Shopify setup guide
Get Clynchd live in
your Shopify store.
This guide walks you through every step of the Clynchd setup screen — what each field does, why we need it, and what happens as a result. Keep it open alongside your Shopify admin as you go.
Before you start
Clynchd is a reverse-bidding marketplace. Consumers search for a product they want to buy, place a bid at a price they're comfortable with, and Clynchd sends that bid to retailers who stock the product. As a Shopify retailer, Clynchd responds to those bids automatically on your behalf — using discount rules you set once. When you win a bid, you send the consumer a checkout link to your Shopify store and fulfil the order through your normal process.
There's no subscription fee. Clynchd charges a 4% platform fee only on orders that are completed and paid — billed automatically through Shopify, alongside your regular Shopify charges.
You'll need the following before you begin:
- ✓The Clynchd app installed from the Shopify App Store and your account approved by Clynchd.
- ✓Your Shopify products set up with GTIN barcodes on each variant. We'll explain how to check this in Step 2.
Install & connect
This step completes automatically when you install the app.
When you install Clynchd from the Shopify App Store, you're walked through a short account setup. You'll either create a new Clynchd retailer account or link an existing one using your API key. Once that's done, your application goes to the Clynchd team for approval.
Approval is a manual step on our side. We review every retailer to make sure the platform is a good fit for your business. You'll receive an email when your account is approved and you can continue setup. This usually takes less than one business day.
What happens after approval
Your account status changes to Active and you'll see the full setup screen the next time you open Clynchd in your Shopify admin. Steps 2–3 below become available.
Sync your catalogue
Tells Clynchd which products you stock.
Clynchd needs to know which products you sell so that when a consumer bids on a product, we know to send that bid to you. The catalogue sync reads your Shopify products, extracts the GTIN barcode from each variant, and registers them with Clynchd. This happens automatically whenever you update a product in Shopify — the Sync now button is there to trigger it manually when you want to push your current catalogue immediately.
Understanding the sync results
How to check and set barcodes in Shopify
Clynchd uses the Barcode (ISBN, UPC, GTIN) field on each Shopify product variant. Here's where to find it:
Where do I find the GTIN for my products?
The GTIN is the barcode on the product's physical packaging — scan it with your phone's camera to confirm the number. For products you manufacture yourself, you'll need to register GTINs through GS1 Australia (gs1au.org). For products you resell, the manufacturer's barcode is the correct value.
All my GTINs are showing as unrecognised — what does that mean?
It means Clynchd looked up those barcodes in a global product database during the sync and couldn't find them. This usually means the barcode entered in Shopify is incorrect or doesn't match the number printed on the product's physical packaging. Double-check the barcode field against the actual product — scan the packaging barcode with your phone's camera to confirm the exact digits, then update Shopify and sync again.
Do I need to sync again if I add new products?
No — Clynchd listens for product updates from Shopify automatically. Any time you save a product or variant in Shopify, the barcode is submitted to Clynchd immediately. The manual sync is there as a backup or to do a bulk catch-up if needed.
Set your pricing rule
How Clynchd responds to bids on your behalf.
When a consumer places a bid on a product you stock, Clynchd responds automatically using the prices from your Shopify store and the discount percentages you set here. You don't need to be online when a bid arrives — your rules handle everything 24 hours a day.
How bidding rounds work
A Clynchd bid goes through up to two rounds. Understanding the rounds helps you set your discounts strategically:
The consumer places a bid. Clynchd sends their bid to all retailers who stock the product. Each retailer responds with their best price. Clynchd applies your Round 1 discount to your current Shopify price and submits that as your offer. The consumer sees the best price from all competing retailers and decides whether to accept or counter.
Example: Your Shopify price is $200. Round 1 discount is 5%. Clynchd offers $190.
If the consumer didn't accept in Round 1, they can make a final counter-offer. Clynchd responds using your Round 2 discount. Round 2 is your last chance to win the sale, so most retailers set a slightly deeper discount here. If you're happy with a single fixed price across both rounds, just set Round 1 and Round 2 to the same value.
Example: Round 2 discount is 10%. Clynchd offers $180.
Choosing your discount percentages
There's no single right answer — it depends on your margins and how aggressively you want to compete. As a starting point, most retailers use 5% for Round 1 and 8–10% for Round 2. This keeps Round 1 conservative while giving you a second chance with a slightly better offer if the consumer pushes back.
Your discount is always calculated from your current live Shopify price, so if you run a sale in Shopify, your Clynchd offer adjusts accordingly. Your pricing strategy stays private — consumers only ever see the final dollar amount, not the percentage you set.
What if I want to change my discounts later?
You can update your pricing rule at any time from the Settings screen. Changes take effect on the next bid that arrives — bids already in progress use the rule that was set when they started.
What if my Round 2 discount is lower than Round 1?
Clynchd won't let you save that combination — Round 2 must be equal to or greater than Round 1. This prevents accidentally offering a worse price in the counter-bid round, which would undermine the consumer's trust in the process.
Which Shopify price does Clynchd use?
Clynchd uses the current published price of the matching Shopify variant at the time the bid arrives. Compare prices, sale prices, and cost prices are not used.
Once you're live
What happens when a bid arrives.
Once all three steps are complete, Clynchd will start sending bids your way automatically. Here's what the ongoing experience looks like:
A bid arrives
A consumer bids on a product you stock. Clynchd immediately applies your Round 1 discount to your Shopify price and submits your offer. This happens in seconds, any time of day.
You win the bid
If your offer is accepted, Clynchd creates a draft order in your Shopify store and generates a checkout link for the consumer at the winning price. You'll see the order appear in your Shopify admin.
Consumer pays
The consumer completes payment through your Shopify checkout. Clynchd's 4% platform fee is billed automatically to your Shopify account at this point. The remaining 96% is yours.
You fulfil the order
Fulfil the order through your normal Shopify process — pick, pack, ship. There's no change to how you handle orders. Clynchd is purely the sales channel; fulfilment stays with you.
Keeping an eye on your activity
The Bid activity screen inside the Clynchd app shows all recent bids — whether you won, lost to a competitor, or the consumer didn't accept any offer. Use this to understand how your pricing is performing and whether your discount levels are competitive.
The Orders screen shows all Clynchd orders that have been placed through your store, with their fulfilment status.
Need help?
If something isn't working as expected or you have questions about your setup, get in touch. We're a small team and we'll get back to you quickly.
Contact us