Understanding your Portless invoice

This article provides a clear breakdown of the line items on your Portless invoice, including what each charge represents and why it may vary month to month.

March 23, 2026

Your invoice reflects the operational and shipping services used during your billing period. Below is a breakdown of the most common line items and what they represent.

If you’re ever unsure about a charge, your Account Manager or Support can help clarify based on your specific setup.

View your invoice

For more information on accessing your invoice, see Managing billing and invoicing.

Core fulfillment charges

Shipping Fees

Shipping charges represent the cost of transporting orders from the fulfillment center to your customers.

These charges are typically determined by your Portless pricing agreement (price card) and may vary depending on factors such as:

• Carrier and service level
• Destination country or region
• Shipment weight and dimensions
• The number of items included in the shipment

In some cases, bundled products or promotional items included in an order may also affect how shipping charges are calculated.

Pick and Pack Fees

Pick and Pack fees cover the fulfillment work required to prepare orders for shipment.

This includes:

• Picking items from warehouse inventory
• Packing items into shipping containers
• Preparing shipments for carrier pickup

Depending on your pricing structure, Pick and Pack fees may be calculated based on the number of items in an order or based on grouped item tiers defined in your pricing agreement.

Custom Packaging

Custom Packaging charges apply when specialized packaging materials are requested.

Examples include:

• Branded boxes or inserts
• Custom packing materials
• Special handling or packaging requests

These materials are sourced and provided by the fulfillment center and then reflected on the invoice.

Surcharges

Special Surcharges

Special surcharges may apply when specific operational services or account configurations require additional handling.

These charges are typically defined in your pricing agreement and may vary depending on your fulfillment setup.

Q4 Surcharges

During peak holiday shipping periods, carriers introduce seasonal surcharges due to increased shipping demand.

These surcharges typically apply during the late Q4 holiday season through early January, when shipping volumes are significantly higher across the industry. These costs reflect carrier peak-season pricing adjustments.

Duties and Customs Charges

Tariffs

Tariffs represent import duties applied when goods cross international borders. Tariffs are calculated based on:

• The cost of goods (COGS) for each product
• The product’s HS code classification
• The tariff rate applied by the importing country

Because tariff rates depend on product classification and regulatory changes, these charges may vary from month to month. To ensure accurate tariff calculations, merchants should confirm that product data such as cost of goods and HS codes are up to date.

Tariff Processing Fee

A Tariff Processing Fee may be applied to cover the administrative handling associated with tariff processing and customs documentation. This includes managing tariff payments and processing required customs data.

Express Carrier Customs Broker Fee Recharge

When shipments use express carriers, the carrier may apply customs brokerage fees for clearing goods through customs. If these fees are incurred, they may appear on your invoice as a recharge from the carrier.

Wholesale Fulfillment Charges

Wholesale shipments may include additional operational charges related to bulk fulfillment.

These charges may include:

Wholesale Passthrough Carrier Costs

Carrier shipping charges associated with wholesale shipments.

These costs reflect the underlying shipping charges from the carrier used to deliver wholesale orders.

Portless Labor Charges (Wholesale)

Labor associated with preparing wholesale shipments.

This may include:

• Bulk order preparation
• Palletization
• Special handling required for wholesale distribution

Portless Service Charges (Wholesale)

Operational service charges related to wholesale fulfillment workflows and logistics coordination.

Express Shipping Charges

For orders shipped using express delivery services, the following charges may appear:

Express Passthrough Carrier Costs

Carrier charges associated with express shipping services.

Portless Service Charges (Express)

Operational handling and service fees associated with processing express shipments.

Credits and Adjustments

Prepayment Credit

Some merchants operate with a prepayment balance that is applied to future invoices.

When a prepayment is made:

• The credit balance is applied to charges incurred during the billing period
• Remaining credit balances roll over to future invoices until fully used

This line item reflects the amount of prepaid balance applied to the current invoice.

Why your invoice may change month to month

Your invoice reflects actual activity during the billing period. Changes may be driven by:

• Order volume
• Shipping destinations
• Carrier service levels
• Product mix (which impacts tariffs)
• Seasonal surcharges
• Custom packaging or handling requirements

If you'd like a breakdown specific to your account activity, please reach out to your Account Manager.