How ZipToSale works
ZipToSale is a B2B Reseller Exchange: approved sellers of any size, from a reseller with a dead pile to a brand clearing its warehouse, list liquidation and wholesale lots, and business buyers buy them directly. ZipToSale gives both sides a structured listing, an order page that records every step, and the resale-certificate paperwork done for you. Money goes from buyer to seller; ZipToSale doesn't process payments.
The short version
| Buyer | Seller | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Join | Free account, ship-to address, and your resale certificate (once) | Free account, business and tax details, reviewed by ZipToSale |
| 2. List or find | Browse and search lots, read manifests, compare shipping | Publish a lot: photos, manifest or estimate, price, shipping |
| 3. Order | Add lots to your cart and check out, or make an offer if the seller accepts them | Get the order with the buyer's certificate attached |
| 4. Pay | Pay the seller's invoice directly, within 3 business days | Send the invoice; confirm payment |
| 5. Deliver | Receive the shipment or collect the lot | Ship with tracking, or mark ready for pickup |
| 6. Rate | Rate the seller | Rate the buyer |
More for buyers · More for sellers
An order, step by step
Every order moves through the same steps, and the order page always shows which step it's at and whose move it is. Buyer and seller see the same status and the same history.
How an order moves
Each step is the status shown on the order page, with whose move it is.
The buyer has placed the order and the lot is reserved for them. If the lot needs a resale certificate, ZipToSale shares the buyer’s certificate with the seller, who accepts it and sends the invoice. Sellers can have ZipToSale do both automatically, so the invoice can arrive the moment the order is placed.
If the seller rejects the certificate
The order waits here with the seller’s reason. The buyer uploads a corrected certificate and the seller reviews it again; once it’s accepted, the order goes back to Awaiting invoice. On a lot that doesn’t require a certificate, the buyer can continue without one instead.
Next: The seller sends the invoice
The buyer pays the seller directly, by one of the methods on the listing, within 3 business days of the invoice, then marks it paid on the order page. ZipToSale doesn’t process payments. An order that isn’t paid in time is cancelled automatically, and the lot goes back on sale.
When the buyer marks it paid
The order stays at this step, but the badge changes and it’s the seller’s move: they check that the money arrived. The automatic cancellation no longer applies.
Next: The seller confirms the payment
A seller who ships straight away skips Processing: shipping confirms the payment.
The payment is confirmed and the seller is getting the lot ready to ship, or to be collected if the buyer chose pickup.
Next: The seller ships it with tracking, or marks it ready for pickup
The lot is on its way, with tracking on the order page, or waiting for the buyer to collect. The buyer confirms receipt once they have it. If nobody does, the order completes on its own after a set period.
Next: The buyer confirms receipt
The sale is done. Buyer and seller can rate each other. Ratings stay hidden until both have rated or the rating window closes, so neither side can retaliate.
From any step before it ships
An order can be cancelled, with a reason, until the lot ships or is ready for pickup. Before the invoice the buyer cancels directly; after it they ask, and the seller approves. The seller can cancel until the lot ships: once the invoice is out, the order is held until any payment is settled, and a payment the seller confirmed receiving becomes a refund owed, tracked until the buyer confirms it arrived. An order with no payment reported within 3 business days is cancelled automatically. The seller says whether the lot goes back on sale.
If something goes wrong
An issue isn’t a step. It always shows three lines: what’s wrong, what will fix it, who’s up next. The opener says what’s wrong and what they want; the other side accepts or proposes a different fix; once agreed, one side does it and the other confirms. A refund or cancellation on the table holds the order; a partial refund or a reshipment lets it continue. Either side can open one once the invoice is out, and for a while after completion. ZipToSale records every step and reminds whoever is up next, but doesn’t decide the outcome.
What a listing tells you
A listing is one lot, described in full, and it can't be changed once it's live. It shows the price per lot, how many identical lots there are, the condition, photos, and either a full manifest (item by item, searchable, downloadable) or the seller's estimated unit count and retail value. It also shows the shipping method and fixed shipping cost, where the lot ships from, whether local pickup is offered, the accepted payment methods, and whether a resale certificate is required. Most lots are open to everyone; a seller can also keep a lot to signed-in buyers, so it shows up only once you sign in.
Resale certificates without the email chain
Most lots are sold for resale without sales tax, so the seller needs the buyer's resale certificate. On ZipToSale the buyer adds it once. At checkout we share the certificate for the right state with that seller, and only that seller. The seller accepts it or rejects it with a reason on the order page. Sellers can choose to have ZipToSale accept certificates automatically. Resale certificates
Offers
Sellers can let buyers offer below the Buy Now price. An offer is a complete checkout: if the seller accepts, the order is placed right away. Sellers can counter once with a lot price, and buyers can accept or decline the counter. Offers below the seller's private minimum are declined without reaching the seller. Open offers expire after 48 hours, unless the listing sets an offer deadline.
Payment and delivery
ZipToSale doesn't process payments. The seller invoices the buyer on the order page, listing any sales tax, fees or discounts, and the buyer pays by one of the seller's methods: PayPal invoice, credit card invoice, Zelle, Venmo or bank wire. The buyer has 3 business days to pay; an unpaid order is cancelled automatically and the lot goes back on sale. After confirming payment, the seller ships with tracking or the buyer collects.
Trust and safety
- Sellers are approved before they can publish, and may only sell stock they own and hold.
- Every order has a full history: each status change, who made it, and why, plus the message thread between buyer and seller.
- Two-way ratings, blind until both sides rate. Buyers and sellers rate each other from 1 to 5 stars. A seller's reviews are public; a buyer's rating is seen only by sellers. Neither side sees the other's rating until both have rated or the window has closed.
- Issues are how a problem on an order is settled: what's wrong, what will fix it, who's up next. The parties agree the fix and confirm each step; refunds stay tracked until the buyer confirms. ZipToSale records every step and reminds whoever is up next, but doesn't decide outcomes.
- Reporting: anyone signed in can report a listing, store, review or message that breaks the rules, and our team reviews every report.
What ZipToSale doesn't do
To be clear about where responsibility sits: ZipToSale doesn't own or inspect the lots, hold payments, collect or remit sales tax, or decide issues. Sellers are responsible for their listings; buyers are responsible for checking them before ordering. Terms