3PL rate card template: columns, example and download
A free 3PL rate card template (CSV and Excel) with the eight columns you need to audit invoices, a filled-in example, and how to fill it from your contract.
A 3PL rate card lists every charge your warehouse can bill, the unit it is billed by, the rate, and the dates that rate applies. Our free template holds all of that in eight columns, so you can check any invoice line against the rate that was in effect on the day of the charge. Download it, copy in the rates from your signed agreement, and keep it next to every invoice you review.
The template covers the rate schedule only, not a full 3PL contract.
What the template contains
Each row is one charge at one rate for one period. When a rate changes, you add a row; you never overwrite the old one.
| Column | What to enter | Why it matters for auditing |
|---|---|---|
| Charge | The name of the charge, ideally as it appears on the invoice | You match each invoice line to a row by this name |
| Category | Fulfillment, packaging, receiving, storage, returns, shipping, account or minimum | Lets you total the bill by area and spot a whole category that is off |
| Unit of measure | What one unit is: per order, per additional unit, per carton, per pallet per month, per hour | Quantity is only checkable if you know what is being counted |
| Rate (USD) | The price per unit, as signed | The number every billed rate is compared with |
| Effective from | The first date the rate applies | Rates changed by an amendment apply from a date, not from the next invoice |
| Effective to | The last date, or blank if the rate is current | Shows when an old rate should have stopped |
| Minimum | Any minimum charge for this line, per order, per receipt or per month | A minimum changes the expected amount when activity is low |
| Notes | The billing basis and any condition from the contract | Holds the rules that change the math, such as "billed on the monthly average" |
The two date columns do the most work. A common error is an old rate that keeps being billed after an amendment lowered it. Without dates on the rate card, you cannot see it.
Example rate card
This is the rate card of Ridgeline Fulfillment, a made-up warehouse, for Juniper & Pine, a made-up brand. The rates are examples, not market prices. Your own rates depend on your contract.
| Charge | Category | Unit of measure | Rate (USD) | Effective from | Effective to | Minimum | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pick and pack, first item | Fulfillment | per order | 3.25 | 2026-01-01 | Covers the first unit in each order | ||
| Additional item | Fulfillment | per additional unit | 0.85 | 2026-01-01 | 2026-06-30 | Each unit after the first in an order | |
| Additional item | Fulfillment | per additional unit | 0.65 | 2026-07-01 | Amendment No. 1 | ||
| Poly mailer | Packaging | each | 0.40 | 2026-01-01 | Billed separately from pick and pack | ||
| Receiving | Receiving | per carton | 5.00 | 2026-01-01 | Cartons as counted on the receiving report | ||
| Pallet storage | Storage | per pallet per month | 18.00 | 2026-01-01 | Billed on the average pallets occupied in the calendar month | ||
| Returns processing | Returns | per return | 3.50 | 2026-01-01 | |||
| Account management fee | Account | per month | 150.00 | 2026-01-01 | |||
| Postage and carrier charges | Shipping | per shipment | 2026-01-01 | Billed at carrier cost plus 8% | |||
| Monthly minimum | Minimum | per month | 2026-01-01 | 1500.00 | Top-up to the minimum if fulfillment charges for the month are lower |
Three rows show why the structure matters:
- Additional item has two rows. An invoice line dated August 12, 2026 that bills $0.85 is wrong, because the $0.65 row covers that date.
- Pallet storage has a note. The rate alone does not tell you how many pallets to bill. The note says the average, so a bill based on the busiest day is wrong.
- Postage has no fixed rate, only a rule. The note holds the 8% limit, which you check against the carrier cost of each label.
How to fill it in from your contract
- Find the rate schedule and every amendment. The schedule is often an exhibit or appendix at the back of the agreement. Amendments may be separate documents or emails your 3PL asked you to sign.
- Add one row per charge. Copy each rate exactly as signed. If the invoice uses a different name for the same charge, put the invoice wording in Notes.
- Write the unit of measure in full. "Per order" and "per unit" produce very different totals. If the contract is unclear about the unit, ask your 3PL to confirm it in writing.
- Add the billing rules to Notes. Look for the storage basis, what counts toward the minimum, how postage is marked up, and when long-term storage starts.
- Date every row. Use the agreement's start date for the original rates. When an amendment changes a rate, set Effective to on the old row to the day before, and add a new row.
- Add the minimums. Use the Minimum column for any floor: a monthly minimum, a minimum per receipt, or a minimum charge per order.
- List pass-through charges. Postage, carrier surcharges and anything billed "at cost" still get a row, with the rule in Notes.
How to use it to check an invoice
For each invoice line:
- Find the row with the same charge whose dates cover the charge date.
- Check the unit of measure. Is the quantity counting what the row says?
- Check the rate. The billed rate should equal Rate (USD).
- Check the math: quantity × rate should equal the amount.
- Apply the Notes and the Minimum, for example the storage basis or a monthly top-up.
The 3PL invoice audit checklist walks through the checks that need more than the rate card, such as canceled orders and duplicates. To see what a month would cost under these rates, try the 3PL cost calculator.
What a rate card does not cover
People searching for a "3PL contract template" often need the rate schedule first, and that is what this template is. A full 3PL agreement also covers terms such as liability for lost or damaged inventory, insurance, payment terms, notice periods and termination. Our 3PL contract checklist lists the billing terms worth looking for. Have a lawyer review the agreement before you sign it.
For how 3PLs structure these fees in general, read 3PL pricing explained.
Get your rate card checked against your invoices
When you send your contract for 3PL Checker's free audit, we read every rate and amendment with its dates, and check each invoice line against the rate in effect on the day of the charge. A person reviews every finding, and you get the evidence and a credit request ready to send.
Questions
What is a 3PL rate card?
A 3PL rate card is the schedule in your warehouse agreement that lists every charge, the unit it is billed by and the rate. It is the document every invoice line should be checked against.
How does 3PL pricing work?
Most 3PLs charge per activity: a fee per order and per additional item for pick and pack, per carton or pallet for receiving, per pallet or bin per month for storage, plus packaging, postage and fixed monthly fees. The rate card says which units and rates apply to you.
Is there a 3PL pricing template in Excel?
Yes. The template on this page comes as an Excel file and a CSV, with columns for the charge, category, unit of measure, rate, effective dates, minimum and notes.
What should a 3PL contract template include?
The rate schedule is one part: every charge, its unit, rate and effective dates. The rest of the agreement covers terms such as liability for inventory, payment and termination, so have a lawyer review it.