Free tool
3PL quote comparison: which fulfilment quote is really cheapest
Every 3PL writes its quote differently: storage per pallet or per m³, pick fees per order or per item, a minimum here, a platform fee there. Enter your month once and up to three quotes, and see each one as a real monthly bill and cost per order. Then watch them stack up on pallets in 3D.
New to these words? See them explainedTerms explained
The words 3PLs use in their quotes, in plain language. You don't need to know them all to use the tool, but they help when you read a quote or ask questions.
- 3PL
- Short for third-party logistics: a company that stores your stock and packs and ships your orders for you. Also called a fulfilment centre or fulfilment warehouse.
- Quote
- The price list a 3PL sends you before you sign: what each job costs, such as storing a pallet or packing an order. It is an offer, not a bill. Until you multiply it by your own volume, you can't see what you'll really pay.
- Fulfilment
- Everything between a customer placing an order and the parcel leaving the warehouse: taking the items off the shelf, packing them and handing the parcel to a carrier.
- Receiving
- What happens when your stock arrives at the warehouse: unloading the truck, counting the goods and putting them on the shelves. Also called inbound.
- Pallet and Euro pallet
- A pallet is the flat wooden base goods are stacked on to be moved and stored. A Euro pallet is the standard size in Europe: 1.2 × 0.8 m.
- Carton
- A cardboard box of your goods as it arrives from your supplier. Several cartons are stacked on one pallet.
- m³ (cubic metre)
- A block of space 1 m wide, 1 m deep and 1 m high. Some 3PLs charge storage by how many of these your stock fills, instead of per pallet.
- Storage
- The rent for the space your stock takes up in the warehouse, usually per pallet or per m³, per month.
- Pick and pack
- Taking the items of one order off the shelf (pick) and putting them in a box (pack). Usually a price per order, plus a small amount for each extra item.
- Order line
- One product in an order, whatever the quantity: two red mugs and one blue mug are two lines. Some 3PLs charge per line instead of per item.
- Shipping label
- The carrier's price for delivering a parcel to your customer. The 3PL buys the label and passes the cost on to you.
- Returns
- Handling a parcel a customer sends back: opening it, checking the item and putting it back on the shelf if it can be sold again.
- Setup or onboarding fee
- A one-off charge to start working with a 3PL, for opening your account and connecting your shop to its system.
- Platform fee
- A fixed monthly charge for the 3PL's software, such as your dashboard and the link to your shop. You pay it whether you send ten orders or ten thousand.
- Peak surcharge
- An extra percentage some 3PLs add in their busiest months, usually November and December, when warehouses are full and need extra staff.
- Monthly minimum
- The least you pay a 3PL each month. If your fees come to less, you pay the difference anyway.
- Cost per order
- The whole monthly bill divided by your number of orders: what fulfilment really costs you for each order you send.
- Without VAT
- VAT is the sales tax added to most prices in Europe. 3PLs quote prices without it, because businesses registered for VAT can usually claim it back.
How the comparison works
Unit prices can't be compared until they are multiplied by your volume. The tool turns every quote into the same thing: one average month's bill for your business.
- 01
Your month
Orders, items per order, pallets in storage, pallets received and returns, entered once and used for every quote.
- 02
Same units
Storage per week becomes × 4.33 a month, per day × 30.4; per m³ uses your m³ per pallet. Receiving per unit counts the items you ship, restocked.
- 03
Every fee
Pick and pack is per order plus each extra item. Packaging, shipping and other per-order fees follow your order count; returns follow your return rate.
- 04
Peak
A peak surcharge applies to pick and pack for the peak months you set, spread over the year so the monthly figure is an average month.
- 05
Minimum
A monthly minimum is a floor, not an extra fee. If the fees it covers come to less, the difference is added as a top-up.
- 06
Compare
Monthly bill ÷ orders gives the cost per order. Twelve months plus setup gives the first year, which can change the winner.
Limits: one average month, one storage rate (stock that ages may cost more), and a single average shipping price. VAT is left out because 3PLs quote without it. The tool uses only the figures you enter; FulfilEU holds no prices of any 3PL.
Need more quotes to compare?
List your brand with your volume and countries, and fulfilment centres across Europe can send you quotes built on the same numbers.
3PL quote questions
How do I compare 3PL quotes?
Multiply every fee by your own volume and add them up to one monthly bill, then divide by your orders. Comparing unit prices side by side does not work, because 3PLs bill in different units: storage per pallet, per m³ or per week, pick fees per order or per item. Give every 3PL the same numbers when you ask for a quote, and compare the totals.
What fees are in a 3PL quote?
Most quotes have a setup fee, receiving (per pallet, carton or unit), storage, pick and pack (per order plus each extra item), packaging, shipping labels and returns. Many add a monthly platform or account fee, a peak-season surcharge and a monthly minimum. Some 3PLs instead charge one all-in price per order that covers most of these.
How does a 3PL monthly minimum work?
A minimum is a floor on the bill, not an extra fee. If the fees it covers add up to less than the minimum, you pay the difference. Check which fees count: some minimums cover the whole bill, others only pick and pack, and storage or shipping may not count towards it. A minimum can make a quote with low unit prices the most expensive at low volume.
Pallet or cubic metre storage: which is cheaper?
It depends on how full your pallets are. Per-pallet storage charges a whole position even if the pallet is half full; per-m³ storage charges only the space your stock takes up. To compare, the tool converts with your m³ per pallet: a Euro pallet stacked to about 1.6 m holds roughly 1.5 m³. Change it if your pallets are lower or taller.
Why does the cheapest 3PL change as I grow?
Fixed costs such as platform fees and minimums are spread over more orders as volume rises, while per-order fees stay the same. A quote with a high minimum but low pick fees can be the most expensive at 300 orders a month and the cheapest at 3,000. The "as you grow" page shows where the lines cross.
What should I ask a 3PL before signing?
Ask for a sample invoice at your volume with every fee on it, the contract length, notice period and whether it renews automatically, how stock is released if you leave, and whether shipping carries fuel or toll surcharges. The tool lists the fees each of your quotes left out as questions to ask.
Should I include shipping in the comparison?
Yes, if the 3PL provides the labels. Carrier rates often differ more between 3PLs than pick fees do, and a 3PL in a cheaper country can cost more once cross-border shipping is added. Use the average label price for your typical parcel and main countries. If you buy shipping yourself, leave it empty in every quote.
Are 3PL prices with or without VAT?
3PLs quote business customers without VAT, and so does this tool. If your business is VAT-registered you can usually reclaim the VAT on the invoice. If you are not, add your country's VAT rate to the totals.
What does fulfilment cost in Europe?
It depends on the country, your volume and your products, so this tool holds no price list of its own and uses only the quotes you enter. Our guide to fulfilment costs in Europe explains what drives each fee and how prices differ between markets.
Go deeper
Fulfilment costs in Europe
What drives pick, pack, storage and returns fees, market by market.
How to choose a 3PL
The questions that matter beyond price.
Selling price calculator
Turn your fulfilment cost per order into a shelf price that keeps your margin.
EU shipping cost calculator
Duty, import VAT and fees for goods from outside the EU.
Ecommerce returns in Europe
Handling the 14-day right of withdrawal without losing the margin.
Peak season fulfilment
Planning capacity and surcharges for Q4.