Prep cost calculator — what should FBA & Walmart prep cost per unit?
Estimate your monthly prep cost by unit volume and the prep each product needs — and see how it stacks up against a typical prep center. Then get an exact quote.
Looking for Walmart fulfillment fees instead? This tool prices prep. For referral, fulfillment, and storage fees, use the WFS fee calculator. Still choosing a platform? See WFS vs FBA compared.
Amazon FBA prep cost
Walmart WFS prep cost
Estimates only, for planning. Hardway prep is $0.85/unit all-in (receiving, inspection, FNSKU or GTIN labeling, poly-bagging, carton packing and outbound into FBA/WFS), dropping to $0.75/unit at 1,000+ units a month and $0.65/unit at 5,000+, with a $35 minimum per inbound shipment; add-ons are quoted per product. Carrier shipping is billed at carrier cost plus 15%. Walmart WFS Prep Services fees shown ($0.45 labeling, $0.60 poly-bagging) are Walmart’s published per-unit rates and may change; an extra unplanned-prep fee can apply if items arrive non-compliant. “Typical prep center” uses a $1.25/unit midpoint of the common $1.00–$1.50 industry range. Get an exact quote for your products.
Prep is the cost you control; the platform fee is the one you don't. Once you have your per-unit prep number, check the Walmart side with our WFS fee calculator to see the full landed margin before you buy.
How prep pricing actually works
Most prep centers charge a base per-unit rate for the standard work — receiving, inspecting, applying the FNSKU label, and packing the unit out — then add per-unit fees for anything extra like poly-bagging, bubble wrap, or bundling. Walmart’s own WFS Prep Services bill each task separately (e.g., $0.45 to label, $0.60 to poly-bag) and add an unplanned-prep fee if your units show up non-compliant. Our model rolls receiving, inspection, FNSKU labeling, poly-bagging, carton packing and outbound into one $0.85/unit all-in rate — $0.75 at 1,000+ units a month, $0.65 at 5,000+ — with add-ons quoted only for what your product needs. Learn more on our FBA prep center and FNSKU labeling pages, or read how FBA prep costs break down.