3PL pick and pack fees are usually calculated based on how many orders are packed and how many items are inside each order, which means you pay a fee for every order the 3PL company picks from their warehouse shelves and packs into a box for shipping.
Most 3PLs charge a base fee for the first item in each order, and then they add a small extra charge for every additional item in the same order, so if an order has one item, you only pay the base fee, but if it has five items, you pay the base fee plus four extra item fees.
Some 3PLs may include simple packing materials like standard boxes, tape, and filler in the pick and pack fee, but others might charge extra if your products need special packaging like bubble wrap, branded boxes, or fragile item protection, so it’s important to ask what’s included.
If you ship a lot of orders every day, some 3PLs might offer you volume discounts, which means your per-order fee can go down as your order volume goes up, so you save more money when your business grows.
Also, if your products need custom handling such as kitting, bundling, tagging, or gift wrapping, then these services usually cost extra and are added to the pick and pack fees based on how much time and work they take.
So, in the end, your total pick and pack cost depends on how many orders you ship, how many items are in those orders, what kind of packaging is needed, and whether any special services are required.
