3PL Fulfillment FAQ
Answers to Every 3PL Fulfillment Question We Get Asked
This page comes straight from the RFQs sellers actually send us — minimums, setup fees, receiving cost, storage billing, per-order pricing, returns, integrations. Real numbers, no discovery call required.
Free quote · Reply within one business day · No sales call
Get a fulfillment quote in 24 hours
Tell us what you sell and your monthly volume. A real person replies within one business day with exact numbers.
Before you request a quote
Know the cost. Check the fit. Plan your first shipment.
Start with a small shipment or an established operation. There is no minimum volume. Tell us what you sell so we can confirm the handling, space and shipping you actually need.
What will my first month cost?
Example: 500 single-item orders under 5 lb × $2.00 full-service handling = $1,000. At $0.25 per mailer add $125; two full billable pallet-months add $50 and one inbound pallet adds $20. Total: $1,195 BEFORE postage, returns or extra work.
Examples use standard storage in the first three months. Long-stay pallet rates are $28/month in months 3–6 and $32/month after six months. Your written quote separates receiving, storage, handling, materials and shipping. Build your own estimate.
Why are there two handling prices?
Under 5 lb, Lean FBA is $0.50/unit and Lean FBM is $1.75/order when goods arrive pre-packed and ready to label. Full-service handling is $0.75/FBA unit or $2.00/FBM order; materials and postage are separate. These are service tiers, not automatic volume discounts.
Heavier items use different weight bands; over 15 lb or bulky items need a written quote. See the complete rate card.
Can you handle my products and platform?
Share your product type, packed dimensions and weight, sales platform and expected volume. Small batches and returns-only enquiries are welcome. Batteries, liquids, food, supplements, temperature-sensitive, hazardous or oversized items need acceptance and handling requirements confirmed before you ship.
For Shopify, Amazon, Walmart or another platform such as Amboras, tell us how orders and inventory are exchanged. The team confirms the connection or file workflow before onboarding; a platform name alone does not guarantee a supported integration.
How do I send inventory?
- Send your SKU list, dimensions, weights and carton/pallet count.
- Receive the written scope, rates and product-acceptance confirmation.
- Confirm account setup, labeling and receiving instructions with the team before dispatch.
- Send shipment details and tracking; agree the first prep job or order workflow.
Receiving location: 6117 Long Dr, Houston, TX 77087. Confirm inbound instructions before sending goods.
What about shipping and storage dimensions?
For a shipping estimate, send origin and destination ZIP codes, packed dimensions, weight, parcel count and desired delivery speed. Handling prices do not include carrier postage. Storage is charged only by carton or pallet. Bin and shelf storage is included in our standard pick-and-pack rate, with no separate charge. Send product dimensions and quantities so the team can confirm usable space, availability and the applicable carton or pallet storage rate in writing.
After you enquire: a real person from our Houston team replies within one business day, confirms any missing details and sends itemized pricing. You can ask for a written quote without booking a sales call. Unsure of volume? Select “Not sure yet” in the quote form.
What 3PL fulfillment costs at KAK, in one table
3PL fulfillment means we store your inventory and pick, pack, and ship it when an order comes in — for Amazon FBA, Shopify, TikTok Shop, or wherever you sell. We've run this out of one Houston warehouse since 2024, and every rate below is what shows up on the invoice. Nothing hidden.
| Service | Rate | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon FBA prep | $0.75/unit | Full-service FBA handling for units under 5 lb is $0.75/unit, including FNSKU labeling and prep labor. Materials are separate: polybag $0.20/unit and bubble wrap $0.20/unit when needed. Receiving, storage and outbound freight are separate. Lean label-ready units start at $0.50; heavier units use the published weight bands. |
| FBM / DTC fulfillment | $2.00 up to 5 lb · $2.75 (5–8 lb) · $4.00 (8–15 lb) | Pick, pack, ship — packaging materials from $0.25 |
| Pallet storage | $25/pallet, billed monthly | Climate-controlled; you pay for the fraction of the month you use |
| Receiving | $20/pallet ($5/carton) | Inbound check-in and put-away |
| Returns processing | $1.50/return | Inspection included |
| Carrier labels (USPS/UPS/FedEx) | Pass-through, no markup | Discounted rates through our accounts |
These rates are locked through Q1 2027. See the full breakdown on our price list or pricing page.
Getting started: minimums, contracts, and fees
Short answer: there aren't any. We take on brands with a single pallet or a single unit — a skincare line launching with 500 units is a completely normal Tuesday for us.
- Minimum order volume, spend, or SKU count: none.
- Setup fee: none.
