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Vetting guide

18 questions to ask a 3PL before you sign

Every 3PL will tell you they are reliable and their pricing is transparent. These questions make them prove it. Marcana's own answers are included, marked, so you can hold us to the same test.

By Saul Ortiz, founder of Marcana 3PL · 4 min read · Updated September 4, 2026

Short answer

Ask about the five things that go wrong most: how receiving is billed and documented, what the pick-and-pack fee includes, how storage is measured, what the contract locks you into, and who answers when something breaks. A good 3PL answers each with a number, a document or a name. A vague answer to any of them is the answer.

Money

  1. Is your full rate card published, and can I have it in writing before I sign? Good answer: yes, here is the link. Marcana: yes, every rate is on the pricing page and anything not listed is quoted in writing first.
  2. What exactly does the pick-and-pack fee include? Good answer: picking, packing, a standard mailer, and handoff to the carrier, with the per-item and weight thresholds stated. Marcana: $1.95 per order up to 2 lb and 2 items, standard mailer included, $0.35 per extra item, $0.50 over 2 lb.
  3. How is receiving billed? Good answer: per box or per pallet, with an allowance. Watch for hourly receiving with minimums. Marcana: boxes included up to the plan allowance, $5 each beyond, $25 per pallet.
  4. How is storage measured and billed? Good answer: per pallet or per bin, flat. Watch for cubic-foot pricing you cannot forecast. Marcana: 30 days per received box included, pallets included by plan, $35 per extra pallet per month.
  5. How is carrier shipping billed? Good answer: at carrier rates per shipment, shown separately, with any handling markup disclosed. Marcana: carrier shipping rates per shipment on the invoice, as a separate line.
  6. Are there setup fees, monthly minimums, technology fees or long-term storage surcharges? Good answer: a list, or a clear no. Marcana: no setup fee, no order minimum, no minimum spend beyond the plan, no technology fee.

Operations

  1. What happens when my shipment arrives? Good answer: it is declared in advance, counted, photographed, checked against the packing list and put away, with a written receipt. Marcana: exactly that, with photos on receiving on every plan.
  2. Can you show me a receiving report and a damage photo from a real shipment? Good answer: yes. If they cannot, they do not produce them.
  3. What is your order cutoff and ship time? Good answer: a time of day and a same-day or next-day commitment for orders before it. Marcana: same-day shipping on orders received before the cutoff, Monday to Friday.
  4. Do you do FBA and WFS prep, kitting and B2B cartons, and at what rates? Good answer: yes, priced per unit. Marcana: prep from $0.70 to $1.25 per unit by volume, kitting $0.50 to $1 quoted, B2B cartons $3.50.
  5. How do you handle returns and Amazon removals? Good answer: they are received, photographed, and you decide disposition before anything is touched. Marcana: returns received and reported; inspecting, relabeling and repacking billed from $4 per return after you decide.
  6. What products can't you take? Good answer: a clear list. Marcana: aerosols, alcohol, perfume, lithium batteries and other regulated products are reviewed and quoted first; containers and floor-loaded freight are quoted after a quick review.

Systems and support

  1. Which platforms do you integrate with, and is the integration included? Good answer: a list, and yes. Marcana: Shopify, Amazon, TikTok Shop, WooCommerce, Etsy and Walmart through the ShipHero portal on Growth and Scale, plus Marcana Flow on every plan.
  2. Can I see inventory, orders and receiving in real time? Good answer: yes, here is a demo login. Marcana: ShipHero for connected orders and inventory, Marcana Flow for declarations, prep and requests.
  3. Who is my contact after I sign, and in what hours and language? Good answer: a name, not a ticket queue. Marcana: a bilingual in-house team in Miami, Monday to Friday 9:30 to 5:30 ET, English and Spanish, and the founder answers his own phone.

Contract

  1. What is the term, the notice period and the exit fee? Good answer: month to month, or a term with a stated notice and no exit fee. Marcana: monthly plans, no lock-in; prepay 3 or 6 months for 5% or 10% off if you want to.
  2. What is your liability if inventory is lost or damaged in your care? Good answer: a stated cap and a claims process. Marcana: liability attributable to Marcana is capped at the lesser of declared cost and $100 per box; transit insurance is arranged by the shipper.
  3. What happens between payment and activation? Good answer: a review, and a refund if it is not a fit. Marcana: pay first with no sales call, complete onboarding, Marcana reviews and activates; before activation either side can decide it is not the right fit and the payment is refunded in full.
Print this list and score both quotes. Then price the same real month with each rate card, line by line. If you want an operator to do that comparison with your actual numbers, that is one of the things the Founder Logistics Plan covers.

Questions founders ask

How receiving is billed and documented. It is where hidden fees start (hourly receiving with minimums) and where inventory disputes start (no count, no photos). A 3PL that answers with a per-box or per-pallet rate and shows you a real receiving report is usually honest about the rest.

Compare the same real month line by line, including receiving, storage, extra items and carrier billing, not the headline pick-and-pack fee. A lower per-order fee with hourly receiving and cubic-foot storage often costs more.

You need written terms: rates, liability, notice and what happens to your inventory at exit. You do not need a long lock-in. Month-to-month terms with published rates are the norm among 3PLs that expect to keep customers by performing.

Marcana is not a customs broker, does not act as importer of record, and does not advise on HS codes or duties; freight must arrive DDP. The membership address is for commercial logistics use only, not a legal or fiscal domicile. Regulated products are reviewed first.

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