphone to get started.
Shopify POS is also flexible when it comes to payment processing. It’s not tied to Shopify’s own payment system. Instead, you can add custom payment methods, and use other card readers, like those from SumUp, FlatPay or Square. This means you don’t have to pay Shopify a percentage of your sales as long as you’re not using Shopify’s payment processing terminals.
2. Step by step guide on Shopify POS for resale shops
Register on Shopify Starter for their 5$ /mo plan — the Shopify POS Lite works for most shops
Use the Shopify Card reader (49$) or any other card reader like Square, SumUp or even Zettle
(If you prefer, you can also use “Tap to Pay” to accept card payments with your smartphone)
3. What hardware do you need to use Shopify POS?
To start selling with Shopify you need the following hardware:
Smartphone or tablet: To run Shopify POS App.
Card reader: For card payments.
Label printer: A basic printer (90$) is often sufficient. Dymo, Zebra, Brother also works.
Receipt printer (optional): For printing receipts – alternatively, you can offer digital receipts to save paper.
Barcode scanner (optional): Smartphones can also scan barcodes as an alternative.
Here is a detailed overview of hardware with prices and links you will need.
4. Shopify’s limitations as a POS System for consignment and resale businesses
Despite its many advantages, Shopify does have limitations, especially for shops selling secondhand items:
Handling Unique Items: Second-hand stores often deal with one-of-a-kind items, and Shopify’s system isn’t designed to handle unique products efficiently.
Consignment and seller management: Shopify does not offer built-in support for managing consignor or seller payouts. As a result, many stores end up managing these tasks manually in spreadsheets, which is time-consuming and prone to errors.
VAT Margin Scheme (Differential taxation): Shopify does not support the VAT margin scheme, which is commonly used in the secondhand industry across Europe. This is a major drawback for stores that need to comply with specific tax rules + will save you a lot of money.
5. Circle-Hand: Seamless integration
This is where Circle-Hand comes in. It’s a specialized tool designed to handle the unique needs of resale, vintage and consignment stores. It helps you to track payouts for consignment and buy outright. You can:
Manage sellers: Keep track of sellers, consignors and payouts in one system.
Add new products: Create new products in seconds by using image recognition and link them to sellers and consignors.
Integrate with Shopify: When you create a product in Circle-Hand, it’s automatically added to your Shopify store’s inventory. You can decide if the product should only be sold in-store via Shopify POS or listed online as well.
When a product is sold, Shopify notifies Circle-Hand, which then updates the payout balance of your sellers and consignors. This way, you’ll know exactly how much each seller is owed. To activate the connection between Shopify and Circle-Hand, simply install the Shopify Circle-Hand app in your store.
6. FAQ - How to manage consignment inventory in Shopify
How do I import my existing Shopify products into Circle-Hand?
To bring products from Shopify into Circle-Hand for consignment tracking, simply add the tag ch-import to your items in your Shopify Admin. Then, in Circle-Hand, go to Settings > Shopify and click "Import Products." Circle-Hand will instantly pull the data, link it to the correct consignor and begin tracking sales—saving you from manual CSV uploads or re-entering inventory.
What data synchronizes between Circle-Hand and Shopify in real-time?
Circle-Hand offers a deep, bi-directional integration with Shopify. When you create an item in Circle-Hand, it instantly pushes the product, images, tags and inventory levels to your Shopify Online store and Shopify POS. When a sale occurs—whether it’s a full-price purchase, a return or a discount—the data syncs back to Circle-Hand immediately. This ensures your payout calculations and vendor balances are always 100% accurate, even when handling complex scenarios like automatic markdowns or VAT margin schemes in Europe.
What makes Circle-Hand faster for entering resale items than Shopify or other apps?
Circle-Hand is designed for high-volume intake, allowing a single person to process up to 90 items per hour. Unlike generic apps, it uses AI image recognition to identify items and generate SEO-ready descriptions instantly. It also includes a built-in AI price assistant and scans marketplaces like eBay and Vinted to ensure your pricing is competitive. This "one-click" workflow eliminates the manual data entry that typically slows down consignment shops, making it the fastest way to get unique items onto your Shopify store.
Can vendors create their own prodcuts for my Shopify store?
Yes. You can give vendors access to a Vendor Portal. They can upload photos, descriptions and suggested prices directly from their phone. Once you "Approve" them in Circle-Hand, the items are pushed live to your Shopify store or Shopify POS immediately, complete with all necessary consignment tracking attached.
How do I choose the best consignment app for my Shopify store?
When choosing a consignment app, ensure it is an Official Shopify Consignment Partner App. This ensures the app has passed Shopify's rigorous security, speed and API compliance audits, guaranteeing a stable real-time sync that won't break during high-traffic periods. Unofficial integrations often lead to broken syncs and lost data.
Second, evaluate if the software handles custom workflows that go beyond the Shopify standard database. A professional system should support custom barcode printing with Consignor IDs, automated buyer fees or the ability to block payouts during return periods. It should also allow clients to register via a Vendor Portal and optionally submit items directly to your Shopify store or POS for approval, keeping your operations scalable longterm when you grow.
