3PL Cost Calculator

How 3PL pricing actually works

Most 3PL cost calculators online give you a single rate per order and call it a day. Real third-party logistics pricing is six lines, not one — and the mix between them is what makes the same volume cost wildly different at different 3PLs. The calculator above breaks the estimate into the same six categories your actual invoice will (or should) have.

Here's what each line covers, why the numbers look the way they do, and where 3PLs typically over- or under-charge.

Pick & pack — usually 35–50% of the bill

The biggest line on most ecommerce 3PL invoices. The math:

• Base pick fee — what you pay for the first pick on every order. Industry median in 2026 is around $2.85; high-touch DTC 3PLs charge $3.50–$4.00, automated bulk operators charge $1.75–$2.25.
• Per additional pick line — typically $0.50–$0.85. Multi-line orders eat into 3PL margin, which is why this exists.
• Packing — $1.00–$1.50 for standard. Custom packing (gift wrap, branded inserts, kitting at pack time) adds $2–$5.

Shipping — usually 25–40% of the bill

Shipping cost is mostly the carrier's, not the 3PL's — but the 3PL bills you, applies a markup, and passes through. Two factors dominate:

• Zone — distance from the warehouse to the consumer. Roughly doubles from zone 2 (next-day local) to zone 8 (cross-country). Brands shipping mostly to one coast from a single warehouse pay 60–80% more than brands using multi-node 3PLs.
• Weight — carrier rates scale with billable weight (the greater of actual weight and dimensional weight). Bulky-but-light items (think pillows) get hit by dim-weight pricing.

Most 3PLs add an 8–15% margin on top of carrier base rates. Some charge at-cost and make their margin entirely on fulfillment fees; others mark up shipping aggressively and discount fulfillment to win deals.

Storage — usually 5–15% of the bill

Charged a few different ways:

• Per pallet/month — the most common: $12–$20 per pallet position per month. The calculator uses $14.50 as the median.
• Per pallet/day — $0.40–$0.65/day. Same monthly cost, just billed in smaller increments.
• Per cubic foot/month — $0.75–$1.20 for SKUs that don't pallet cleanly.
• Per bin/month — $1.00–$1.50 for very small SKUs (jewelry, supplements).

Storage is where bills quietly drift. Most billing systems use stale inventory snapshots to calculate monthly storage, which means brands whose volume grew during the period get under-billed (great for the brand) and brands whose volume shrunk get over-billed (bad for the brand).

Returns & VAS — situational, but big when present

Returns runs $3.50–$8.00 per return processed for the basic flow (receive, inspect, restock or dispose). Restocking fees of 10–15% of order value are common for resellable goods. Disposal is a flat per-unit fee.

Apparel brands hit 8–12% return rates and pay accordingly. Most other ecommerce categories run 3–5%. The calculator's slider handles both ends.

VAS (kitting, relabeling, inspection, photography) is per-unit and only relevant if the offer requires it. Toggle it on in the calculator to see the impact.

Account fees — small but always there

Most 3PLs apply a monthly minimum ($500–$1,500) when total billing falls below it. Setup fees of $1,000–$2,500 are typical, usually one-time and amortized in your head over the first year. EDI/API integration fees ($150–$300/month) are common for brands shipping at scale.

When to use this calculator vs. when to get a real quote

Use the calculator to:

1. Size whether a 3PL quote you've received is in the right ballpark. If their number is 2× the calculator estimate, ask why. If it's 50%, ask what's not included.
2. Sanity-check your existing 3PL bill. If you're at $25K/month and the calculator says $14K, one of three things is happening: your activity profile is different than the inputs (likely), they're charging more than median rates (possible), or there's a billing error worth chasing (often).
3. Build a budget for a 3PL switch. Plug in your forecast volume and you get a defensible monthly OpEx number for the spreadsheet.

The calculator is not a substitute for a real RFQ. Each 3PL's quote will reflect their cost structure, geography, automation level, and how badly they want your account. The variance you'll see between three quotes for the same brand is typically 30–50%.