Pricing and billing
What a 3PL costs per order in 2026, with our own rates as the example
Published 2026 ranges for pick and pack, storage, receiving, returns, kitting, minimums and setup fees, with BoxHero's rate card next to them and a worked 1,000-order month.
A 3PL in 2026 charges most brands $2.00 to $8.00 to pick and pack a single-item order, $0.30 to $1.50 for each extra unit, $8 to $40 per pallet per month for storage, and $5 to $50 per pallet to receive inbound freight. Returns run $1 to $10 each. Many providers add a monthly minimum of $500 or more. The quote you get depends on which of these lines the provider charges and how it handles postage.
This article lays out the published ranges from four 2026 pricing guides, puts our own rate card next to them, and works through a 1,000-order month so you can see where the money goes.
The industry ranges, line by line
The figures below come from PopCapacity (June 2026), The Fulfillment Advisor (January 2026), Fulfill.com (updated June 2026) and Racklify (January 2026). Where the guides disagree, the table shows the full spread.
| Fee type | Industry range (2026) | BoxHero |
|---|---|---|
| Pick and pack, first item | $2.00 to $8.00 per order | $3.50 per order |
| Each additional unit | $0.30 to $1.50 | $0.25, order capped at $8.00 |
| Storage, per pallet | $8 to $40 per month | Flat monthly retainer |
| Storage, per bin | $1 to $5 per month | Included in retainer |
| Receiving, per pallet | $5 to $50 | $0 |
| Receiving, per carton | $0.25 to $1.00 | $0 |
| Receiving, per hour | $30 to $60 | $0 |
| Returns processing | $1 to $10 per return | Ask us |
| Kitting | $35 to $60 per hour, or $0.25 to $0.65 per unit | Ask us |
| Monthly minimum | $0 to $750, 2025 survey average $517 | $0 |
| Setup fee | $0 to $1,000+ | Ask us |
Pick and pack
The Fulfillment Advisor and Fulfill.com put the first pick at $2.00 to $3.00, with a 2025 survey average of $3.20. PopCapacity reports $3.50 to $8.00 for a single-item order, with fragile handling and branded inserts at the top. Additional units run $0.30 to $0.75 in the survey data and $0.50 to $1.50 in PopCapacity's figures. Low rate cards often exclude packaging, which is billed at $0.25 to $1.00 per order on top.
Storage
Fulfill.com says most brands pay $18 to $25 per pallet per month. PopCapacity reports $8 to $25 and The Fulfillment Advisor $20 to $40. Bins run $1 to $5 per month. Cubic-foot pricing lands between $0.43 and $0.78. PopCapacity notes storage in major metros such as New York and New Jersey costs 30% to 50% more than secondary markets, and long-term surcharges add $5 to $15 per pallet. Our cubic feet calculator converts between pallets and cubic feet when quotes use different units.
Receiving
Receiving per pallet is $5 to $15 in the survey data, with a 2025 average of $10.52. PopCapacity reports $25 to $50. Per carton receiving runs $0.25 to $1.00 and hourly receiving $30 to $60. Container unloads are a separate line at $250 to $600.
Returns, kitting, minimums and setup
Returns processing averaged $4.06 per return in the 2025 survey, with guides reporting $1 to $10. Kitting bills at $35 to $60 per hour or $0.25 to $0.65 per unit. The average monthly minimum rose from about $338 in 2024 to $517 in 2025. Setup fees range from $0 with a contract to $1,000 or more for custom integrations. About a third of warehouses also bill an account management fee, averaging $102.88 per month.
Our rates next to the ranges
We charge $3.50 to pick and pack an order. Each extra unit adds $0.25, and no order costs more than $8.00 to pick and pack regardless of size. Storage is a flat monthly retainer set when you onboard, so it does not move with pallet counts from week to week. We do not charge receiving fees. We do not charge monthly minimums. Postage is passed through at cost after each label is rate shopped across 12+ carriers. There is no peak surcharge on pick and pack or storage. The full card is on /pricing.
Worked example: 1,000 orders a month
Take a brand shipping 1,000 orders a month at 1.6 units per order in light parcels. On our card that is 1,000 first picks at $3.50 plus 600 additional units at $0.25. The average order costs $3.65 to pick and pack, and the monthly line is $3,650. Receiving is $0. There is no minimum to meet. Storage is the retainer agreed at onboarding, and postage is whatever the cheapest carrier that meets the delivery date charged us.
Run the same volume through the industry ranges. At the survey rates, first picks of $2.00 to $3.00 plus 0.6 extra units at $0.30 to $0.75 and packaging at $0.25 to $1.00 work out to $2.43 to $4.45 per order, or $2,430 to $4,450 a month before receiving, storage, minimums and postage. At PopCapacity's ranges the same order costs $3.80 to $8.90, or $3,800 to $8,900 a month. The gap between the lowest and highest pick and pack total is more than $6,000 a month at this volume, before any postage markup.
Put your own order count, unit mix and parcel weights into the pricing calculator to see your number.
The fees that inflate a quote
- Postage markup. Many 3PLs bill shipping at a margin over the carrier's charge. Racklify's 2026 guide lists shipping margin as a standard revenue line. At 1,000 orders a month, a one-dollar markup per label is $1,000 a month. Ask for postage at cost and a copy of the carrier invoice. Our approach is on /rate-shopping.
- Multi-unit picks. A $2.00 first pick with $1.50 extra units costs more than a $3.50 first pick with $0.25 extra units once the average order passes two units. Model your real unit mix.
- Packaging. Boxes bill at $0.25 to $2.50 each on many rate cards. Inserts average $0.17 and labels $0.05. Ask whether the pick and pack rate includes a standard mailer or box.
- Storage tier penalties. Rate cards often step up the pallet rate above a volume threshold or after 90 days. Long-term surcharges add $5 to $15 per pallet. A flat retainer removes both.
- Minimums and account fees. A $517 average minimum matters most in slow months. An account management fee of $100 a month adds $1,200 a year.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Is postage billed at carrier cost, and will you share the carrier invoice?
- What does an order with three units cost, all in, including packaging?
- Is there a receiving fee per pallet, per carton or per hour?
- Does the storage rate change after 90 days or above a pallet count?
- Is there a monthly minimum, and does it apply during onboarding?
- What is the setup fee, and what does it cover?
- What is the per-return fee, and does it include inspection and restocking? See how we handle it on /returns.
- Are there peak surcharges on pick and pack or storage? Our BFCM checklist covers what to lock in before November.
A quote is only comparable once every one of these lines has a number next to it. Build the full per-order cost at your real unit mix, then compare. Our rates are on /pricing and onboarding takes under an hour.