- Software, integration, or account-management fees: not separately published — ask when you request pricing for your setup.
- Contract: none. We work month-to-month, so you can leave with 30 days' notice.
- Send your SKU list or current invoice through the quote form.
- We reply with line-item pricing — no discovery call.
- Ship inventory to our Houston warehouse; receiving starts the same day if it lands before the 2pm CT cutoff.
- Connect your store or marketplace — orders sync in and ship out at the rates above, no re-keying.
Receiving, storage, and inventory tracking
Receiving costs $20 per pallet ($5 per carton). Inventory that lands before our 2pm CT cutoff, Monday through Saturday, is checked in and available to sell the same day.
Storage is $25 per pallet, billed monthly — not a flat monthly fee, so you only pay for the fraction of the month your inventory actually sits with us. The warehouse is climate-controlled and monitored 24/7. If you need lot-number or expiration-date tracking for perishables, cosmetics, or supplements, that's available through our system.
Every client gets a login to KAK WMS, our real-time inventory dashboard — you see stock levels and order status as they happen, not on a weekly export someone emails you.
| Pallets in | Receiving cost |
|---|---|
| 1–49 pallets | $20 per pallet ($5 per carton) |
Need freight, LTL, or container devanning coordinated on the inbound side? That's available — quoted per shipment at negotiated carrier cost, not a flat rate we can publish here. Tell us the container details and we'll price it.
How per-order pick-pack-ship pricing works
You pay one flat rate per order, based on weight, plus $0.25 × the item count when the box holds two or more items. A 3-item bundle in one box adds $0.75 to the rate for its weight.
| Order weight | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to 5 lb | $2.00 |
| 5–8 lb | $2.75 |
| 8–15 lb | $4.00 |
| over 15 lb | Custom quote |
That rate includes packaging. We don't preassemble bundles and hold them as separate SKUs unless you want us to — orders get picked and packed on demand at the flat rate above. If you want bundles kitted ahead of time, subscription boxes assembled, or branded inserts and thank-you cards added, that's available too — custom-quoted, because kitting labor varies by product.
We work natively with Shopify, TikTok Shop, Walmart, eBay, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Etsy, Magento, and Amazon FBM — orders sync in and ship out without you re-keying anything.
Carrier labels (USPS, UPS, FedEx) are passed through at our discounted rate with no markup added. No peak-season surcharges, ever.
What a month actually costs
Take a seller storing 10 pallets and shipping orders that mostly land under 5 lb. Here's the real math, using only the rates above.
| Orders/month | Fulfillment (at $2.00/order) | Storage (10 pallets, one month) | Estimated monthly total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | $100.00 | $250.00 | $350.00 |
| 100 | $200.00 | $250.00 | $450.00 |
| 300 | $600.00 | $250.00 | $850.00 |
Storage is billed monthly, so 10 pallets run $250 for a full month. Heavier orders (5–15 lb+) push the per-order line up to $2.75–$4.00 (custom over 15 lb); add packaging materials (mailers from $0.25) and, if you're restocking that month, receiving ($20/pallet or $5/carton). No setup fee and no contract minimum sits on top of any of this.
Returns, errors, and who's on the phone
Returns cost $1.50 each, and inspection is included in that price — we check condition before it goes back into sellable inventory.
Every shipment we handle carries insurance coverage up to $500,000, and we're fully liable for our own handling errors. If something goes wrong on our end, that's on us, not you.
Questions or an active issue? Call +1 832 759 1368 or email sales@kaksourcing.com. Walk-ins are welcome with 24 hours' notice, Monday–Saturday, 9am–6pm CT, at 6117 Long Dr, Houston, TX 77087.
Want numbers for your own volume instead of the example above? Get a quote, or read more on what our warehouse service covers and how storage billing works.
Frequently asked questions
Do you accept new brands with around 500 units to start?
Are there setup, onboarding, software, or account-management fees?
Do you require a contract, and are there cancellation penalties?
How much does receiving cost, and how fast is inventory available to sell?
How is storage billed, and is it climate-controlled?
Can you track lot numbers and expiration dates?
What does per-order fulfillment cost, and is packaging materials from $0.25?
Do you offer kitting, bundling, or subscription-box assembly?
What happens with returns, and are you liable for warehouse errors?
Which sales channels and carts do you integrate with?
Ready when you are
Get a fulfillment quote in 24 hours
Lean handling under 5 lb: FBA $0.50/unit or FBM $1.75/order for pre-packed goods. Full service: $0.75/FBA unit or $2.00/FBM order. Materials and postage are separate; storage is $25/pallet/month.