A 3PL bill has five main parts: receiving, storage, pick and pack, shipping and returns. For a brand shipping about 1,000 single-item orders a month, the fulfillment fees before postage often land around $1,200 to $1,500. Postage is usually the biggest single line. Here is how each fee works, with HyverHub’s published starting rates as a real example.
The five fees on every 3PL invoice
| Fee | What it covers | How it’s priced | HyverHub starts at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving | Unloading, counting and checking in your inventory | Per pallet, per carton, or per hour | $10 per pallet |
| Storage | Space your inventory takes up each month | Per pallet, bin or cubic foot | $10 per pallet per month, or $0.12 per cu ft per week |
| Pick & pack | Pulling items, packing and labeling each order | Per order, plus per additional item | $0.99 per order |
| Shipping | Carrier postage (UPS, FedEx, USPS) | Per package, by weight, size and zone | Multi-carrier rates, quoted by profile |
| Returns | Receiving, inspecting and restocking returns | Per return (RMA) | $2 per RMA |
Rates above are HyverHub’s published starting points. Your quote depends on order profile, packaging and volume.
A worked example: 1,000 orders a month
Say you ship 1,000 single-item orders a month, keep 20 pallets of stock, receive 4 pallets of new inventory and see a 3% return rate.
| Line | Math | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Pick & pack | 1,000 orders × $0.99 | $990 |
| Storage | 20 pallets × $10 | $200 |
| Receiving | 4 pallets × $10 | $40 |
| Returns | 30 returns × $2 | $60 |
| Fulfillment fees | $1,290 | |
| Postage | Depends on weight, size and destination | Usually the largest line |
That works out to about $1.29 per order in fulfillment fees before postage. Multi-item orders, inserts, custom boxes and kitting add to the pick and pack line; heavier or bulkier products add to postage.
What actually drives your cost
- Order profile. Items per order, packaging and inserts decide your pick and pack rate.
- Inventory velocity. Slow movers pay storage every month without generating orders. Clearing dead stock before onboarding is the fastest saving.
- Package size and zone. Dimensional weight and distance drive postage. A warehouse closer to your customers, or a better box size, can save more than any fulfillment fee.
- Accuracy. A wrong order costs a reship, a return and a customer. A 99.8% pick accuracy rate matters more than a few cents per order.
- Special handling. Kitting, bundles, lot tracking, Amazon FBA prep and B2B retail compliance each carry their own rates.
Fees to ask about before you sign
- Monthly minimums and what happens if you fall below them
- Onboarding, setup or integration fees
- Packaging materials: included, passed through, or marked up
- Long-term storage surcharges on aged inventory
- Account management or technology fees
- Peak-season surcharges in November and December
When a 3PL beats doing it yourself
In-house fulfillment looks cheaper because the costs are spread across rent, payroll, software and your own time. A 3PL usually wins when you pass a few hundred orders a month, when you need same-day shipping you can’t staff for, when peak season swamps your team, or when you sell on several channels at once (Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, wholesale). If you also ship kits, gift boxes or sample programs, see how kitting is priced.
Get a real number for your order profile
Tell us your monthly orders, items per order and what you sell. We’ll give you a straight quote, no minimum-commitment games.
Book a 15-min callSee fulfillment servicesFrequently asked questions
What fees does a 3PL charge?
Most 3PLs charge for receiving, storage, pick and pack per order, packaging materials, shipping (carrier postage), and returns. Some add account management, onboarding or monthly minimums. Ask for every line in writing before you compare quotes.
How much does pick and pack cost?
Pick and pack is usually priced per order with a small add-on per extra item. HyverHub’s pick and pack starts at $0.99 per order; complex orders, inserts and custom packaging add to that.
How is 3PL storage priced?
Storage is billed per pallet, per bin or shelf, or per cubic foot. HyverHub starts at $10 per pallet per month or $0.12 per cubic foot per week. Slow-moving inventory costs the most, so clean up dead stock before you move.
Is a 3PL cheaper than fulfilling in-house?
Usually once you pass a few hundred orders a month, or when you need speed, accuracy or peak-season capacity you can’t staff for. The real comparison includes rent, labor, software, packaging and the cost of mistakes, not just the per-order fee.
What should I ask a 3PL before signing?
Ask for minimums, onboarding fees, the same-day shipping cutoff, accuracy and on-time rates, which carriers they use, how returns work, what integrations they support, and how you see inventory and orders day to day.