Reverse Logistics Cost Calculator
Labour dominates, not shipping.
Reverse logistics per return
$10.61
$5,346 a month
Labour is 35.8% of reverse logistics cost, which is why the process design matters more than the shipping rate. Grading at receipt rather than in a second pass is usually the biggest saving available.
How the Reverse Logistics Cost Calculator works
Labour is usually the majority of reverse logistics cost, which is why process design matters more than the shipping rate. Grading at receipt rather than in a second pass is normally the biggest saving available.
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
What is reverse logistics?
Everything that happens after a customer sends something back — inbound shipping, receiving, grading, refurbishment, repackaging, restocking or disposal.
Where does the cost sit?
Labour, predominantly. Receiving and grading each unit takes minutes, and at scale those minutes are the bulk of the cost.
How do I reduce it?
Fewer touches. Grade once at receipt, decide the destination immediately, and avoid the staging area where returns accumulate waiting for a decision that costs more the longer it takes.
Should returns go back to the main warehouse?
For low volumes, yes. Above a certain scale a dedicated returns area or a third-party processor is cheaper, because returns handling is a different workflow from outbound picking.