# From consignment to invoice: the auction-house workflow > The full lifecycle of a lot in an auction house, step by step: consignment receipt, cataloguing, estimates and reserves, catalogue, bids, sale day, invoicing, payment, consignor settlement and shipping. - URL: https://www.selloff.auction/articles/auction-house-workflow-consignment-to-invoice - Language: English - Published: 2026-07-09 - Type: Guide - Last updated: 2026-10-07 - Français: https://www.selloff.auction/fr/articles/du-depot-a-la-facture.md Every auction house follows the same basic chain, whatever it sells. Objects come in, are described and estimated, appear in a catalogue, attract bids, are sold, invoiced and paid for; the consignor is settled and the lot is shipped. The differences lie in the details, and the details are where time is lost and errors creep in. This article follows one lot through the whole chain, with the points to watch at each stage and how Selloff handles them. ## 1. Consignment receipt Everything starts when a consignor entrusts objects to the house. The [consignment receipt](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/consignment-receipt.md) records what was delivered, by whom and on what terms: - [Seller's commission](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/sellers-commission.md) - Fixed fee per lot - Insurance on sold and unsold lots - Any broker commission Signed by both parties, it is the reference for every question that follows. In Selloff, a receipt belongs to a consignment and carries its sales terms. Its status shows where the work stands (not delivered, delivered and awaiting description, describing, completed), and the house can require a signed receipt file before a receipt moves on. The storage location is recorded too, so the cataloguer can find the objects. See [consignment receipts & signed documents](https://www.selloff.auction/features/consignment-receipts.md). ## 2. Cataloguing The specialist describes each [lot](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/lot.md): title, description, dimensions or weight, condition, provenance, categories and images. Well-structured data pays off later. It feeds the printed catalogue, the website, the platforms and the searches staff will run years from now. Selloff's description screen combines a title and description with a secondary title and description (often used for a second language), up to ten configurable additional fields, taxonomies, tags and images sorted by scan type. Every lot receives a permanent internal reference and can carry a barcode label from day one. See [lot descriptions](https://www.selloff.auction/features/lot-descriptions.md) and [lot references & barcode labels](https://www.selloff.auction/features/lot-references-barcodes.md). ## 3. Estimates and reserves Each lot receives a [low and high estimate](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/estimate.md), a [starting price](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/starting-price.md) and, where agreed, a [reserve](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/reserve-price.md). These figures are discussed with the consignor, who usually receives a description list to confirm before the catalogue goes to print. In Selloff, estimates, starting price and reserve sit on the lot. The printed estimate is generated automatically and can be adjusted by hand. The description list can be printed or emailed to each consignor from the receipt or from the sale's consignments screen. See [estimates & reserves](https://www.selloff.auction/features/estimates-reserves.md). ## 4. Catalogue and publication Lots are assigned to a catalogue, put in order (by category, consignor or theme) and numbered. Large sales are split into [sessions](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/sale-session.md). Before publication, a systematic check catches missing images, estimates or descriptions. Selloff lets you order lots by rules or by hand, number them from a chosen first lot number, run an error check and then activate the catalogue. From there it can be printed as a PDF, exported for InDesign, as Excel or as images, prepared in the file formats of platforms such as Drouot or Interenchères, and published on your own website. See [catalogue building & numbering](https://www.selloff.auction/features/catalogue-building.md) and [online catalogue publishing](https://www.selloff.auction/features/online-catalogue-publishing.md). ## 5. Bidder registration and absentee bids As the sale approaches, clients register and leave bids. Each registered bidder receives a [paddle number](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/paddle-number.md). [Absentee bids](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/absentee-bid.md) and telephone bookings are recorded, and online bids arrive from the platforms. In Selloff, bidders are created per sale with a bidder type (room, phone, web or others) and a purchase limit. Absentee, telephone and "OR" bids are entered on the bidder's record; bids from connected platforms or XLSX files are imported and matched to existing clients. The [auctioneer's book](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/auctioneers-book.md) is printed for the whole sale, one session or a range of lots. See [bidder registration & tracking](https://www.selloff.auction/features/bidder-management.md) and [absentee & phone bids](https://www.selloff.auction/features/bid-recording.md). ## 6. Sale day The auctioneer takes bids from the room, the phones, the book and the internet, and knocks each lot down. The clerk records the [hammer price](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/hammer-price.md) and the buyer's number, and notes unsold and withdrawn lots. Selloff's auctioneer's console displays the current lot and the bids from each channel, and records hammer prices as the sale proceeds. If a bid was assigned to the wrong bidder, the view/change sale screen corrects it. Our guide to [running hybrid auctions](https://www.selloff.auction/articles/running-hybrid-auctions.md) covers sale day in more detail. ## 7. After the sale: unsold lots [Unsold lots](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/unsold-lot.md) are not the end of the story. Many houses accept [after-sale](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/after-sale.md) offers, often at or near the reserve and with the consignor's agreement. In Selloff, offers on unsold lots can stay open after a live sale. Each offer is shown with the lot's estimate, reserve and consignor, and is accepted or refused in one click. See [offers & after-sale](https://www.selloff.auction/features/after-sale-offers.md). ## 8. Invoicing buyers [Buyer's invoices](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/buyers-invoice.md) should go