Pick and pack services: what is included?
FULFILMENT SCOUT · PRACTICAL GUIDES
Pick and pack means selecting the goods for an order and preparing them for dispatch. What a provider includes in that price can vary, so use real baskets to establish exactly how your orders will be handled and charged.
Use the checks below to compare what providers will actually do for your business.
Separate the stages of an order
An order normally needs to be received by the warehouse system, checked for release, picked, packed and handed over for dispatch. Receiving inventory and storing it are separate activities. Ask which checks are included in the pick-and-pack charge and which services appear elsewhere on the invoice.
Clarify what counts as an additional item
One SKU can represent one unit, a multipack or a prebuilt kit. Ask for pricing examples for two of the same item, two different items and a kit made from several components. Also check promotional inserts, free gifts and packing materials; these may be treated differently from merchandise.
Agree packaging rules
Provide rules based on the actual basket and product protection needed. Explain whether you supply branded packaging or buy materials from the provider. Confirm how packaging stock is monitored and what happens if a preferred box runs out. Require approval for substitutions that change cost or presentation materially.
Check accuracy and exceptions
Ask how the picker verifies the product and quantity and how discrepancies are recorded. Agree how a damaged unit, missing item or unclear instruction is escalated. A useful demonstration includes an exception and shows your team how to see the status, rather than simply promising accuracy.
Understand dispatch cut-offs
Ask when an order must be received and released to be eligible for a particular dispatch day. Check weekends, bank holidays, stock holds and promotional peaks. Distinguish the warehouse dispatch commitment from the courier’s delivery service, and put both assumptions in the quote.