Fulfillment Cost Analysis
Fulfillment Cost Analysis & 3PL Pricing Solutions
Figuring out what fulfillment will actually cost you should not require a sales call and a week of waiting. Use the calculator below to get a fast, ballpark estimate of your monthly fulfillment costs, based on your order volume, product size, and where your customers are. It is the quickest way to see roughly where your pick, pack, storage, and shipping spend will land with a 3PL like PSI.
A calculator gives you a starting number. What it cannot do is account for the details that move real 3PL pricing up or down, like your SKU count, your shipping profile, and the carrier mix that fits your orders. That is where we come in. Once you have your estimate, tell us a little about your business and we will turn around a transparent, all-in cost analysis within 24 to 48 hours, so you can compare PSI to your current setup on the only number that matters: your total cost to fulfill an order.
Start with your estimate below, then request your full business case.
What Your Fulfillment Quote Includes
PSI’s pricing is built around the work your orders actually require, nothing more. Here is what goes into a typical fulfillment cost analysis, so there are no surprises when your quote arrives.
Receiving & Storage
Every quote starts with getting your inventory in the door and onto the shelf. We charge for receiving and container unloads when your product arrives, then for storage on a per-pallet and per-SKU basis, so you only pay for the space you use. Smaller products with faster inventory turn take up less room and cost less to hold, which is exactly the kind of profile we are built for.
Pick, Pack & Ship
This is the core of fulfillment and the heart of most quotes. You will see an order fee and a per-item fee that cover pulling each product, packing it correctly, and getting it out the door, alongside the shipping itself. Because we understand the carriers deeply and offer options like Amazon as a shipping solution next to the major carriers, the shipping line is often where we save growing brands the most money.
Returns & Value-Added Services
If you take returns, our returns receiving center handles inspection and restocking, billed clearly per return. Value-added work like kitting and assembly, subscription batch fulfillment, and custom packaging is quoted on top, based on what your orders need. You are never paying for a service you do not use.
How PSI Builds Your Fulfillment Cost Analysis
A number off a calculator is a guess. A business case from PSI is built on your real data. Here is how we get from one to the other.
1. Share Your Order and Shipping Profile
After you request a quote, we send a short questionnaire and, for most brands, ask for an order-history export from your store platform, such as Shopify. That tells us your true order volume, average items per order, product dimensions, and where your customers are, which is everything we need to price accurately.
2. We Analyze the Numbers
Our team, including our in-house shipping experts, runs your profile against our rate structure and carrier options. We look for the mix of services and shipping methods that lands your orders reliably at the lowest realistic cost, rather than quoting a one-size-fits-all rate.
3. Get Your Business Case in 24 to 48 Hours
You receive a clear, itemized business case that shows your projected monthly invoice and, in most cases, how much you would save on shipping compared to your current setup. It is a real comparison you can take to your team, usually within 24 to 48 hours of sharing your data.
What Drives Your Fulfillment Cost
No two brands pay the same rate, and that is a good thing. These are the factors that shape your 3PL pricing, and understanding them helps you read any quote, ours or a competitor’s, with a sharper eye.
- Order volume: higher, steadier volume unlocks better per-order pricing.
- Product size and inventory turn: small, fast-moving products use less space and are cheaper to store and handle.
- SKU count: more SKUs mean more picking complexity and more storage locations.
- Storage footprint: how many pallets you hold, and for how long, drives your monthly storage line.
- Shipping profile: the size and weight of your orders and where they ship decide your carrier costs and zones.
- Returns and value-added services: return rates, kitting, and custom packaging add predictable, itemized costs.
Transparent Pricing, No Nickel-and-Diming
The biggest complaint growing brands have about 3PLs is not the price, it is the surprises: a single bundled fee that hides what you are really paying for, or a monthly invoice full of charges nobody explained up front. We do the opposite. Your fees are laid out plainly before you sign, storage is broken out honestly instead of buried inside a management fee, and our monthly management fee is nominal. If a cost applies to your account, you will know about it in advance and understand why it is there. That transparency is a big part of why our clients stay with us for years.
PROJECT SUPPORT
When you work with PSI, you are not handing your fulfillment to a call center. You get a team, and the owners, invested in getting your costs and your service right.
A Dedicated Account Manager
One of our three account managers owns your relationship day to day, so questions about your invoice, your inventory, or your orders go to someone who knows your business, not a ticket queue.
A Team That Knows Your Numbers
Because we build your business case from your real data, the people managing your account understand your shipping profile and cost drivers from day one. That makes it easy to spot new savings as you grow.
Fast, Owner-Level Response
PSI is family owned, and you deal with the owners from the first conversation. When something needs a decision, you are not waiting days for it, and new inquiries hear back within 24 hours.
