A small seller switching 3PLs is usually leaving one of these behind:
- Pallets sit for days before anyone checks them in, and your supplier's claim window closes before you know what's missing.
- You find out what arrived by emailing someone and waiting.
- Damaged and open-box units get mixed in with sellable stock.
- The invoice is one number, and you can't tell what you paid for.
What Does 3PL Mean in Ecommerce?
In ecommerce, a 3PL (third-party logistics provider) is a company that runs your warehouse work for you. As your 3PL, Ecom Circles receives your inventory and checks it in against your PO, stores it, picks, packs and ships each order from your Amazon and Walmart stores, and processes the returns that come back.
What sets a 3PL apart is what you can see while each step happens. Here is each step at our warehouse, and what shows up in your dashboard.
New to third-party logistics? Our guide explains what a 3PL is, and our directory lists other 3PL companies if you want to compare.
- 1
Receive
Send the PO before the truck ships. We check the delivery against it and mark each item sellable or damaged, so you can file supplier claims while the window is still open.
- 2
Store
Checked-in stock goes to its shelf location and syncs to your Ecom Circles software automatically.
- 3
Pick
Your Amazon and Walmart orders route from your Ecom Circles dashboard to our warehouse, and we pull each item on the order.
Pick and pack→ - 4
Pack
We box and label the order. Label processing is included in the parcel order price.
Pick and pack→ - 5
Ship
The carrier collects the parcel and tracking syncs back. Amazon and Walmart buy shipping is built in.
- 6
Returns
Customers can return to our warehouse. We inspect each return and restock or dispose of it based on condition.
Returns management→
How Much Does a 3PL Cost for a Small Business?
A 3PL bills you for the work it does. For 3PL clients at Ecom Circles that is a one-time $650 setup fee, $9.95 per delivery received, $3.00 per parcel order with label processing included, and $0.60 for each additional item in the same order. Storage and every other task are priced on our full 3PL rate table.
Every service is deducted from your balance as it happens and itemized in your account. Storage, surcharges and every other 3PL line are on the 3PL pricing page.
What Is the Best 3PL for a Small Business?
The best 3PL for a small business is one whose work you can see and whose bill you can read. Check three things: inventory checked in against your PO, with damaged units marked; stock and orders in one dashboard that syncs automatically; and every charge itemized. Ecom Circles gives 3PL clients all three, at published per-task rates.
Weighing us against ShipBob? See our ShipBob alternative comparison.
Check-ins against your PO
Send the PO before the truck ships. We check against it and mark each item sellable or damaged, so you can file supplier claims while the window is still open.
Stock and orders in one dashboard
Inventory, check-ins, condition, outbound orders and every charge, in the same Ecom Circles dashboard you use to list and reprice. It syncs automatically.
A bill you can read
Every service is deducted from your balance as it happens and itemized in your account, at the per-task rates on our 3PL rate table.
Is Amazon a 3PL?
Not in the usual sense. FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) is Amazon's own program: Amazon stores and ships your products, built around orders on Amazon. A 3PL is an independent warehouse that works for you, so the same stock can ship your Amazon FBM and Walmart orders. Many sellers use FBA for some products and a 3PL for the rest.
Selling mostly on Amazon? Our 3PL for Amazon sellers covers FBM orders and FBA prep from one warehouse. For the products you send into Amazon, our FBA prep service preps and ships them in, from the same stock.
Two U.S. Warehouses, One Dashboard
Our warehouses are in the Chicago area and Atlanta. You can sell from anywhere in the US: have your suppliers ship to us, and run POs, check-ins, orders and charges through your Ecom Circles software.
Selling on TikTok Shop or eBay too? We ship those orders from the same stock: see TikTok Shop fulfillment and eBay fulfillment.