3PL cost calculator
Quick answer
Enter your monthly orders, units per order, pallets stored and a provider's rates to see the full monthly bill and the true cost per order. The rates pre-filled below are examples only, not a quote from any provider. Replace them with the numbers on your quote.
Key takeaways
- Per-order fulfillment cost is pick and pack plus extra units, packaging, and your share of storage, receiving and account fees.
- A monthly minimum can dominate the bill at low volume. Check whether yours applies before shipping is added or after.
- Shipping labels are usually the largest line item, so compare quotes on the all-in cost per order.
How the calculator works
The monthly bill is the sum of:
- Pick and pack: orders × the per-order fee.
- Additional units: orders × (units per order − 1) × the per-unit fee.
- Packaging: orders × the per-order packaging charge.
- Storage: pallets stored × the monthly pallet rate.
- Receiving: pallets received × the per-pallet receiving fee.
- Account fee: a flat monthly fee, if any.
- Minimum top-up: if the fulfillment fees above come to less than the monthly minimum, the difference.
- Shipping: orders × your average label cost.
Some 3PLs bill storage per bin, shelf or cubic foot instead of per pallet. If yours does, convert it to a monthly total and enter it as pallets × rate.
Frequently asked questions
Does the calculator use real 3PL prices?
The pre-filled rates are illustrative examples, not any provider's pricing. Enter the rates from your own quote to get your number.
Why is my cost per order higher than the pick and pack fee?
Because storage, receiving, packaging, account fees and any minimum are spread across your orders. At low volume, those fixed costs can add more per order than the pick fee itself.