14 fulfillment fees to budget before you sign with a 3PL

Brands usually budget for six: per order packed, per additional item, storage, shipping supplies, inventory check-in, and "other." The Fulfillment Fee Checklist lists all 14 lines a 3PL can bill you for, with a typical range and the question to ask about each one.

Line by line, before you sign: the 14 fees a 3PL can bill you for

Before anyone signs with KSP, our sales team walks you through a sample invoice line by line. The Fulfillment Fee Checklist puts the 14 lines a 3PL can bill you for on one page, each with a typical range and the question to ask about it.

Four fee lines your 3PL can raise after you sign

Minimums, inventory movement, packaging and returns are lines 2, 7, 8 and 10 of the Fulfillment Fee Checklist. The checklist covers all 14 lines a 3PL can bill you for, each with a typical range and the question to ask before you sign.

Line 11 of 14: the peak surcharge on your December invoice

Peak surcharges are line 11 of the Fulfillment Fee Checklist. If peak rates aren't in your contract, the December invoice can carry rates you never signed. The checklist covers all 14 lines a 3PL can bill you for, each with the question to ask.

$2–$8 a kit, plus a setup fee every time the spec changes

KSP has built 20.9M kits, with no minimum run size. Lines 5 and 6 of the Fulfillment Fee Checklist cover how a 3PL bills kits: the additional-item fee a 6-component bundle pays five times, and a new setup charge every time the spec changes. All 14 lines are on one page, each with the question to ask.

Same contents, three shipping weights

One brand's 3PL billed the same contents at 1.6, 2.2 and 2.6 lb in one week because it kept switching the box. Packaging and shipping markup are lines 8 and 9 of the Fulfillment Fee Checklist. All 14 lines are on one page, each with a typical range and the question to ask.

Quoted $11–12 per order. Billed $26.

A DTC brand's test order came back at $26 against an $11–12 quote, and most of the extra $14 was shipping priced on the item's real size. Line 9 of the Fulfillment Fee Checklist covers postage markup and size-based billing. All 14 lines are on one page, each with the question to ask.

Page one of the KSP Fulfillment Fee Checklist PDF: fee lines 1 to 11, each with a typical range and the question to ask before you sign

All 14 lines a 3PL can bill you for, with the question to ask about each one.

The lines that show up after the quote

Each line has a range and the question that gets it in writing. A few of the 14:

Monthly account minimums. One seller running two web stores watched their provider raise the monthly minimum from $500 to $5,000. Ask what triggers an increase and how much notice you get.
Downstock and "miscellaneous" labor. Moving product from reserve to the pick location gets billed outside your per-order price, and these lines grow while your order count stays flat.
The "additional item" fee. A 6-component bundle pays it five times on every order.
Packaging and dim weight. One brand paid $58 to ship 3 lbs of product in an 18×14×12 box. A 12×12×12 box would have run about $13.
Peak-season surcharges. If Q4 rates aren't in your contract, November's invoice can carry rates you never signed.

The last page turns your answers into a score: 0–2 mismatches, 3–5, or 6 and up, with what to do at each.

Who put this list together

KSP has shipped 32.1M orders out of one 225,000 sq ft warehouse in Brooklyn Park, MN, at 99.999% order accuracy. Orders in by 2 PM CST ship the same day. Your account manager works on the floor next to your product (no call centers), and you get their personal phone number during work hours. Before you start, we walk you through an estimate of what every month costs, so the invoice matches what you budgeted.

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