Pick and pack fees: how 3PLs charge and how to check them
What pick and pack fees cover, how 3PLs price the first and additional items, published rate ranges, and how to check the line against your Shopify orders.
A pick and pack fee is what a 3PL charges to pull the items in an order off the shelf and pack them for shipping. Most US 3PLs bill it per order: one fee that covers the first item, plus a smaller fee for each additional item. Postage is billed separately, and packaging may or may not be included.
The fee (see pick and pack in our glossary) is often the biggest labor line on a 3PL invoice, and it is also one of the easiest to check, because every charge should match an order you can see in Shopify. For how it fits with storage, receiving and shipping, see 3PL pricing explained.
How 3PLs bill pick and pack
The unit that matters is what the contract calls an "item". It is usually one unit (one physical piece), not one SKU line. An order for three of the same candle is one line in Shopify but three items for billing.
| Structure | How it works | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| First item plus additional items | A per-order fee covers the first unit; each extra unit has its own fee | Additional items billed should equal units shipped minus orders shipped |
| Flat fee per order | One price per order, often up to a unit or weight limit | What happens above the limit |
| Fee per pick or per unit | Every unit costs the same | Units billed against units shipped |
| Volume tiers | The per-order rate falls as monthly volume rises | Which tier applied and how the month's volume was counted |
| Hourly | Labor time, usually for B2B or project work | Time logs and units handled |
B2B and DTC orders
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) orders are small parcels to shoppers, priced per order and per item. Business-to-business (B2B) orders, such as a wholesale order to a retailer, are priced differently: per order handling plus case and pallet charges, so the per-order figure is higher but the cost per unit is lower, according to Speed Commerce. Published B2B terms show the variety. Fulfillment Hub USA lists a B2B carton pick at $2.85 for the first case up to 10 lb, then $0.20 per lb over 10 lb, and eFulfillment Service lists standard B2B at $0.50 per item under 5 lb with a $20 order minimum (both as published at the time of writing). If you sell both ways, check that wholesale orders are not billed at the DTC rate per unit, or the reverse.
Typical pick and pack pricing
Rates vary widely with volume, product size and what is bundled into the fee, so treat any range as a starting point for comparison, not a benchmark your contract must match.
- Speed Commerce's August 2026 review of published sources found $1.50 to $5.00 for the first item of a single-item DTC order (blended midpoint $3.04), $0.20 to $1.50 per additional item (midpoint $0.65), and $4.00 to $6.00 for a B2B order before freight.
- Fulfill.com reports survey averages of $3.20 for the first item and $0.48 per additional item, citing The Fulfillment Advisor's 2025 survey of more than 600 warehouses.
- Published rate cards at the time of writing: Fulfillment Hub USA lists $2.85 for the first item (up to 10 lb) and $0.70 per additional item; eFulfillment Service lists $2.65 for the first unit and $0.65 per additional unit.
The biggest reason quotes differ is packaging: some 3PLs include the box or mailer in the pick fee and others bill it as its own line. See packaging fees before comparing two quotes.
How the amount is calculated
The formula for the common model is:
Pick and pack = (orders × first-item fee) + ((units − orders) × additional-item fee)
Worked example (made up). Juniper & Pine, a made-up brand, uses Ridgeline Fulfillment, a made-up warehouse. Its rate card charges $3.25 for the first item and $0.65 per additional item from July 1 (it was $0.85 before). In July, Ridgeline shipped 1,200 orders containing 1,860 units.
- Additional items: 1,860 − 1,200 = 660
- First items: 1,200 × $3.25 = $3,900.00
- Additional items: 660 × $0.65 = $429.00
- Correct pick and pack total: $3,900.00 + $429.00 = $4,329.00
Use the calculator below to run the same check on your own numbers.
Billing errors on the pick and pack line
These are the errors that show up most often on this line. All of the examples below use the made-up Juniper & Pine numbers above.
- Extra items billed. The invoice bills more additional items than the orders contained. If Ridgeline billed 674 additional items instead of 660, the overcharge is 14 × $0.65 = $9.10. Causes include re-picks after a mis-pick, kit components counted separately, or inserts counted as items.
- Old rate after a price change. The contract lowered the rate, but the invoice still uses the old one. Billing 1,025 additional items at $0.85 instead of $0.65 overcharges 1,025 × $0.20 = $205.00.
- Quantity × rate does not equal the total. A line showing 660 × $0.65 = $432.50 is $3.50 over the correct $429.00. It sounds minor, but arithmetic errors can repeat every month.
- Canceled orders billed. Orders canceled before they were picked should not carry a pick fee. Check the contract for what happens if an order is canceled after picking.
- Split shipments billed as two orders. If one order ships in two packages, the first-item fee may be charged twice. Whether that is allowed depends on the contract.
- Wrong volume tier. The invoice applies a higher tier than the month's volume earned.
More examples are in our list of common 3PL billing errors.
How to check pick and pack charges
You need three things: the signed rate card, the 3PL's order-level billing detail (one row per order, with units billed), and your Shopify order export. Shopify's export includes columns such as Lineitem quantity, Fulfillment Status and Canceled at, which is what you need to rebuild the count.
- Filter the Shopify export to orders the 3PL fulfilled in the billing period, and remove canceled orders.
- Count orders and total units. Units minus orders gives the additional items you should have been billed.
- Compare those counts with the invoice's order count and additional-item count.
- Check the rate on each line against the rate card, including the date any new rate took effect.
- Recalculate quantity × rate for every line.
- Match the billing detail to Shopify order by order to find specific orders with extra items, duplicates or cancellations.
If you find a difference, send the 3PL the order numbers with your calculation. Our credit request email template is set up for this.
Questions to settle in the contract
- What counts as an item: a unit, a SKU line, or a kit?
- Are packaging, inserts and labels included in the pick fee or billed separately?
- How are split shipments, canceled orders and re-ships billed?
- Are B2B and wholesale orders priced separately from DTC orders?
- How is monthly volume counted for tiers, and when does a new tier apply?
- When do rate changes take effect, and how will they be confirmed in writing?
- How long do you have to dispute a charge?
Have a lawyer review the final agreement before you sign it.
Get your pick and pack line checked
3PL Checker compares each pick and pack line on your 3PL invoice with your signed rate card and your Shopify orders, and lists any differences with the order numbers behind them. The first audit is free, and a person reviews every finding before you see it.
Questions
What is pick and pack?
Pick and pack is the warehouse work of pulling the items in an order from their storage locations (picking) and putting them into a box or mailer ready for the carrier (packing). A 3PL charges a pick and pack fee for this labor on every order it ships.
What is a pick and pack fee?
It is the 3PL's charge for picking and packing one order. Most US 3PLs bill a fee per order that covers the first item, plus a smaller fee for each additional item, with postage billed separately.
How much does 3PL pick and pack cost?
It varies by contract and volume. Speed Commerce's August 2026 review of published sources found
.50 to $5.00 for the first item of a single-item DTC order and $0.20 to .50 per additional item.
How does pick and pack pricing work?
The common model is a per-order fee that includes the first unit plus a per-unit fee for every unit after it. Other 3PLs charge a flat fee per order, a fee per pick, volume tiers or an hourly rate, and some include packaging while others bill it separately.