How Much Does a 3PL Cost? An Honest Breakdown

3PL pricing is a set of line items, not one number. Here is what each fee covers, a worked example using Matrix's published rates, and the hidden fees worth asking about before you sign.

Folded apparel shirts ready for ecommerce order fulfillment

Pick and pack from $1.50 per order
Storage from $0.25 per bin per day
$0 setup and platform fees
Itemized quote
Month-to-month, no order minimums

99.8% order accuracy across 1M+ orders · Month-to-month, no setup fees

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Itemized pricing.

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No minimums · No setup fees · No long-term contract

What You Pay For

The Four Costs That Make Up Most 3PL Invoices

1
Receiving
Checking in and counting inventory when it arrives. Matrix charges $10 per pallet or $1.50 per mixed carton.
2
Storage
Space your inventory takes up each day. Matrix charges $0.25 per bin per day or $0.90 per pallet per day.
3
Pick and Pack
Pulling items and packing each order. Matrix charges $1.50 per order plus $0.35 per additional item, as low as $0.50 at volume.
4
Postage
The carrier cost to deliver each package. It depends on weight, size and destination, and is billed separately from fulfillment.

How It Works

Estimate Your 3PL Cost in 3 Steps

01
Count Your Orders and Items
Multiply monthly orders by the per-order fee, then add the per-item fee for every item beyond the first in each order.
02
Add Storage and Receiving
Estimate the bins or pallets you'll keep on hand each day, plus how many pallets or cartons you'll send in each month.
03
Add Returns, Packaging and Postage
Include returns inspected per unit, any custom packaging, and postage based on your package weights and destinations.

Benefits

A Worked Example Using Matrix Rates

The Brand

1,000 orders a month, an average of 1.5 items per order, and inventory that fits in 20 storage bins.

Pick and Pack: $1,500

1,000 orders at $1.50 per order covers the first item in every order.

Additional Items: $175

1.5 items per order means 500 extra items a month, at $0.35 each.

Storage: $150

20 bins at $0.25 per bin per day over 30 days.

Total: $1,825 Before Postage

About $1.83 per order. Receiving and returns are added based on what actually comes in.

Setup and Platform Fees: $0

No onboarding fee, no monthly software fee and no order minimum to add to the total.

Hidden Fees

Fees to Ask About Before You Sign With Any 3PL

Fees That Often Surprise Brands

Some 3PLs add charges that don't show up in the headline rate.

Setup or onboarding fees
Monthly platform or software fees
Monthly order minimums
Long-term contracts with exit fees

Questions to Ask

An itemized quote should answer these before you commit.

Is postage marked up, and by how much?
Are inserts and packaging extra?
What does a return cost per unit?
How much notice do I need to leave?

Side-by-Side

Typical 3PL vs. Matrix Pricing

Topic

Typical 3PL

Matrix Fulfillment

Why It Matters

Setup

Onboarding or setup fee

$0 setup fees

Nothing to pay before you ship

Platform

Monthly software or portal fee

$0 platform fees

Lower fixed cost each month

Minimums

Monthly order or spend minimum

No order minimums

Slow months don't cost extra

Contract

Annual term with exit fees

Month-to-month, 30 days' notice

You stay because it works

Quote

Pricing only after a sales call

Published rates, itemized line by line

You can budget before you call

Contract

12-month lock-in and minimums

Month-to-month, no minimums

You stay because it works, not because you're stuck

Bottom line: compare 3PLs on the full line-item total for your real volume, not the headline pick fee, and ask about setup, platform and minimum fees.

Published Pricing

Matrix Fulfillment Rates

Real numbers, no gated pricing. Your quote is itemized line by line.

Get My Exact Rate

Pick and Pack: $1.50 per order + $0.35 per additional item
At Volume: As low as $0.50 per order
Storage: $0.25 per bin per day · $0.90 per pallet per day
Receiving: $10 per pallet · $1.50 per mixed carton
Returns: $2 per unit inspected
Setup and Platform Fees: $0

FAQ

3PL Cost Questions

Still unsure? Call (310) 415-7759 and talk to the team that packs your orders.

How much does a 3PL cost?

It depends on your order volume, items per order, storage and returns. At Matrix, a brand shipping 1,000 orders a month with 1.5 items per order and 20 storage bins pays $1,825 before postage.

What fees does a 3PL charge?

Most 3PL invoices include receiving, storage, pick and pack, packaging, returns and postage. Some 3PLs also charge setup fees, platform fees or monthly minimums. Matrix charges $0 for setup and platform and has no order minimums.

How much is pick and pack at Matrix?

Pick and pack is $1.50 per order plus $0.35 per additional item, and drops as low as $0.50 per order at volume.

How is 3PL storage priced?

Storage is usually charged by space used over time. At Matrix, bin storage is $0.25 per bin per day and pallet storage is $0.90 per pallet per day.

Is postage included in 3PL pricing?

Usually not. Postage depends on package weight, size and destination and is billed separately. At Matrix, postage is separate from fulfillment fees.

What does receiving inventory cost?

At Matrix, receiving is $10 per pallet or $1.50 per mixed carton, and every unit is counted into ShipHero WMS.

How much do returns cost?

At Matrix, returns are $2 per unit inspected. Sellable units are restocked, and damaged units are set aside and reported to you.

Are there minimums or long contracts?

No. Matrix is month-to-month with 30 days' notice and no order minimums.

How Much Does a 3PL Cost? An Honest Breakdown

The Four Costs That Make Up Most 3PL Invoices

Receiving

Storage

Pick and Pack

Postage

Estimate Your 3PL Cost in 3 Steps

Count Your Orders and Items

Add Storage and Receiving

Add Returns, Packaging and Postage

A Worked Example Using Matrix Rates

The Brand

Pick and Pack: $1,500

Additional Items: $175

Storage: $150

Total: $1,825 Before Postage

Setup and Platform Fees: $0

Fees to Ask About Before You Sign With Any 3PL

Fees That Often Surprise Brands

Questions to Ask

Typical 3PL vs. Matrix Pricing

Integrations Included in Your Price

Matrix Fulfillment Rates

Related Resources

What Is a 3PL?

How to Choose a 3PL

3PL vs. In-House Fulfillment

3PL Cost Questions

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