An Easy Switch
Moving from in-house fulfillment or another 3PL sounds harder than it is. We handle onboarding, integrate with your store, and receive your inventory so the transition is smooth and your cost analysis becomes reality without disruption.
Cost Transparency & Billing Visibility
Knowing what fulfillment costs on day one is only useful if you can keep seeing it clearly every month. Here is how PSI keeps your costs visible and under control after you go live.
Clear, Itemized Invoicing
Your monthly invoice mirrors the quote you approved, itemized by service, so you can always tie a charge back to the work behind it.
Real-Time Inventory and Order Visibility
Through our warehouse management system, you can see inventory levels, order status, and
fulfillment activity in real time, so cost and performance are never a black box.
fulfillment activity in real time, so cost and performance are never a black box.
No Surprise Fees
Accessorial or seasonal charges, when they apply, are explained in advance. You will not open an invoice to find a fee you did not know was coming.
Ongoing Shipping Optimization
Your account manager and our shipping team keep reviewing your carrier mix and packaging as your volume grows, so your per-order cost keeps improving instead of drifting upward.
Reporting That Ties Cost to Performance
We connect your spend to what it delivers, like order accuracy and on-time shipping, so you can judge value, not just price.
Why Brands Choose PSI for Fulfillment
Plenty of 3PLs will quote you a low per-order rate. Fewer can back it up with the service, reach, and honesty that protect your margins as you scale.
- Family owned and operating since 1986, with decades of hands-on fulfillment experience.
- Owner-level relationships from your very first call, not an account rep three layers down.
- Deep carrier expertise, including Amazon as a shipping solution, which often drives real shipping savings.
- A bi-coastal partner network managed under one relationship, so you can scale without switching providers.
- Transparent, itemized pricing with a nominal monthly management fee and no nickel-and-diming.
- A full cost analysis and business case in your hands within 24 to 48 hours.
Is PSI the Right Fulfillment Partner for You?
We are selective on purpose, because the right fit is what keeps our pricing sharp and our service high. PSI is likely a strong match if you are:
- A high-volume, small-parcel D2C brand, generally shipping at least 500 orders a month, with flexibility for the right growing brand.
- Selling smaller products with healthy inventory turn, such as cosmetics, health and beauty, supplements, or similar consumables.
- Primarily direct-to-consumer, even if you also ship some B2B, retail, or Amazon orders.
- Looking for a long-term partner and honest advice, not just the cheapest line item.
If your profile is a better fit elsewhere, for example very low volume or big-box, large-item fulfillment, we will tell you straight and often point you in the right direction. That candor is part of how we work.
NEXT STEPS
Ready to see your number? Use the calculator above for a quick estimate, then request your quote and we will build your full, transparent cost analysis within 24 to 48 hours. Prefer to talk it through first? Reach out and one of the owners will get you an answer fast.
Fulfillment Cost Calculator & 3PL Pricing FAQs
How does 3PL pricing work?
Most 3PLs, PSI included, price fulfillment as a set of itemized fees: receiving and storage for holding your inventory, an order fee and per-item fee for picking and packing, shipping based on your carrier and destination, and clear charges for returns or value-added work. The smart way to compare providers is to add it all up into your total cost per order, rather than comparing single line items.
How much does fulfillment cost with PSI?
It depends on your order volume, product size, SKU count, storage needs, and shipping profile, so there is no honest one-size answer. The calculator above gives you a ballpark, and a full business case built from your real order data gives you an exact projected invoice, usually within 24 to 48 hours.
What fees does PSI charge?
Typical fees include an order fee, item fee, and SKU fee, storage on a per-pallet and per-SKU basis, returns receiving, and container unloads, plus a nominal monthly management fee. Value-added services like kitting and assembly or custom packaging are quoted separately, based on what your orders need.
Are there setup or hidden fees?
We lay out every applicable fee before you sign, and your monthly invoice matches that quote. Storage is broken out honestly rather than hidden inside a bundled rate, and any seasonal or accessorial charges are explained in advance. Our goal is no surprises, ever.
How accurate is the fulfillment cost calculator?
The calculator is a fast estimate to help you gauge whether a 3PL makes financial sense, not a formal quote. For an accurate, all-in number, request a business case and we will price your account from your real order history.
What information do I need for an accurate quote?
The most useful inputs are your monthly order volume, average items per order, product dimensions and weights, SKU count, and where your customers are located. An order-history export from your store platform, such as Shopify, lets us price it precisely.
What is the minimum order volume to work with PSI?
We generally look for brands shipping at least 500 orders a month, with some flexibility for promising brands that are scaling quickly and doing the right things.