3PLCost

How Much Does a 3PL Cost? (2026)

By 3PLCost Research · Updated · How we research

Quick answer

Before shipping labels, most brands pay roughly $3–$5 per order in fulfillment fees, plus storage. A 2025 survey of 600+ warehouses by The Fulfillment Advisor put average B2C pick and pack at $3.20 per order, pallet storage at $20.17 per month, and the average monthly minimum at $517. Shipping usually costs more than all the fulfillment fees together. All-in rates that include postage, such as Simpl's (from $7 per order) and Fulfyld's (from $7.74 at 501–1,000 orders a month), are the closer comparison.

Key takeaways

  • Survey averages (The Fulfillment Advisor, 2025): B2C pick and pack $3.20, B2B $4.80, pallet storage $20.17 per month, receiving $45.67 per hour.
  • The average monthly minimum rose from $338 in 2024 to $517 in 2025 in the same survey. Below the minimum, it sets your bill.
  • Published all-in rates that include postage start around $7 per order (Simpl) and $7.74 (Fulfyld, 501–1,000 orders a month tier).
  • Compare quotes on the total monthly bill divided by orders, not on the pick fee alone.
  • Most large 3PLs, including ShipBob, ShipMonk and Red Stag, publish no rates and quote each brand individually.

What does a 3PL charge for?

A 3PL invoice is built from a handful of recurring fees plus pass-through shipping:

Fee How it's billed Survey average (2025)
Pick and pack (B2C) Per order, first item $3.20
Pick and pack (B2B) Per order, first item $4.80
Pallet storage Per pallet per month $20.17
Cubic-foot storage Per cubic foot per month $0.46
Bin storage Per bin per month $3.08
Receiving Per hour / per pallet / per container $45.67 / $10.52 / $500
Setup fee One-time (51% of warehouses charge one) $333
Integration fee One-time $275
Account management Monthly (35% charge one) $102.88
Monthly minimum Monthly floor $517

Source: The Fulfillment Advisor's 2025 warehousing market report, a survey of more than 600 warehouses. The Fulfillment Advisor matches brands with 3PLs, so treat these as one industry benchmark rather than a census. Packaging, additional items, kitting, returns and special projects are billed on top. Shipping is usually passed through separately.

What do 3PLs that publish their prices charge?

Most 3PLs quote privately. These publish rates (checked Sept. 27, 2026):

Provider Published pricing Minimum
ShipCalm DTC $2.65 per order + $0.95 per item; storage $0.19 per cu ft per week; receiving $39.50 per shipment or $12.45 per pallet Quarterly spend minimum ($3,000 on the homepage, $6,000 in the pricing calculator)
Fulfyld All-in from $7.74 per order for 4–12 oz at the 501–1,000 orders/month tier, including postage and 5 picks; $0.50 per extra pick; pallet $28/month No formal minimum
Simpl Fulfillment All-in from $7 per order (up to 3 picks, postage and packaging) $750 per month, billed as pay-the-difference
RyderShip Pick and pack from $2.35 (Shopify App Store listing) Not published
Saltbox Workspace and warehouse membership from $500 per month None stated
Thrive 3PL Onboarding typically $200–$500; other rates not published None stated

ShipBob, ShipMonk, Red Stag, Tondo Fulfillment and most others are quote-only. Two different rate structures are mixed in that table. ShipCalm's and RyderShip's figures exclude shipping. Fulfyld's and Simpl's include it. The next section shows why that matters.

How much does a 3PL cost per month? A worked example

Illustrative brand: 1,000 orders a month, 1.5 units per order, 10 pallets stored, 4 pallets received a month. Survey averages are used where they exist; the other rates are illustrative placeholders, not any provider's pricing.

Line Calculation Monthly
Pick and pack 1,000 × $3.20 $3,200.00
Additional units 500 × $0.50 (illustrative) $250.00
Packaging 1,000 × $0.50 (illustrative) $500.00
Storage 10 × $20.17 $201.70
Receiving 4 × $10.52 $42.08
Account management Survey average, if charged $102.88
Fulfillment subtotal $4,296.66 ($4.30 per order)
Shipping 1,000 × $9.00 (illustrative average label) $9,000.00
Total $13,296.66 ($13.30 per order)

Shipping is two-thirds of the bill in this example. A 3PL with a $0.40 lower pick fee but a $1.00 higher average label is $600 a month more expensive. Run your own numbers in the 3PL cost calculator.

How do minimums change the cost for small brands?

At low volume the minimum, not the rate card, sets the bill.

Illustrative example at 100 orders a month (same rates as above, 2 pallets stored, 1 received): pick and pack $320, additional units $25, packaging $50, storage $40.34 and receiving $10.52 come to $445.86. Against the survey's average $517 minimum, the brand pays $517, or $5.17 per order before shipping. Against Simpl's $750 minimum, it's $7.50 per order, although Simpl's rate includes postage.

Ask every 3PL two questions: does the minimum count shipping, and does it start in month one or after onboarding? The details are in 3PL setup fees and monthly minimums.

Why is shipping the biggest part of a 3PL bill?

Because the carrier's label for a residential parcel usually costs more than all the warehouse labor for that order. FedEx's 2026 residential charge on Ground and Home Delivery is $6.45 per package before the base rate and fuel. A 3PL's shipping price depends on its negotiated carrier discounts, how much of the discount it passes through, and whether it routes light parcels to USPS Ground Advantage, which has no residential or fuel surcharge.

That's why an all-in per-order rate and an itemized rate card can't be compared line by line. Convert both to a total cost per order for your real order profile. For the surcharge detail, see shipping surcharges explained.

What makes a 3PL quote higher or lower?

  • Order profile: units per order, weight and box size drive both pick fees and shipping.
  • Volume: tiered rate cards (Fulfyld's is published by monthly order tier) fall as volume rises.
  • Storage density: slow-moving SKUs raise storage per order, and 48.6% of surveyed warehouses now charge long-term storage fees.
  • Channel mix: B2B and retail orders cost more to pick ($4.80 vs $3.20 in the survey) and may add compliance labeling.
  • Special handling: lot tracking, temperature control, kitting and hazmat add fees.
  • Contract terms: month-to-month providers (ShipCalm, Saltbox, Thrive, Tondo) trade some rate certainty for flexibility.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a 3PL cost per order?

Before shipping, commonly $3–$5 per order at survey-average rates. With postage included, published all-in rates start around $7 per order (Simpl) and $7.74 (Fulfyld's 501–1,000 orders a month tier).

What is the average 3PL pick and pack fee?

The Fulfillment Advisor's 2025 survey of 600+ warehouses put B2C pick and pack at $3.20 per order and B2B at $4.80.

How much does 3PL storage cost per pallet?

The same survey's average is $20.17 per pallet per month. Published examples include Fulfyld at $28 per pallet at its 501–1,000 orders tier.

Do 3PLs charge a monthly minimum?

Many do. The survey average was $517 a month in 2025; Simpl publishes $750, and ShipMonk says it sets a minimum based on pick fees and projected volume.

Why don't most 3PLs publish their prices?

Most quote from your order profile (units per order, SKU count, weight and volume) because those drive their labor and space costs. It also stops competitors comparing rate cards directly.

Sources