Compare
How Momentum Compares to Other Ways of Billing 3PL Clients
A 3PL can bill clients from spreadsheets, from its WMS's built-in billing, by switching to an all-in-one 3PL WMS, with a standalone billing tool, or with a prepaid shipping wallet. Momentum is an ERP for 3PLs that sits on top of the WMS you already run: it rates every event against each client's rate card, measures storage nightly, captures floor work the WMS never sees, reconciles carrier invoices and shows margin by client — without a WMS migration.
What each approach covers
Six ways to get from warehouse activity to a client invoice. “Varies” means products in that category genuinely differ — check the ones you're considering.
| What you need | Momentum | Spreadsheets and WMS exports | Your WMS's built-in billing | Switching to an all-in-one 3PL WMS | A standalone 3PL billing tool | A prepaid shipping wallet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keeps your current WMS | ShipHero today | Yes | Yes | No — a full migration | Yes, if it supports your WMS | Yes |
| Rates every event against each client's card | Every event, tiers and minimums | By hand, each cycle | Standard fees; complex cards often spill into spreadsheets | Usually | Usually | Shipping only |
| Storage measured from daily occupancy | Nightly, by pallet, bin or cubic meter | Usually a monthly snapshot | Varies | Varies | Varies | No |
| Captures work the WMS never sees | Floor app, priced by finance | Whatever gets remembered | Only what's scanned in the WMS | Only what's scanned in the WMS | Varies | No |
| Reconciles carrier invoices | UPS today, by tracking number | By hand, if at all | Rarely | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Margin per client from real costs | Shipping, packaging and labor | Possible, rarely kept current | Rarely | Varies; often revenue only | Varies; often revenue only | Shipping margin only |
| Client portal with invoices | Orders, inventory, invoices | No | Varies; often inventory and orders only | Usually | Varies | Wallet balance |
| Clients can prepay | Prepaid balance per client | Tracked by hand | Rarely | Varies | Varies | Yes, label by label |
Scroll the table sideways to see every approach.
When each one is the right choice
Momentum isn't the answer for every 3PL. Here's when each approach makes sense.
Momentum
The ERP for 3PLs, on top of the WMS.
Right when: You run ShipHero, bill several clients from rate cards, and want every billable touch captured and every client's margin visible.
Spreadsheets and WMS exports
Export activity, apply rates by hand, build the invoice.
Right when: You have a handful of clients on simple, similar rate cards and someone with time to rebuild invoices each cycle.
Your WMS's built-in billing
The billing settings that come with your warehouse system.
Right when: Your rate cards fit the fields your WMS offers and you'd rather keep everything in one system.
Switching to an all-in-one 3PL WMS
Replace the WMS with one that bills natively.
Right when: You're replacing your WMS anyway and can absorb a migration on the floor.
A standalone 3PL billing tool
Billing software that reads from your WMS.
Right when: Invoicing is your only gap and you already have a handle on floor work, carrier bills and margin.
A prepaid shipping wallet
Clients fund a balance that postage is deducted from.
Right when: Fronting postage is your main problem and the rest of your billing already works.
Where Momentum isn't a fit yet
Stated plainly, so you can rule it in or out quickly.
- Momentum works with ShipHero today. If you run another WMS, it isn't a fit yet — tell us which one you use.
- Carrier reconciliation reads UPS detailed invoices today.
- Prepaid balances are drawn when an invoice is approved on the client's cycle, not label by label. Deposits are recorded by finance.
- Momentum doesn't run the floor. Picking, packing, labels and locations stay in your WMS.
Questions about choosing
What are the main ways a 3PL can bill its clients?
Five, broadly: spreadsheets built from WMS exports, the billing built into the WMS, an all-in-one 3PL WMS that bills natively, a standalone billing tool that reads from the WMS, and a prepaid shipping wallet for postage. Many 3PLs combine two of them. Momentum is a sixth option: a layer on top of the WMS that covers billing, carrier reconciliation and client margin together.
Should a 3PL switch WMS to fix its billing?
Usually not on billing alone. A WMS migration retrains the floor and puts fulfillment at risk, and a new WMS still only bills what it scans. If the WMS runs the floor well, adding a billing and finance layer on top fixes the invoice without touching picking and packing.
Is Momentum a prepaid shipping wallet?
No, but it covers the same cash-flow problem. A client can be put on a prepaid balance that each approved invoice draws down, so carrier bills are paid from their deposit. A wallet deducts postage label by label; Momentum draws the whole invoice — postage, fulfillment and storage — when it's approved.
Can Momentum run alongside the billing we have today?
Yes. Shadow billing runs Momentum next to your current process and compares every line, client by client, so you switch only when the numbers match.
Is Momentum a fit if we don't use ShipHero?
Not yet. ShipHero is the only WMS Momentum connects to today.
See how the pieces work: billing engine, carrier reconciliation, warehouse floor app and client profitability.
See what your last billing cycle missed.
Early access starts with a walkthrough and shadow billing on a few clients — compare every line before you switch.