Learn the operational side of 3PL selection
Use the learn center to understand pricing, operational fit, and evaluation mistakes before you shortlist providers.
A third-party logistics provider (3PL) executes work such as warehousing, fulfillment, and shipping. A fourth-party logistics provider (4PL) orchestrates the wider supply chain, coordinating multiple providers and taking broader accountability for outcomes. Choose by contract scope and governance load. Asset ownership, order volume, and the higher number do not decide the fit.
A 3PL (third-party logistics provider) is a company you pay to store your inventory and ship your customers' orders for you. The "P" stands for "party": you are the first party, your customer is the second, and the 3PL is the third party sitting between you. Most ecommerce brands start using one between 500 and 1,500 orders a month.
Amazon FBA performs the core work of a 3PL, but “marketplace fulfillment” is the more precise label because Amazon also operates the marketplace where the sale happens. Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) is the clearer 3PL service: it uses Amazon’s fulfillment network for orders placed on a brand site or another sales channel.
FedEx can be a carrier or a 3PL, depending on the service. FedEx parcel delivery transports packages after they are packed. FedEx Fulfillment and FedEx Supply Chain can receive and store inventory, integrate sales channels, pick and pack orders, ship them, and handle returns. Those services perform third-party logistics work.
No. Shopify is an ecommerce platform, not the company that normally stores a merchant’s inventory and fulfills its orders. Shopify Fulfillment Network is an app and partner interface that connects merchants with outside 3PLs. The selected provider holds the inventory, picks and packs orders, ships them, and sets its own requirements and pricing.
Choose Amazon FBA for fast-turning, standard-size Amazon orders when Prime delivery is central. Choose a 3PL for multi-channel, branded, B2B, oversized, or complex fulfillment. For one non-apparel 1.25+ to 1.5 lb large-standard unit, Amazon's published $5.37 FBA fulfillment fee becomes about $5.56 after the current 3.5% surcharge, as of August 26, 2026.
The best way to choose a 3PL is to start with fit: product handling, order volume, shipping geography, service expectations, and how much operational complexity the brand actually needs to outsource.