3PL Cost Calculator
3PL cost per order = every monthly 3PL charge, shipping included ÷ orders. A brand shipping 2,000 orders on a $25,475.00 monthly bill pays $12.74 an order, or $4.54 before shipping.
Your volume
Receiving and storage rates
Order, shipping and account rates
The rates filled in are editable examples, not Locad prices or market averages. Replace them with the fee schedule you were quoted.
Monthly breakdown by fee line
| Fee line | How it is billed | Monthly | Per order | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving | 3,200 units × $0.15 | $480.00 | $0.24 | |
| Storage | 40 pallets × $22.00 + 60 bins × $3.00 | $1,060.00 | $0.53 | |
| Pick and pack | 2,000 × $2.75 + 1,200 extra units × $0.50 | $6,100.00 | $3.05 | |
| Packaging | 2,000 orders × $0.45 | $900.00 | $0.45 | |
| Shipping | 2,000 orders × $8.20 | $16,400.00 | $8.20 | |
| Returns | 120 returns × $3.00 | $360.00 | $0.18 | |
| Account and other fees | $175.00 + $0.00 a month | $175.00 | $0.09 | |
| Total | $25,475.00 | $12.74 | 100% |
Cost per order at other volumes
| Volume | Orders | Monthly total | All-in per order | Before shipping | Account fee per order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5× | 1,000 | $12,825.00 | $12.83 | $4.63 | $0.18 |
| As entered | 2,000 | $25,475.00 | $12.74 | $4.54 | $0.09 |
| 2× | 4,000 | $50,775.00 | $12.69 | $4.49 | $0.04 |
| 5× | 10,000 | $126,675.00 | $12.67 | $4.47 | $0.02 |
Receiving and storage scale with orders, rounded up to whole pallets and bins. The account and other monthly fees stay as entered. Volume tiers in a real quote can change the rates themselves.
The calculation runs in your browser.
How to Calculate 3PL Cost Per Order in 5 Steps
- Pick one month. Use a normal month or your busiest one, and count the orders and units shipped in it.
- Price the inbound side. Multiply the units, cartons or pallets received by the receiving rate, then the pallets and bins stored by their monthly rates.
- Price each order. Add the first-unit pick fee, the extra-unit fee for every unit beyond the first, packaging and the average label cost.
- Add returns and fixed fees. Multiply returns by the per-return fee, then add the account, technology and any other monthly charges.
- Divide by orders. The total over orders is your all-in cost per order. Leave shipping out of the total to get the fulfillment-only figure.
| Fee line | Formula | Example value |
|---|---|---|
| Receiving | Units received × rate per unit | $480.00 |
| Storage | Pallets × pallet rate + bins × bin rate | $1,060.00 |
| Pick and pack | Orders × first-unit fee + extra units × extra-unit fee | $6,100.00 |
| Packaging | Orders × packaging per order | $900.00 |
| Shipping | Orders × average label cost | $16,400.00 |
| Returns | Orders × return rate × fee per return | $360.00 |
| Account and other | Flat monthly fees | $175.00 |
| Cost per order | Total ÷ orders | $25,475.00 ÷ 2,000 = $12.74 |
A Denver Pet-Supplies Brand Shipping 2,000 Orders
A Denver, Colorado brand sells treats and toys online at a $58.00 average order. It wants a monthly budget before asking 3PLs to quote. The rates below are examples.
| Fee line | Calculation | Monthly | Per order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving | 3,200 units × $0.15 | $480.00 | $0.24 |
| Storage | 40 pallets × $22.00 + 60 bins × $3.00 | $1,060.00 | $0.53 |
| Pick and pack | 2,000 × $2.75 + 1,200 extra units × $0.50 | $6,100.00 | $3.05 |
| Packaging | 2,000 orders × $0.45 | $900.00 | $0.45 |
| Shipping | 2,000 orders × $8.20 | $16,400.00 | $8.20 |
| Returns | 120 returns × $3.00 | $360.00 | $0.18 |
| Account and other fees | $175.00 + $0.00 a month | $175.00 | $0.09 |
| Total | Sum of all lines | $25,475.00 | $12.74 |
- Shipping is 64.4% of the bill, so a 10% change in the label rate moves the total more than a 10% change in any other line.
- Pick and pack is the largest 3PL line at $6,100.00, or 23.9% of the total.
- At half the volume, with storage scaled down too, the cost per order is $12.83, because the account fee is spread over fewer orders.
Which Line to Work on First
Sort the breakdown by share of total. The largest line is where a rate change or a process change moves cost per order the most.
Shipping leads
Look at box sizes, carrier mix and where your stock sits relative to your customers before you negotiate warehouse fees.
Pick and pack leads
Check basket size and whether bundles could be pre-kitted, then ask how the first-unit and extra-unit rates are tiered.
Storage leads
Compare stock on hand with sales. Slow SKUs filling pallet positions raise every order's cost without shipping more.
Fixed fees lead
Volume is low for the fee schedule. Check the scenario table to see how the cost per order falls as orders grow.
What to gather before you fill it in
- Orders and units shipped per month for the last 6 to 12 months, so you can pick a normal month and a peak one.
- Average order value and return rate from your store or marketplace reports.
