The short answer
There is no universal all-in 3PL rate. For standard ecommerce DTC orders, approximately $1–$3 for the first item is a broad planning estimate, with additional-item charges layered on top. It is not a quote, and the headline pick fee is only one part of the bill.
Volume, SKU count, order complexity, packaging and service requirements change the economics. Smaller or boutique providers may be more competitive for emerging brands; negotiated, introductory or promotional rates can also differ from broad averages. Compare the full monthly cost, with postage shown separately.
What you actually pay for
- Pick-and-pack: a first-item or per-order fee plus a fee for each additional item; confirm whether fees are per unit or per SKU.
- Storage: monthly pallet, bin, shelf or cubic-foot charges, sometimes with long-term inventory surcharges.
- Receiving: per pallet, carton, unit or labor hour, depending on how inventory arrives.
- Packaging: boxes, mailers, dunnage and inserts; some materials may be included, others billed separately.
- Returns: inspection, processing and restocking, plus any disposal or return-label cost.
- Kitting and special projects: assembly, relabeling, FBA prep or custom work billed separately.
- Technology, integration or account fees, and any monthly minimum shortfall.
- Postage: carrier charges, any 3PL markup or label fee, and applicable surcharges or adjustments.
Example monthly calculation
Hypothetical brand: 1,000 orders, averaging 1.5 items each. At $2 for the first item and $0.50 for each additional item, pick/pack is 1,000 × ($2 + 0.5 × $0.50). These are illustrative inputs, not a provider rate card.
Pick/pack: $2,250. Add $300 storage, $100 returns, $100 recurring fees and an assumed $250 receiving charge: $3,000 before postage, or $3 per order. Assume packaging is included and no minimum shortfall applies. Kitting and other projects are excluded from this example.
At $6 average billed postage, add $6,000. The monthly total is $9,000, or $9 per order including postage. Change any assumption and the answer changes.
Run your own order profile through the Fulfillment Cost Calculator; include receiving or project charges in other fees for the month you are modeling.
How monthly minimums work
A billing-floor minimum usually means you pay a shortfall when eligible service fees fall below the agreed floor—not the minimum on top of all eligible fees. The contract must say which charges qualify; storage, postage, returns or technology fees may be treated differently by different providers.
For example, $500 in eligible fees against a $750 floor creates a $250 shortfall. Add excluded charges separately. Our calculator counts pick/pack and returns toward the minimum, but not storage, other recurring fees or shipping; check that this matches your proposal.
See 3PL monthly minimums explained for a low-volume example and ramp questions.
Hidden or commonly overlooked fees
Ask about onboarding, inventory transfers, account management, peak-season charges, special packaging, disposal, cycle counts, hourly project minimums and exit fees. Receiving noncompliant or unlabeled stock may require extra labor. Post-shipment carrier adjustments can change the postage bill after labels are purchased.
Get the charging unit, included services and approval process in writing. A low pick fee is not a saving if packaging, minimums or shipping markups offset it.
How to compare two 3PL quotes
Use the same orders, items per order, stock footprint, inbound shipments, returns and destination/packed-weight mix for both quotes. Model a representative month and a lower-volume month, including minimums and one-time costs. Then compare service reliability, operational fit and exit terms alongside price.
Use the line-by-line checklist in How to compare 3PL quotes.
Still deciding whether to outsource? Read 3PL vs. self-fulfillment and include the value of your time.