Most UK 3PLs charge separately for goods-in, storage, pick and pack, packaging and postage. Published 2026 benchmarks put pick and pack at roughly £0.45 to £2.60 per order and pallet storage at around £10 to £30 a month, with an all-in cost of about £2 to £6 per order before postage for small and mid-sized brands.
Those ranges are wide for a reason. Fulfilment is priced on your products, your order profile and your volumes, so two brands can get very different quotes from the same warehouse. This guide breaks down every line you will see on a UK fulfilment quote, works through a real example, and shows you how to compare providers on the number that matters: your true cost per order.
The charges on a UK fulfilment quote
Almost every 3PL quote is built from the same building blocks. The names vary, but the structure does not.
| Charge | What it covers | How it is usually charged | Typical UK range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup and onboarding | Account setup, connecting your store, adding products | One-off fee, or free | Often free; some charge a few hundred pounds |
| Goods-in (receiving) | Unloading, counting, checking and recording your stock | Per pallet, per carton, per unit or per hour | Around 10p per item has long been a common reference point |
| Storage | The space your stock takes up | Per pallet, shelf, bin or cubic metre, weekly or monthly | £10 to £30 per pallet per month |
| Pick and pack | Picking each order and packing it | Per order, plus a fee for each extra item | £0.45 to £2.60+ per order |
| Packaging | Boxes, mailers, void fill and tape | Per item used, or included in the pick fee | Depends on box size and material |
| Postage | The carrier charge to deliver each parcel | Per parcel, by service, size, weight and destination | Usually the largest single cost per order |
Sources for the ranges: Green Fulfilment’s guide to UK 3PL pricing and eightx’s UK 3PL and fulfilment cost index 2026. Receiving costs of around 10p per item were reported by Expert Market. Treat them as a sense check, not a quote.
Extra charges worth asking about
- Returns processing: checking returned items and putting saleable stock back on the shelf, usually per return.
- Kitting and bundling: building gift sets or multipacks, per kit or per hour.
- Marketplace prep: FNSKU labelling and polybagging for Amazon FBA or TikTok Shop, per unit.
- Monthly minimums: some 3PLs set a minimum monthly spend, so small brands pay it even in quiet months.
- Contract terms: minimum term, notice period and any fee for removing stock if you leave.
Worked example: 1,000 orders a month
Here is how a quote comes together for a typical small brand. The rates below are illustrative mid-range figures, not Pro Packers UK prices, but they show how the pieces add up.
The brand ships 1,000 orders a month, averages 1.3 items per order, keeps about 10 pallets of stock in the warehouse and receives around 1,300 units a month to replace what it sells.
| Line | Calculation | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Goods-in | 1,300 units × £0.10 | £130 |
| Storage | 10 pallets × £20 | £200 |
| Pick and pack | 1,000 orders × £1.50 | £1,500 |
| Extra items | 300 extra items × £0.30 | £90 |
| Packaging | 1,000 mailers × £0.35 | £350 |
| Total before postage | £2,270 (£2.27 per order) |
Postage then goes on top. For many brands it costs more than everything else combined, which is why the carrier rates a 3PL can negotiate often matter more than a few pence on the pick fee.
What pushes fulfilment costs up or down
Order volume
The biggest lever. Warehouse labour and overheads are spread over more orders as you grow, so per-order rates usually fall at higher monthly volumes.
Product size and order profile
Small, light items that fit in a mailer are cheap to store, pick and post. Bulky products like duvets or pet beds take more space and need bigger boxes. Orders with several different items take longer to pick than single-item orders.
Special handling
Fragile goods, liquids and expiry-dated products need more care. That might mean bubble wrap, extra checks, or recording batch and expiry dates at goods-in so older stock goes out first. See how this works for different products on our industries page.
Labour costs
Fulfilment is labour-heavy. The UK National Living Wage rose from £12.21 to £12.71 an hour on 1 April 2026, and 3PLs factor wage rises into their rates. It also affects the comparison if you are weighing up hiring your own staff.
Seasonality
If your sales spike at Christmas or Black Friday, ask how the 3PL handles peak. Storage that flexes with your stock levels is cheaper than paying for space you only fill a few months a year.
How to compare 3PL quotes fairly
The headline pick fee is the easiest number to compare and the least useful on its own. A low pick fee can sit next to high packaging charges or a large monthly minimum. Compare quotes on true cost per order: total monthly charges divided by the number of orders you ship.
Ask every provider the same questions:
- Is there a setup fee or a monthly minimum spend?
- How is storage measured: pallet, shelf, bin or cubic metre?
- What does the pick fee include, and what is charged per extra item?
- Is packaging included, or charged per item?
- Which carriers do you use, and what are your rates for my parcel sizes?
- How are returns, kitting and marketplace prep priced?
- What is the contract length and notice period, and is there a fee to remove my stock?
Then model each quote against your real numbers: orders per month, items per order, pallets in stock and units received. The cheapest-looking quote is not always the cheapest bill.
Is outsourcing cheaper than doing it yourself?
At very low volumes, packing orders yourself is usually cheaper in cash terms. The picture changes as you grow. In-house fulfilment means paying for space, packing staff, packaging, software and carrier accounts whether you have a busy month or a quiet one. A 3PL turns most of those fixed costs into a cost per order, and gives you access to its carrier rates.
The tipping point is different for every business, but a simple test helps: add up what you spend each month on space, packing time (yours or staff), packaging and postage, divide by your orders, and compare it with a 3PL’s true cost per order. Our guide on why your business needs a 3PL partner covers the non-financial side, such as time and scalability.
How Pro Packers UK prices fulfilment
We send every client an itemised quote covering goods-in, storage, pick and pack, packaging and delivery, based on your order volumes, product sizes and the services you need. Orders are dispatched from our 35,000 sq ft warehouse in Colne, Lancashire with Evri, DPD, FedEx and DX, and services such as Amazon FBA prep, returns and kitting are priced as separate lines so you can see exactly what you pay for.
To get a figure for your business, request a custom quote with your average monthly orders, or read more about our ecommerce fulfilment service.
Frequently asked questions
What is a typical pick and pack fee in the UK?
Published 2026 benchmarks put UK pick and pack at roughly £0.45 to £2.60 per order, with an extra fee for each additional item. Where you land in that range depends mainly on your monthly order volume and how many items are in each order.
How is 3PL storage charged in the UK?
Storage is usually charged per pallet, per shelf or bin, or per cubic metre, either weekly or monthly. Pallet storage commonly works out at around £10 to £30 per pallet per month. Shelf or bin pricing tends to suit brands with small, fast-selling products.
Is postage included in fulfilment costs?
Usually not. Most 3PLs list postage as a separate charge per parcel, based on the carrier, service, size, weight and destination. It is often the largest single cost per order, so ask for rates for your typical parcel sizes.
Do 3PLs charge a monthly minimum?
Some do. A monthly minimum means you pay a set amount even if your fulfilment charges come in lower. Always check for minimums, setup fees and contract length before you sign.
How can I lower my fulfilment cost per order?
Use packaging that fits your products closely, keep slow-moving stock to a minimum so you are not paying to store it, and send accurate forecasts so your 3PL can plan labour. As volumes grow, ask for your rates to be reviewed.
Related guides
Selling on Amazon? Read our guide to Amazon FBA prep in the UK after July 2026. For quick answers, see our fulfilment FAQs.
