DTC Fulfillment Services for Direct-to-Consumer Brands
DTC fulfillment, short for direct-to-consumer fulfillment, means storing your stock and shipping orders from your own store straight to customers, in your own packaging. AMZ Prep runs DTC fulfillment for Shopify and DTC brands, many of which never sell on Amazon, with branded packaging, inserts and subscription boxes from $1.00 per order.
DTC brands that ship through AMZ Prep
4.9 on Clutch from 100+ reviews · 4.8 on G2 from 40+ reviews · Clutch Top Fulfillment Company 2024 & 2025
Key Takeaways
- DTC fulfillment ships orders from your own store to customers in your packaging, with your inserts, under your brand.
- Unlike Amazon FBA, you keep the customer relationship, the unboxing and the returns experience.
- The hard moments are launches, promotions, subscription renewals and peak season. Ask how a 3PL handles each.
- AMZ Prep is Shopify Plus certified, runs its own Shopify app, and charges from $1.00 per order with postage at the carrier price.
- Orders received by 3 PM local time ship the same day, and inventory is received within 24 to 48 hours of delivery.
- The minimum is 300 orders a month across all channels, and onboarding takes 6 days. Brands that also sell on Amazon ship both from the same stock.
Updated November 2026
How DTC Fulfillment Differs From Amazon FBA
With DTC fulfillment, your brand controls the order from checkout to doorstep. With FBA, Amazon does.
| Area | DTC fulfillment | Amazon FBA |
|---|---|---|
| Where orders come from | Your Shopify or other store, TikTok Shop, wholesale | Amazon.com |
| Packaging | Your boxes, mailers, tissue and inserts | Amazon's packaging |
| Customer data | Yours, for email, reviews and repeat orders | Stays with Amazon |
| Returns | Your rules: exchanges, inspection, restock | Amazon's rules |
| Who ships | A 3PL like AMZ Prep | Amazon |
Many brands run both. AMZ Prep ships DTC orders and preps FBA inventory from the same stock. New to the topic? Read the DTC fulfillment guide.
Your Packaging, Not Ours
The unboxing is the first time a customer holds your product. It should look like your brand packed it.
Inside an AMZ Prep packing station: how premium DTC orders are packed in the brand's own boxes, tissue and inserts.
Branded boxes and mailers
Ship in your own boxes, poly mailers or kraft packaging. Your packaging stock is stored alongside your products.
Inserts that change by campaign
Thank-you cards, discount codes, samples or flyers, rotated by campaign, SKU or customer group without pausing orders.
Tissue and wrapping
Branded tissue, crinkle paper or recyclable fill, packed the same way on every order.
Kits and bundles
Gift sets, bundles and subscription boxes assembled to your spec before they ship.
More on custom packaging and subscription fulfillment.
Where DTC Fulfillment Breaks, and What to Check
Most DTC fulfillment problems happen on your busiest days. These are the moments to ask any 3PL about.
| Moment | What goes wrong | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Product launch or viral post | Orders spike in hours and miss the ship date | How much extra volume a site can take the same day |
| Promotions and bundles | Bundle SKUs don't match what's on the shelf | How bundles are mapped before the promo goes live |
| Subscription renewals | Every renewal lands on the same day | How renewal days are planned with the warehouse |
| Edited or cancelled orders | The old version of the order ships | How edits reach the floor before packing |
| Returns and exchanges | Returned stock sits unsellable for weeks | How fast returns are inspected and back on sale |
| Peak season | Carrier surcharges and slower pickups | Whether postage is passed through and when peak rates apply |
“Having warehouses near our customers changed everything. Costs went down, delivery got faster, and we could finally expand wholesale in California without paying crazy fees.”
Toronto activewear brand 437 cut shipping costs by 25 to 30% per package and reached 2-day delivery across North America.
Read the case studyGet a QuoteDTC Categories We Ship
Each category has its own handling rules. These are the ones most of our DTC brands sell in.
Shopify and the Rest of Your Stack
Orders, stock and tracking sync automatically with the platforms DTC brands use, with no setup or integration fees.
| Platform | How AMZ Prep connects |
|---|---|
| Shopify and Shopify Plus | Shopify Plus certified, with our own Shopify app, Prep Parcel |
| TikTok Shop | Direct integration for social commerce orders |
| WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento | Native platform connections |
| Amazon and Walmart | Seller Central and Walmart Marketplace orders from the same stock |
| Retail and wholesale | EDI orders and retailer routing guides |
| Custom storefronts and ERPs | API connection to Navigate, our inventory and order platform |
50+ platforms in total. See Shopify Plus fulfillment, TikTok Shop fulfillment and integrations and APIs.
What DTC Fulfillment Costs
A DTC fulfillment bill has four main lines: pick and pack, postage, storage and receiving. Packaging and inserts add to pick and pack when they need extra handling.
| Line | AMZ Prep |
|---|---|
| Pick and pack | From $1.00 per order with standard packaging |
| Branded packaging, inserts and kits | Quoted per order or per kit on the rate card |
| Postage | Passed through at the carrier price, no markup; zone skipping cuts parcel cost 25 to 32% |
| Storage and receiving | Quoted from product size and turnover |
| Setup and integrations | None; month-to-month terms |
Worked examples are on the pricing page.
When to Move DTC Fulfillment to a 3PL
When packing orders starts taking the time you need for product, marketing and wholesale.
Signs it's time
- You or your team pack orders most days
- Launch days and promotions leave a backlog
- You pay retail shipping rates
- You want a second warehouse closer to customers
Where AMZ Prep fits
Brands shipping 300 or more orders a month across all channels. Onboarding takes 6 days, and US and Canada stock ships from 10+ US states and five Canadian cities.
Not the right fit: brands under 300 orders a month, arbitrage sellers under 2,500, and sellers who only need returns processing.
Comparing providers? See our list of DTC fulfillment companies in the USA or the wider ecommerce fulfillment page.
Common Questions About DTC Fulfillment
DTC (direct-to-consumer) fulfillment is storing a brand's inventory and shipping orders from its own store straight to customers, usually in the brand's own packaging. A 3PL handles receiving, storage, pick and pack, shipping and returns.
Direct-to-consumer: the brand sells and ships straight to the buyer through its own store or social channels, rather than through a retailer or marketplace.
DTC fulfillment ships orders from your own store in your packaging, and you keep the customer data. FBA ships Amazon orders from Amazon's warehouses in Amazon's packaging. Many brands use both.
Yes. AMZ Prep ships in your boxes, mailers, tissue and inserts, and stores your packaging stock alongside your products.
Treat packaging as its own line next to the pick fee: the box or mailer, any tissue or inserts, and the time to add them. Many brands start with one branded box and a single insert, then test extras against repeat orders.
Yes. AMZ Prep assembles and ships recurring subscription boxes, including variable inserts and seasonal changes.
Yes. AMZ Prep is Shopify Plus certified and runs its own Shopify app, Prep Parcel, so orders, stock and tracking sync automatically.
Yes. Shopify, Walmart, TikTok Shop and Amazon FBM orders ship, and FBA inventory is prepped, from one pool of stock, so you never split units between providers or guess which channel will sell out first.
Yes. Returns are received, inspected and restocked or set aside, with status synced back to your store.
