What is the difference between a fulfillment center and a warehouse?
A warehouse mainly stores inventory. A fulfillment center stores it and ships it, receiving your stock and then picking, packing, and sending individual orders to customers as they come in. If you need orders shipped and not just held, you need a fulfillment center.
How much does a fulfillment center cost for a small business?
It depends on order volume, product size, and the services you use. Simpl's pricing starts at $7/order and includes the pick, packaging, and postage, with no separate onboarding fee. Ask any provider for published rates so you can compare the real per-order cost before you sign.
What is the minimum order volume to use a fulfillment center?
Minimums vary by provider, so ask any provider whether its minimum is order-based or revenue-based before comparing numbers. Simpl's account minimum is $750 a month, billed pay-the-difference, so a slower month tops up to $750 instead of disqualifying the account. Separately, Simpl's volume-fit range, roughly 50 to 5,000+ orders a month, describes the brands it's built to serve.
How long does it take to set up with a fulfillment center?
With Simpl, onboarding takes 5 to 7 days. You connect your store, ship your inventory, and let receiving process it in 1 to 3 days. After that, orders route in automatically and ship same-day when they arrive before the 12pm CT cutoff.
Can a small business switch fulfillment centers easily?
That depends on the contract you signed. Before committing to any provider, ask about the term length, the notice period to leave, and how the provider returns your inventory. The easier those terms are to read up front, the easier switching is later if you need to.
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