- Stock on hand in pallets and bins, or the carton count and sizes if you only know cartons.
- Your current average label cost per order, from carrier invoices rather than rate cards.
- Any fee schedule you have been quoted, with every accessorial line, account fee and minimum.
What Each 3PL Fee Covers
Fee names differ between providers. Map each line of a quote to one of these before you enter it, so nothing is counted twice or missed.
Receiving
Unloading, counting and putting stock away. Some 3PLs bill by the hour for messy or unlabeled freight.
Storage
Pallet positions, bins or shelves, or cubic feet. Slow stock may carry a long-term storage charge.
Pick and pack
A first-unit rate per order plus a rate for each extra unit. Some quotes fold packing labor into it.
Packaging
Boxes, mailers, fill and tape. Branded or custom packaging can be billed separately or supplied by you.
Shipping
The postage for each parcel, set by carrier, zone, weight and size. Use a blended average across your orders.
Returns
Receiving the parcel, inspecting it and restocking or disposing of it. The return label is often extra.
Account and tech
Platform access, store integrations and account management, charged as a flat monthly fee.
Other work
Kitting, labeling, inserts and special projects. Add an average monthly figure in Other monthly fees.
3PL Cost Per Order by Units Per Order
Same example rates and 2,000 orders, with receiving set to the units shipped. Bigger baskets cost more per order but less per unit.
| Units per order | Pick and pack per order | All-in per order | Before shipping | All-in per unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | $2.75 | $12.35 | $4.15 | $12.35 |
| 1.5 | $3.00 | $12.67 | $4.47 | $8.45 |
| 2.0 | $3.25 | $13.00 | $4.80 | $6.50 |
| 3.0 | $3.75 | $13.65 | $5.45 | $4.55 |
| 4.0 | $4.25 | $14.30 | $6.10 | $3.57 |
Single-unit orders
Every order pays the full first-unit fee and a label. Per-order rates matter most to you.
Mixed baskets
Check the extra-unit fee as closely as the first-unit fee. It is charged on every unit after the first.
Bundles and kits
If you sell sets, ask whether a pre-built kit is picked as one unit. That changes which fee applies.
3PL Cost as a Share of Order Value
The same $12.74 all-in cost per order from the example, set against different average order values.
| Average order value | All-in cost as % of order | Before shipping as % of order |
|---|---|---|
| $30 | 42.5% | 15.1% |
| $40 | 31.8% | 11.3% |
| $58 | 22.0% | 7.8% |
| $100 | 12.7% | 4.5% |
| $150 | 8.5% | 3.0% |
Low order values
Fixed per-order fees take a large share of each sale. Free-shipping thresholds and bundles lift the order value.
Mid order values
Shipping usually dominates. Compare label rates and box sizes before you compare pick fees.
High order values
The share is small, so service level, accuracy and insurance may matter more than a few cents a pick.
3PL Cost Calculator vs 3PL Pricing Template
| Question | This cost calculator | 3PL pricing template |
|---|---|---|
| What it answers | What one fee schedule costs per order and per month, all in. | Which of two quotes is cheaper for your volume. |
| Input | Your volume plus one set of rates. | Two full rate cards, line by line. |
| Shipping | Included, with a before-shipping figure too. | Kept separate so handling fees compare cleanly. |
| Minimums | Not modeled. | Applied, with the top-up shown. |
| Best used | To budget, or to check one quote. | When two quotes are in hand. |
Have two quotes to compare? Use the 3PL pricing template, then read the 3PL pricing guide for how providers build their rates.
Comparing 3PL Cost With Fulfilling In-House
To compare like with like, build an in-house cost per order from the same month and the same fee lines.
Space
Rent, utilities and insurance for the square feet your stock and packing area use, not the whole building.
Labor
Receiving, picking, packing and returns hours, with payroll costs, overtime in peak and cover for absence.
Systems and supplies
Warehouse software, label printers, scanners and packaging, plus the postage rates you can get yourself.
- Divide each in-house line by the same month's orders, then line it up against the breakdown above.
- Count the time you or your team spend on fulfillment, even if no one is paid for it today.
- Check how your costs behave in your busiest month, not only in an average one.
Six 3PL Cost Mistakes That Change the Answer
Pricing only the first pick
The example's 1,200 extra units cost $600.00 a month at $0.50 each. Leaving them out understates the cost by $0.30 an order.
Quoting fulfillment-only as all-in
$4.54 before shipping and $12.74 all in describe the same month. Say which one you mean when you budget.
Leaving out returns
At a 6% return rate and an example $3.00 fee, returns add $0.18 to every order shipped.
Dividing by units, not orders
The example is $7.96 per unit but $12.74 per order. Compare quotes on the same basis.
Storing for an average month
If peak stock fills 50 pallets instead of 40, storage rises by $220.00 that month, or $0.11 an order.
Forgetting the minimum
A monthly minimum can lift a quiet month's bill above the sum of its fees. Model it in the pricing template.
Related 3PL and Cost Calculators
See all free logistics tools, or read how Locad handles ecommerce fulfillment and warehousing.
3PL Cost Calculator Questions
Want a Fulfillment Quote for Your Order Profile?
Talk to Locad about fulfillment and warehousing for your volume, basket size and channels.