Pick and Pack Cost Calculator
Labour and materials to get an order boxed.
Pick and pack per order
$2.40
$1,923 a month
A mispick costs the original labour, the return, the replacement and the support time — several times the value of the order, which is why even a low error rate matters.
How the Pick and Pack Cost Calculator works
Pick and pack is the labour half of fulfilment: finding the items, packing them safely, and producing a shippable parcel. It is measured in minutes, and at any volume those minutes are the difference between a viable operation and one that quietly consumes all its own margin.
Not financial advice. Marketplace fees change, and they vary by country, plan and seller status. Every rate here is an editable default, not a quoted price — check the platform's current fee schedule before you price a product against it. This is not tax or business advice.
Frequently asked questions
How long should picking and packing take?
Two to four minutes for a simple single-item order in an organised space; considerably longer for multi-item, fragile or personalised orders. If yours takes much longer, the layout or the packing process is usually the cause rather than the staff.
What do 3PLs charge for pick and pack?
Commonly a base fee per order covering the first item and a smaller charge per additional item, plus packaging. Compare against your own fully-loaded cost including your time, not just the wage of whoever packs.
How do I reduce pick and pack cost?
Store fast movers together and near the packing bench, batch pick multiple orders in one pass, pre-assemble packaging, and reduce SKU count where the long tail earns little. Layout usually beats effort.
Should I include picking errors?
Yes. A mispick costs the original labour, the return shipping, the replacement shipping and the customer service time — several times the cost of the order. Even a low error rate is worth pricing in.