How to choose a 3PL fulfilment provider in Spain

Check the operating fit before comparing prices

• Goods: describe the product category, dimensions, weight, fragility and any batch, expiry or special handling requirements. Obtain confirmation of suitability instead of assuming that every warehouse accepts every product.
• Capacity and catalogue: disclose normal orders, peak days, items per order, active SKUs and expected stock. Check order, SKU and storage limits separately; fitting the monthly order allowance does not prove the rest of the profile fits.
• Receiving: agree inbound frequency, delivery sizes, advance notice, documents and identification. Ask how discrepancies, unlabelled goods, sorting and full unit counts are handled and priced.
• Integration and inventory: check the actual ecommerce platform and required order and stock flows. Clarify who maintains SKU data, investigates synchronisation problems and authorises inventory adjustments.
• Returns: establish how the provider identifies a return, records its condition and decides whether to restock or quarantine it under your instructions. Confirm the included allowance and any separate reconditioning work.
• Transport and incidents: establish who contracts the carrier, how collections are arranged and who deals with preparation errors, missing stock or carrier claims. Distinguish warehouse responsibilities from the carrier’s delivery service; agree escalation routes and any response terms in writing.

Read the economic terms as an operating agreement

Review the monthly fee, VAT, included allowances and rules for additional storage, receipts or orders. Separate ordinary preparation from materials, carrier charges and special work. Confirm minimum commitments, payment terms, notice requirements and how stock would be returned or transferred at the end of the relationship.

ARGO HUB uses order as the commercial unit. Monthly capacity and counting conditions are specified in the proposal and contract after the operating profile has been reviewed. A physical parcel is not automatically a separate commercial order. Public pricing is a starting point for that review, not acceptance of every type of goods or workflow.

Information your ecommerce business should supply

Provide a product list with SKU identifiers and variants, dimensions and weights, current stock and expected replenishment. Add normal and peak order volumes, a representative order profile, inbound delivery frequency and the expected returns process. Explain product-specific risks or handling instructions before a price is agreed.

Identify the ecommerce platform, existing systems, carrier arrangements, packaging source and any inserts, bundles or branded presentation. Describe where you sell and when you intend to start. A representative order example and packing instructions are more useful than an unsupported growth forecast.

Checks to complete before the first live orders

• Confirm the accepted goods, written scope, economic terms and responsibilities for exceptions.
• Check SKU mapping, product identification and opening stock records, including how discrepancies will be reconciled.
• Validate the agreed integration using a controlled test order, checking quantities, order status and inventory updates before live processing.
• Approve the packing instructions, label information and materials, then confirm the carrier collection arrangements.
• Agree the first inbound delivery, operational contacts, returns instructions and incident escalation route. Confirm capacity and the start date rather than assuming onboarding is immediate.