How Does Third-Party Warehousing Charge? A Pricing Guide for Importers in China

Warehouse

When international clients choose a warehouse provider in China, the first question is almost always the same: how does pricing work, and why do quotes vary so much? This guide breaks down exactly how third-party warehousing is priced in China so you can budget with confidence.

International Scenarios: Three Ways to Pay

Temporary storage: short-term holding after import clearance, billed by day/㎡ — ideal for samples, exhibition goods, and containers awaiting distribution
Transit warehousing: goods held temporarily for forwarding or re-export, billed by pallet/day
Long-term stocking: supports domestic e-commerce and distribution channels, billed monthly by area plus handling volume

1. The Five Components of Pricing

1. Storage Fee (Rent + Management)

| Warehouse type | Price (RMB/㎡/month) | Best for | |---------------|---------------------|----------| | General flat warehouse | 25–40 | Bulky goods, long-term storage | | Racked warehouse | 35–55 | Standard goods, fast in/out | | Temperature/humidity controlled | 60–120 | Food, pharma, electronics | | Cold storage | 80–200 | Fresh, frozen food |

City-center warehouses typically run 30%–50% higher than suburban ones; bonded-capable facilities are priced separately.

2. Delivery Fee (Courier + Freight)

Small parcels: Tongda/ZTO/YTO and similar, RMB 3–8/order; SF Express/JD Logistics, RMB 6–15/order; above 1,000 orders/day you can negotiate RMB 2.5–4/order
Bulk freight: same-city delivery RMB 80–200/shipment; inter-province transport RMB 0.8–3/kg

3. Handling Fee (Inbound + Outbound)

| Step | Rate | |------|------| | Inbound inspection | RMB 0.3–1/piece | | Put-away | RMB 0.2–0.8/piece | | Picking & packing | RMB 1–5/order | | Consumables | RMB 0.5–3/order |

4. System Fee

Basic edition RMB 200–500/month; professional RMB 500–2,000/month; custom integration RMB 3,000–10,000 one-time. Rundong offers WMS to clients free of charge.

5. Value-Added Services

Returns handling RMB 2–10/order; labeling/repackaging RMB 0.5–2/piece; QC and kitting RMB 5–20/piece; temporary labor RMB 25–35/person/hour.

2. Typical Pricing by Industry

Cross-border e-commerce: per-order model, RMB 5–15/order all-in (storage + handling + courier)
Fast-moving consumer goods: pallet + piece mix, RMB 0.5–3/piece
Bulky goods: by area + weight, RMB 30–80/㎡/month plus delivery

3. How to Judge Whether a Quote Is Fair

Watch out for: ultra-low bait pricing followed by inflated handling and consumable charges; "all-inclusive" deals that add courier, system, and consumables on top; promises of accuracy and lead time that never materialize, with complex loss-compensation procedures.

A fair quote includes: an itemized price list, clear SLAs (shipment lead time, inventory accuracy), a compensation mechanism with liability terms, and a price-adjustment policy.

4. Rundong's Published Pricing

| Service | Price range | Notes | |---------|------------|-------| | Storage | RMB 35–45/㎡/month | Racked warehouse, core Jiading logistics zone | | Inbound handling | RMB 0.3–0.5/piece | Counting, QC, put-away | | Outbound handling | RMB 1.5–3/order | Picking, verification, packing | | Courier | from RMB 2.8/order | Volume pricing above 1,000 orders/day | | WMS | Free | Full professional edition |

Our advantages: no hidden fees — every charge written into the contract; 99.99%+ inventory accuracy with full compensation for lost items; API integration with Tmall, JD.com, Pinduoduo, and Douyin; 50,000+㎡ smart warehousing with elastic expansion; 200+ corporate clients including 3M and BASF.

5. Money-Saving Tips

Plan stock volumes ahead — rent neither too much nor too little space
Standardize packaging specs to lower handling fees
Ship off-peak to avoid 618 and Double 11 courier surcharges
Signing a 12+ month contract usually earns a 5%–15% discount

Rundong Supply Chain serves many international clients with one-stop China services: transit warehousing, temporary storage, customs clearance, and domestic logistics. Contact: +86-21-5918-5706 / shrdwl010@shrdwl.cn