Music City Labs / Keyholder
Keyholder
The back office Shopify POS leaves to paper
Keyholder is being built for the work that happens behind the counter: holds and layaway, special orders and work orders, the staff time clock and commissions, and a daily brief right on the register.
In development
What we're building first
Named for the person a shop trusts to open, run the floor and close. These are the jobs independent shops tell us they still do on paper. We're testing each one in our own store, and the list may shift as we do.
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Holds, layaway and special orders
Put an item on hold or layaway at the register, take a deposit, track what's still owed and when it's due, and close it out at pickup.
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Work orders and custom jobs
Alterations, repairs, shaping and custom work: a ticket at the register with the customer's sizes and notes, a status, and a pickup date.
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Time clock and commissions
Staff clock in and out with a PIN on the register. Commissions and sales goals are worked out from what each person sold.
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Today, on the register
A brief at opening: holds coming due, jobs ready for pickup, yesterday's numbers and today's goal, where the team will see it.
Made for independent shops on Shopify POS with one to five locations and a small team.
Questions shops ask
Does Shopify POS have layaway?
Not built in, as of October 2026. Shops usually track layaway on paper, in a spreadsheet, or with a small layaway app. Keyholder is being built to handle holds, layaway and deposits at the register.
Is there a time clock in Shopify POS?
Not as of October 2026. Shopify POS records which staff member rang up a sale, but clocking in and out happens on paper or in a separate app. Keyholder adds a PIN time clock on the register.
How do I track sales commissions on Shopify POS?
Shopify POS can credit sales to staff, but it doesn't work out commissions. Most shops export sales by staff member into a spreadsheet each pay period. Keyholder calculates commissions and goals from each person's sales and refunds.
How do I manage alterations, repairs or custom work in Shopify POS?
Shopify POS has no work orders, so most shops use paper tickets or a separate system. Keyholder keeps the ticket, the customer's details and the pickup date with the sale.
Will Keyholder work on POS Lite?
We're confirming that before we build. This page will say which Shopify POS plans are supported before Keyholder opens to stores.
When can I use Keyholder?
It's being built after Roadcase and Packtally. Write to us for early access and we'll tell you as soon as it's ready to try.
Shopify POS guides
How shops handle layaway, the time clock, commissions and work orders on Shopify POS today.
- How to offer layaway on Shopify POSShopify POS has no built-in layaway. How shops run it today, and the policy decisions to make first.
- Is there a time clock in Shopify POS?Shopify POS tracks who sold what, not who worked when. How shops track hours, and what a good time clock needs.
- How to track sales commissions on Shopify POSShopify POS credits sales to staff but stops short of commissions. A plan design and a monthly method that works.
- How to manage alterations, repairs and work orders on Shopify POSShopify POS has no work orders. A simple ticket system for alterations, repairs and custom jobs that works today.
- How to hold items for customers on Shopify POSA hold policy, how to keep held stock from selling online, and how to follow up before holds expire.
Talk to us
Run a shop on Shopify POS? Tell us what you still do on paper. It shapes what Keyholder does first.
keyholder@musiccitylabs.co