out quickly, ideally the same day. Each combines the hammer prices, the [buyer's premium](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/buyers-premium.md), insurance where charged, VAT and any fees. In Selloff, the bidders to invoice screen lists every buyer with lots not yet invoiced. Invoices can be created for all selected bidders at once, and a client who bid under several numbers can receive a single invoice. The buyer's premium is defined per sale and can be overridden per client; platform fees are added according to each bid's origin. Invoices are printed or emailed in batches. See [automatic invoicing](https://www.selloff.auction/features/automatic-invoicing.md). ## 9. Payment and reminders Payments arrive by bank transfer, card or online payment. They must be matched to invoices, and late payers reminded politely but firmly. Selloff records payments against invoices, offers online payment through connected payment gateways and manages three reminder levels, each with an optional fee. An aging report and an unpaid lots list show what is outstanding. See [payment tracking & reminders](https://www.selloff.auction/features/payment-tracking.md). ## 10. Settling consignors Once buyers have paid, consignors are settled. The [settlement statement](https://www.selloff.auction/glossary/consignor-settlement.md) shows: - **Each lot's result** - **The deductions** — Seller's commission, lot fees, insurance. - **The net amount due** In Selloff, statements are generated per sale from the consignments screen, with an interim information version to check before issuing. The consignors to invoice screen shows who is still waiting for a statement. While a buyer has an authenticity extension open on a lot, payment to the consignor for that lot stays blocked. Payouts can be exported as a pain.001 file for your e-banking. See [consignor settlements](https://www.selloff.auction/features/consignor-settlements.md). ## 11. Shipping and collection Finally, lots leave the house: collected in person, sent by post or handed to a carrier. Each shipment needs a slip, suitable packaging, a tracking number and a check that the invoice has been paid. Selloff links shipments to invoices, calculates shipping costs from a cost matrix and uses barcode scanning to check that the right lots go into the right parcel. See [shipments & shipping slips](https://www.selloff.auction/features/shipments.md). ## 12. Accounting Throughout the chain, every invoice, payment and statement creates accounting entries. Selloff groups them by period, currency and branch and exports them to your accounting software. An all taxes report provides the VAT figures for your returns. See [accounting export](https://www.selloff.auction/features/accounting-export.md). ## One lot, one record The common thread is simple: a lot should be described once, and every later step (catalogue, bids, invoice, statement, shipment) should refer to that same record. That single record: - Removes re-keying. - Makes reconciliation fast. - Lets staff answer a consignor's question in seconds. ## Related features - [Consignment receipts & signed documents](https://www.selloff.auction/features/consignment-receipts.md): Register each deposit on a numbered receipt with storage location and import details, send lot lists and contracts, and track which signed copies are back. - [Consignor management](https://www.selloff.auction/features/consignor-management.md): Set commission, lot fees, insurance, broker and representative per consignment, group lots under receipts, and keep each consignor informed from one page. - [Lot descriptions](https://www.selloff.auction/features/lot-descriptions.md): Describe lots on a screen you configure, with texts, custom fields, categories and images, and generate repetitive headings and descriptions automatically. - [Estimates & reserves](https://www.selloff.auction/features/estimates-reserves.md): Record starting price, low and high estimates, reserve and printed estimate for every lot, adjust them in bulk, and keep the values used in each sale. - [Catalogue building & numbering](https://www.selloff.auction/features/catalogue-building.md): Assign lots to a sale, order them by category or any field, number them automatically or by scanning, and check the catalogue for errors before it goes live. - [Bidder registration & tracking](https://www.selloff.auction/features/bidder-management.md): Register bidders before or during a sale, number them automatically, set purchase limits and request guarantees, with every bidder's activity on one page. - [Absentee & phone bids](https://www.selloff.auction/features/bid-recording.md): Record absentee, phone and OR bids in the book, check them against your bid increments, confirm them to clients by email and print the bid book for the room. - [Automatic invoicing](https://www.selloff.auction/features/automatic-invoicing.md): Create buyer invoices and consignor statements from recorded sales in a few clicks, with premium, insurance, fees, shipping and VAT calculated automatically. - [Payment tracking & reminders](https://www.selloff.auction/features/payment-tracking.md): Record and apply payments, see what each client owes, send reminders at three levels with fees, and follow receivables in the aging report. - [Consignor settlements](https://www.selloff.auction/features/consignor-settlements.md): Generate consignor statements for a whole sale, deduct commission, fees and VAT, pay consignors once buyers have paid and export transfers to your bank. - [Shipments & shipping slips](https://www.selloff.auction/features/shipments.md): Prepare and track shipments to buyers, consignor returns and lots sent for certification, with preparation slips and tracking emails. ## Frequently asked questions ### What documents does an auction house give a consignor? Typically a consignment receipt when the objects are taken in, a description list with lot numbers and estimates before the sale, a results list after the sale, and a settlement statement showing hammer prices, deductions and the net amount. Selloff produces all four from the consignment and logs each sending on the consignor's record. ### When is a consignor paid after an auction? Usually once the buyer has paid and any period set in the consignment contract has passed. If a buyer has asked to verify a lot's authenticity, payment for that lot is normally held until the check is complete. The timing is set by each house's terms, not by the software. ### What is the difference between the hammer price and what the buyer pays? The hammer price is the winning bid. The buyer pays the hammer price plus the buyer's premium, VAT where applicable, and any shipping, insurance or platform fees. The consignor receives the hammer price minus the seller's commission and the agreed charges.