3PL pricing explained: how much a 3PL costs, fee by fee
How much does a 3PL cost? Every fee line a brand pays, the main 3PL pricing models, and published 2026 ranges for setup, storage, pick and pack and more.
A 3PL charges you for a handful of things: setting up your account, receiving your inventory, storing it, picking and packing each order, packaging, and the shipping label. Published 2026 benchmarks put pick and pack at about $2 to $3 for a single-item order and pallet storage at $15 to $40 per pallet per month, before shipping. Prices vary a lot by region, order volume and product size, so use any range as a starting point and compare quotes on total cost per order.
The fees on a typical 3PL invoice
The table below lists the fee lines most US e-commerce brands see. "Published range" is the typical range from Fulfill.com's 2026 benchmark guide, which blends a large warehouse survey with rate cards it checked in June 2026. "Published average" comes from The Fulfillment Advisor's annual pricing survey of warehouses, with the year shown. Packaging figures are from EasyPost's 2024 guide.
| Fee | How it's usually billed | Published range | Published average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup and onboarding | One-time | $250 to $1,000+ | $373.06; 55% of warehouses charge one (2026) |
| Receiving | Per pallet, carton, unit or labor hour | $5 to $15 per pallet; $30 to $60 per hour | $8.75 per pallet; $2.25 per box (2026) |
| Storage | Per pallet, bin, shelf or cubic foot, per month | $15 to $40 per pallet; $1 to $5 per bin | $19.37 per pallet; $3.03 per bin; $0.45 per cubic foot (2026) |
| Long-term storage | Surcharge on aged inventory | Varies by provider | Charged by 41% of warehouses (2026) |
| Pick and pack, first item | Per order | $2 to $3 | $3.21 per DTC order including one item (2026) |
| Additional items | Per extra unit in an order | $0.30 to $0.75 | Not shown (see note below) |
| Packaging | Per box or mailer, or included in pick fee | $0.25 to $2.50 per box (2024) | $1.19 per box (2024) |
| Kitting and special projects | Per kit, per hour or quoted | $35 to $60 per hour | $43 per hour (2025) |
| Returns | Per return | $1 to $7 | $3.56 per return (2026) |
| Account management | Per month | $30 to $1,000+ | $253.33; charged by 37% of warehouses (2026) |
| Monthly minimum | Per month, as a top-up | $0 to $750 on rate cards Fulfill.com checked | $752.08 reported average (2026) |
| Shipping | Carrier cost passed through, at cost or with a markup | Depends on weight, zone and service | Cost-plus was the most common model reported (2026) |
The two sources do not always agree, and survey averages are what warehouses reported, not what any one brand pays. We left out the survey's additional-item figure because its published table does not label it clearly. Use these numbers to spot a quote that is far out of line, not as a price list.
What each fee covers
Setup and onboarding. A one-time charge for creating your account, connecting your store, loading SKUs and setting packing rules. Integration work is the main reason it varies. A plain Shopify connection is usually simpler than custom EDI or ERP links.
Receiving. The labor to unload, count, check and put away inbound stock. It can be billed per pallet, per carton, per unit or per hour. Floor-loaded containers and mixed-SKU cartons cost more to receive than labeled pallets.
Storage. A monthly charge for the space your stock uses. The unit matters as much as the rate: a few bins of small items billed as a full pallet can cost several times more. Also check whether storage is measured on a single day, a daily average or the month's peak. Our guide to storage billing on the average versus the peak shows the difference.
Pick and pack and additional items. The labor to pull items and pack the order. Most rate cards charge a first-item fee plus a smaller fee per extra unit. Some charge per order, per line or per unit, and some lower the rate in tiers as volume grows.
Packaging and inserts. Some 3PLs include standard boxes and mailers in the pick fee, others bill each box, mailer and void fill. Custom branded packaging usually costs extra, and you may pay to store it. The Fulfillment Advisor's 2026 survey reports an average of $0.23 per insert.
Kitting and special projects. Assembling bundles, relabeling, cycle counts you request and other one-off work. These are usually hourly or quoted per project, so ask for the hours and headcount behind each charge.
Returns. Receiving, inspecting and restocking or disposing of returned items, usually per return with extra charges for additional units.
Account and technology fees. A monthly fee for account support, reporting or software access. Only 37% of warehouses in The Fulfillment Advisor's 2026 survey charged one, so ask what it buys.
Monthly minimums. A floor on your monthly bill. If your activity fees come to less than the minimum, the 3PL bills the difference. Check which fees count toward it.
