How Much Does a UK 3PL
Actually Cost?

What a UK 3PL fee actually covers

A 3PL invoice is never one number — it's a bundle of separate charges for different parts of the process:

• Receiving (goods-in)Unloading your stock, checking it against the delivery note, and logging it into the warehouse system.
• StorageThe ongoing cost of holding your inventory, based on space occupied and how long it sits there.
• Pick & packLocating each item, assembling the order, and preparing it for the courier — usually the busiest line on the invoice.
• Packaging materialsBoxes, mailers, void fill, tape, labels — sometimes bundled into pick & pack, sometimes billed separately.
• ShippingMoving the parcel to the customer, almost always priced separately from fulfilment itself.
• Returns processingReceiving, inspecting, and deciding what happens to the item that comes back.

2026 UK benchmark ranges

Treat these as sense-check figures to compare a quote against, not a quote itself — actual pricing depends on volume, product size, and warehouse location.

Costs have been pushed up across the board recently by rising warehouse wages and property costs in the UK — so a quote that looks unusually low against these ranges is worth double-checking for what it's leaving out, not just taking as a good deal.

The fees that aren't on the headline rate card

This is where most brands get caught out, because these rarely appear in the first quote you're shown:

• Monthly minimums. Some providers require a minimum invoice (sometimes £1,000+) or a minimum order volume before they'll take you on — which can make a low headline rate irrelevant if you're not yet hitting that floor.
• Long-term storage surcharges. Roughly half of UK/global warehouses now charge extra once stock has sat for 6–12 months. Worth asking exactly when that clock starts, especially for seasonal stock.
• Setup and onboarding fees. One-off integration or account-setup charges that should be amortised against your expected volume, not treated as a rounding error.
• Contract minimums. A 12-month commitment before you've seen a single month of real performance is common — and the single biggest risk factor if the partnership doesn't work out.

The practical takeaway: don't compare 3PLs on a single line item. Work out the true all-in cost per order at your actual volume, and ask directly about minimums, surcharges, and contract length before you sign anything.

Where ReturnRev sits against these numbers

For context, here's how ReturnRev's pricing maps onto the benchmarks above — returns and UK fulfilment run through one portal, with no separate supplier to onboard:

• Returns processing — £2.50 per returnIncludes AI vision inspection (Risen AI), fraud detection, and three photos per item in your portal.
• Pick & pack, from £1.10 per orderAt the lower end of the 2026 benchmark range.
• Pallet storage — £4.50 per weekWithin the typical £3–£5 range.
• No setup fee. No minimum order or return volume. No monthly minimum invoice.None of the floors that make a low headline rate misleading.
• 30 days' notice to leave, any timeNo 12-month contract to work around — the biggest hidden risk factor removed.

If you're comparing us against a Shopify-connected setup specifically, the UK returns for Shopify brands guide covers how the integration works, and you can see the full plan on the Pay Per Return pricing section.

Common questions