How much does ecommerce fulfilment cost in Spain?

Build a like-for-like monthly comparison

Start with expected monthly orders, active SKUs, stock volume, inbound deliveries and the number of items normally picked per order. Use the same assumptions for each quote, including quieter months and campaign peaks. A low preparation rate is not comparable with a monthly package until you know which other charges apply.

Separate the monthly fee and its included allowances from charges for additional capacity or work. Check how each limit is measured and what happens if storage or receiving exceeds the agreed profile even when order volume remains within the plan. Monthly order capacity and counting conditions are defined in the proposal and contract; physical parcel count is not a universal rule for consuming that capacity.

Check what each cost covers

• Storage and SKUs: compare the space allowance, the stock measurement method and the number of separately managed references or variants. Order volume alone does not determine the storage requirement.
• Receiving: confirm the number and size of inbound deliveries, advance notice and labelling requirements. Full unit counts, sorting and relabelling may fall outside ordinary receiving.
• Picking and packing: establish the normal items per order, product characteristics and packing instructions. Distinguish the work of preparing an order from the packaging materials used.
• Returns: check the allowance and what inspection and stock treatment it covers. ARGO HUB includes basic returns up to 5% per month under the agreed conditions; repair, cleaning, reconditioning and technical testing are outside basic returns.
• Materials and transport: identify who supplies boxes and protective materials and how they are charged. ARGO HUB’s monthly fee excludes carrier shipping and VAT; packaging materials are supplied under the agreed terms. The ecommerce client generally contracts and pays the carrier directly.
• Systems and special work: identify any software, integration or account charges in each proposal. Recurring kitting, complex packaging or other special handling must be included in the agreed profile; extraordinary work should be quoted and authorised before it is carried out.

Example: a monthly fee is not a universal price per order

ARGO 100 costs €165 per month excluding VAT and includes capacity for 100 orders, 15 active SKUs, 1 PEA of storage and 1 ordinary inbound receipt per month. Suppose an operation uses all 100 orders, stays within those separate limits and needs no special work. The monthly fee divided by the used capacity is €165 ÷ 100 = €1.65 per order. This is an equivalent allocation of the plan fee, not a standalone picking price or a delivered shipping price.

Under the same €165 monthly plan, 50 orders would give an equivalent allocation of €3.30 per order. The invoice remains the agreed monthly fee plus any applicable extras: it does not become 50 × €1.65. At the other end of the published range, ARGO 1000’s €1,150 fee divided by its full 1,000-order capacity gives €1.15 per order, subject to that plan’s own limits and agreed operating profile.

These examples exclude VAT, transport, packaging materials unless agreed otherwise, additional capacity and special work. One PEA is a reference space of 1.20 × 0.80 × 1.40 m; its use and consolidation rules must be checked against the stock profile. An ordinary receipt is an advised, documented and correctly identified arrival of up to two standard pallets, within the monthly allowance. Neither assumption makes every inbound shipment or product automatically suitable for the standard plan.

Turn the comparison into a usable quote

Ask for the included scope, exclusions and treatment of excess capacity in writing. Compare a normal month and a realistic peak using your own order and stock data. Keep the warehouse service and the carrier’s price separate so that transport surcharges or a change of carrier do not appear to be a change in the fulfilment fee.