Shipping pass-through. The carrier label cost, often the largest line on the invoice. Ask whether it is billed at cost, at cost plus a markup, or at a discount off published rates, and whether the markup also applies to carrier surcharges such as the residential surcharge, fuel surcharge, dimensional weight adjustments and the address correction fee.
3PL pricing models
| Model | How it works | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Bundled per order | One price per order that covers pick, pack and standard packaging, sometimes the label too | What counts as "standard", and the charge for extra items |
| A la carte (transactional) | Each activity is billed separately: every pick, pallet, carton and box | Long invoices with many lines to check |
| Cost-plus | The 3PL's actual labor and space cost plus an agreed margin | You need cost transparency and audit rights |
| Tiered by volume | Rates step down as monthly volume passes set thresholds | Which tier applies in a slow month |
| Fixed or hybrid | A fixed monthly fee or minimum that covers a set volume, plus per-activity charges above it | Paying for capacity you do not use |
ShipBob, for example, describes its US direct-to-consumer pricing as one all-in fulfillment cost that covers pick and pack labor, standard packaging and the shipping label. Extensiv, a warehouse software vendor, describes a percentage-of-revenue model as typically 8% to 15% of order value. Fulfill.com's guide says most e-commerce brands under 5,000 orders a month end up on per-transaction (a la carte) pricing.
A quick example
Juniper & Pine is a made-up brand that uses Ridgeline Fulfillment, a made-up warehouse. Its rate card charges $3.25 for the first item, $0.65 for each additional item and $0.40 per poly mailer, and bills carrier charges at cost plus 8%. A two-item order with a $7.00 label costs:
- Pick and pack: $3.25 + $0.65 = $3.90
- Mailer: $0.40, so fulfillment is $3.90 + $0.40 = $4.30
- Shipping: $7.00 × 1.08 = $7.56
- Total: $4.30 + $7.56 = $11.86, before storage and receiving
Storage, receiving and any minimum are monthly charges, so you spread them across the month's orders. That is what 3PL cost per order measures.
Why prices vary so much
- Region. Space and labor cost more in some metros, and that shows up in storage rates.
- Volume. Higher volume usually earns lower per-order rates, while small brands are more exposed to minimums.
- Product. Large, heavy, fragile or regulated items cost more to store, pick and ship.
- What is included. One quote's pick fee may include packaging and another's may not.
- Rate increases. The Fulfillment Advisor's 2026 survey reports an average annual price increase of 3.68%, so check what your contract allows.
How to compare 3PL quotes
- Ask each 3PL for its full rate card, not a summary quote.
- Take your last three months of real orders, units, inbound cartons and average stored pallets.
- Price that activity line by line against each rate card, including minimums and setup.
- Divide each total by your order count to get one cost per order per quote.
- Read the billing clauses before you sign. Our 3PL contract checklist lists the ones that change your invoice.
Check what you are actually paying
A quote tells you what a 3PL plans to charge. Your invoices show what it actually billed. 3PL Checker's free audit checks your 3PL invoices line by line against your signed rate card and your Shopify orders, and a person reviews every finding before you see it.
Questions
How much does a 3PL cost?
Most brands pay a one-time setup fee, receiving and storage charges, a pick and pack fee per order and the carrier cost of each label. Published 2026 benchmarks put pick and pack at about $2 to $3 for a single-item order and pallet storage at
5 to $40 per pallet per month, before shipping, but prices vary by region, volume and product.
How much do 3PLs charge for pick and pack?
Usually a fee for the first item in an order plus a smaller fee for each additional item. Fulfill.com's 2026 benchmarks list $2 to $3 for the first item and $0.30 to $0.75 per additional item as typical.
What are the main 3PL pricing models?
Bundled per-order pricing, a la carte (transactional) pricing, cost-plus pricing and tiered volume pricing. Many 3PLs also use hybrids, such as a fixed monthly fee or minimum plus per-activity charges.
How does 3PL pricing work?
The warehouse records each billable activity, such as a carton received, a pallet stored or an order picked, and multiplies it by the rate in your signed rate card. Your invoice is the sum of those lines, plus any monthly minimum top-up and shipping.
Sources
- Fulfill.com: How Much Does a 3PL Cost in 2026?
- The Fulfillment Advisor: Warehousing Pricing, Warehousing Costs, Rates, and Fees
- EasyPost: How To Navigate 3PL Costs and Fees for the Best Pricing
- ShipBob: Fulfillment Costs Explained
- Extensiv: Warehouse Billing: Complete Guide to 3PL Invoicing and Cost Management