Amazon UK Updates On-Time Delivery Policy for FBM Sellers

Amazon has announced an update to its on-time delivery policy and shipping settings for its UK marketplace. The platform is introducing the On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR) to reduce late deliveries and enhance customer satisfaction.

Starting September 16, 2025, all sellers on Amazon.co.uk using Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) must maintain a minimum 90% OTDR. This metric measures the percentage of FBM orders delivered on or before the promised delivery date. Sellers who fail to meet this requirement risk penalties ranging from product removal to restrictions on listing FBM items. OTDR data will appear in seller account health dashboards beginning on the same date.

From October 16, 2025, Amazon will begin sending reminder emails to sellers with their current OTDR performance, including recommendations for improvement when metrics fall short. However, no enforcement actions will be taken until February 2, 2026.

To improve OTDR, sellers are encouraged to adjust handling and transit times, partner with reliable carriers, and leverage Amazon’s built-in tools to optimize delivery performance.

Amazon highlights several tools to support sellers:

• Automated Handling Time – Automatically sets handling times at the SKU level based on past delivery performance.
• Shipping Settings Automation (SSA) – Adjusts transit times using the latest carrier performance data from warehouse to customer.
• Buy Shipping – Helps sellers select carrier services that align with Prime delivery promises.

When sellers use SSA together with Buy Shipping, and set handling times to 0 or 1 day, those orders will not negatively impact OTDR. Still, sellers must meet the broader account-level Late Dispatch Rate requirement.

Additionally, starting January 19, 2026, Amazon will shorten the maximum transit time for UK Prime Standard Delivery templates. For mainland UK, the longest allowable transit time will be reduced from 5 days to 4 days. This adjustment is based on Amazon's monitoring of actual carrier performance. Remote and non-mainland regions will not be affected.

Amazon notes that these policy changes aim to provide customers with faster and more reliable Prime delivery while equipping sellers with tools to improve their operational efficiency.

For FBM and FBA sellers alike, keeping up with Amazon's evolving delivery standards is critical to long-term success. Partnering with a trusted logistics provider like Forest Shipping can help streamline your shipping operations, reduce delays, and ensure your business stays compliant with Amazon's policies.