Application
Vendors apply through a form on your Shopify store. You approve, reject or archive each application from one list. Read more about vendor applications.
Vendor onboarding software for multi-vendor marketplaces
Send one link. Your vendors connect their store in two clicks and are ready to sell in about 6 minutes. Add an application, business details, shipping or payout steps only if your business needs them.
4.8/5 on the Shopify App Store · MadeIt onboarded 800+ artisans
What is vendor onboarding?
Vendor onboarding is the process of bringing a new seller onto your marketplace: collecting their business details, checking they fit, connecting their catalog, and setting how they ship and get paid. On a marketplace, it is the step that decides how fast your catalog grows. Every extra email, form or spreadsheet is a vendor who gives up before listing a product.
The vendor onboarding process, in one link
Garnet turns your onboarding into a guided flow that can be as fast as just store synchronisation, include additional steps to validate the vendor or gather information. Typical steps can include:
Registration
Email, password and shop name, under your logo.
Store connection
Vendors already selling on Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento, Wix and other platforms connect their store with one key. Their products sync instead of being re-typed. See all e-commerce integrations.
Business details
The vendor fields you need: tax ID, address, category, portfolio, documents.
Shipping
Vendors set their rates per zone, pre-filled with your defaults.
Membership
Vendors pick a paid plan and pay by card in the same page.
Payout
Vendors connect Stripe, PayPal or Mollie so they can get paid. You can ask for it at signup or wait until their first sale.
Built for marketplaces with hundreds of vendors
Only the store connection is required
Everything else is optional. Keep onboarding as simple as a two-click store connection, or add the steps your business needs: an initial application, business details, shipping, payout.
One link, no manual work
Share the onboarding link in your recruitment emails or on your "Sell with us" page. Vendors register and finish their setup without anyone on your team sending a file.
Ask for exactly what you need
Create up to 40 vendor fields in 9 formats: short and long text, single and multiple choice, terms and conditions, file upload, media and YouTube video. Mark any field as required.
No half-finished vendors
Turn on forced onboarding and vendors who skipped a required field are sent back to it every time they log in. Optional fields never block anyone.
See who is stuck
Open any vendor to see how far they got. Your team can complete a step on their behalf.
Your brand, not ours
Vendors see your logo, colors, wording and domain. Garnet does not appear anywhere. See white label.
Emails that sound like you
A welcome email goes out on signup. Edit it, turn it off, or send it from Klaviyo, Brevo or Mailchimp.
Set the commission before the first sale
Onboarding is where the deal with each vendor is set. Garnet lets you agree on the commission once and apply it to every order automatically.
- Multiple commission types: a percentage of sales (20%), a fixed fee per order ($5), a mix of both (10% + $5).
- Overrides where you need them: set a different marketplace commission per vendor, per product, or on a single order.
- Commission on cost price: for wholesale-style models where vendors send a cost price and you set the retail price (activated on request).
- Memberships: charge vendors a monthly fee, cap the number of live products per plan, and set the commission rate per plan.
- Test before you change it: type an order number and see what the vendor payout would be under the new rules.
Vendor onboarding checklist
Use this checklist as a template for your own vendor onboarding form. Each line maps to a Garnet vendor field or onboarding step.
| What to collect | When | Garnet field or step |
|---|---|---|
| Shop name, contact email | Application | Registration |
| Product category, sample photos or portfolio | Application | Multiple choice, Media |
| Why they want to sell with you | Application | Long text |
| Shipping zones and rates | Onboarding | Shipping step |
| Existing online store | Onboarding | Integration step |
| Payout account | Onboarding | Payout step (Stripe, PayPal, Mollie), can wait until the first sale |
| Legal company name, address, tax or VAT number | Onboarding | Short text (required) |
| Signed seller agreement | Onboarding | Terms and conditions |
| Certificates, insurance, compliance documents | Onboarding | File |
| Return policy, shop bio, logo | Before first listing | Vendor page fields |
Vendor onboarding best practices
Ask in the application only what decides fit
Category, photos, volume. Leave tax IDs for after approval.
Sync, don't re-list
Vendors with an existing store should connect it rather than upload products by hand.
Pre-fill shipping
Default rates per zone cut the step to a review.
Approve products, not only vendors
Review new listings before they go live, and auto-approve trusted vendors.
Ask for payout details at the first sale
Payout setup is the most demanding step. Hide it at signup to keep onboarding light, and ask for it when the vendor makes their first sale.
Follow up on stuck vendors
Check onboarding status weekly and finish blocked steps for them.
Automating vendor onboarding
Garnet automates everything except the decision. Applications land in one list, approved vendors get their invitation automatically, products sync from their store, vendors are asked for their payout details when they make their first sale, and commissions apply to every order without a spreadsheet. Your team only decides who sells on your marketplace. Once onboarded, vendors run their shop from the vendor portal.
What marketplace founders say
"Garnet has been an absolute game changer for us as a marketplace. Our team efficiencies have improved by 40%." Leina Broughton, MadeIt (Australia, 800+ artisans)
"The platform's integrations and customizations helped us solve critical industry challenges, particularly around logistics and vendor onboarding." Thibault Henry, Bazaa (Australia)
Frequently Asked Questions
Got questions about vendor onboarding and commissions? We have answers.
Ask a QuestionWhat is vendor onboarding software?
Vendor onboarding software collects a new vendor's information, documents and payment details in a guided flow, so your team does not do it by email. On a marketplace, it also connects the vendor's catalog and sets their commission.
How long does vendor onboarding take with Garnet?
About 6 minutes for a vendor with their information at hand. Vendors who connect an existing store get their products imported in the same session.
Can I approve vendors before they sell?
Yes. Turn on vendor applications to review each request first. You can also approve each product before it goes live.
Can vendors import products from their own store?
Yes. Garnet syncs products, stock and orders with Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Magento, BigCommerce, Wix, Squarespace and more, or through CSV, XML feeds and an API. Etsy catalogs can be imported from a shop link.
How do marketplace commissions work in Garnet?
You set a default commission (percentage, fixed plus percentage, or tiered), then override it per vendor, per product or per order. Garnet splits every order by vendor and deducts the commission from each payout.
Can I charge vendors a subscription?
Yes. Memberships charge vendors a recurring fee through Stripe and can limit the number of live products per plan.
Do vendors need a laptop?
No. The onboarding and the vendor portal work on mobile, and vendors can list a product from a photo taken on their phone.
Get your next 100 vendors selling, not stuck in your inbox
Install Garnet on your Shopify store and send your first onboarding link today. Our team can set it up with you in 30 minutes.
