Noon FBP vs a 3PL: what each costs and covers (UAE and KSA)
Updated 26 Oct 2026. Noon figures come from noon's public Seller Help Center pages (checked 26 Oct 2026, linked below). 3PL figures come from the providers' own pages, as shown on each provider page. Prices change, so always confirm.
Short answer: with noon Fulfilled by Partner (FBP), you keep the stock and pack each order, and noon charges a referral fee plus a DirectShip outbound fee per shipment. A 3PL stores and packs for you, and can also deliver orders from your own website or other channels. They are not either-or: some sellers use a 3PL as the "partner" that packs noon FBP orders. The right choice depends on how much of your volume comes from noon and whether you have your own space and staff.
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Free one-page cheat sheet: COD fee, payout day and starting delivery fee for 13 UAE and KSA providers, each with its source. Instant download, plus a short email every two weeks when rates change.
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1. Cost components side by side
| Cost | Noon FBP (UAE) | Noon FBP (KSA) | A UAE 3PL (published examples) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketplace fee | Referral fee by category, % of sale price, minimum AED 1 per item (for example 14% for "All other categories", 27% apparel and footwear) | Referral fee by category, minimum SAR 1 per item | None from the 3PL. Noon referral fees still apply if you sell on noon |
| Delivery | DirectShip outbound fee per shipment, standard parcel: pickup AED 14.0 (up to 0.25 kg) to AED 17.5 (2-3 kg); drop-off AED 12.0 to AED 15.5; +AED 1 per kg up to 12 kg | Pickup SAR 19.0 (up to 0.25 kg) to SAR 29.0 (2-3 kg); drop-off SAR 17.0 to SAR 27.0; +SAR 1 per kg up to 12 kg | SamVertex: AED 29/order UAE-wide incl. COD collection. MaxCommerce: B2C from AED 18 up to 5 kg, +AED 2/kg (both excl. 5% VAT) |
| Pick and pack | You do it yourself (or pay someone) | You do it yourself (or pay someone) | SamVertex AED 3/order (up to 20 kg); MaxCommerce AED 2-6/order (covers up to 2 items, +AED 0.5 per item from the 3rd) |
| Storage | Your own cost (noon's calculator asks you to enter it) | Your own cost | SamVertex from AED 85/CBM/month (dry); MaxCommerce AED 120/CBM/month |
| Shipping charged to the customer | Reimbursed to you after delivery: AED 10 (order under AED 100), AED 5 (AED 100-500), AED 0 (over AED 500) | SAR 12 (under SAR 100), SAR 6 (SAR 100-500), SAR 0 (over SAR 500) | Set by you on your own store |
| Returns | Return administration fee for seller-controllable reasons: the lesser of AED 15 or 20% of the referral fee | Return administration fee for seller-controllable reasons: the lesser of SAR 15 or 20% of the referral fee | SamVertex returns processing AED 0; MaxCommerce not published |
| COD fee and payout | Not stated on the FBP fee pages we checked | Not stated on the FBP fee pages we checked | SamVertex AED 0, payout weekly on Mondays; MaxCommerce 2.5% of cash collected, payout monthly |
| Noon prep (if you send stock to noon) | Not applicable to FBP | SamVertex FBA/Noon prep AED 0.50/unit; MaxCommerce Amazon/Noon prep from AED 1/label | |
Noon fees are excl. VAT. Noon sources: FBP fees in UAE, FBP fees in KSA, Fees and revenue calculator (noon Seller Help Center, checked 26 Oct 2026; referral fee structure applicable from 10 Sep 2026). DirectShip fees use the higher of volumetric or physical weight. 3PL figures: SamVertex (samvertex.com, checked 20 Oct 2026, not confirmed by SamVertex) and MaxCommerce (maxcommerce.ae, rates confirmed by MaxCommerce 17 Oct 2026, checked 20 Oct 2026). Only two UAE 3PLs in our dataset publish these prices.
2. Worked example: one 1 kg noon order in the UAE
Noon FBP with pickup: DirectShip AED 15.0 for a standard parcel over 0.5 kg and up to 1 kg, plus the referral fee for your category, plus your own packing and storage cost. If you use a 3PL to pack that noon order, add its pick and pack fee (for example AED 3 at SamVertex or AED 2-6 at MaxCommerce) and storage. For orders from your own website, a 3PL's delivery fee replaces the DirectShip fee and no noon referral fee applies.
3. How to choose: checklist
- Work out what share of your orders comes from noon and what share from your own store or other channels
- Check the referral fee for your exact category and the exceptions sheet on noon
- Weigh and measure your parcels: noon charges on the higher of volumetric or physical weight
- Put a real cost on your own storage, packing time and staff before comparing
- Run your product through noon's Fees and Revenue Calculator for FBN and FBP
- Ask 3PLs for pick and pack, storage and delivery prices in writing
- Check COD fees and payout cycles for orders outside noon
Compare UAE 3PLs in our 3PL guide or the comparison table, and model costs in the calculator.
Independence: GCC 3PL is not affiliated with noon. Providers don't pay for listings or rankings, and sponsorship never changes them. See our methodology and disclosure.