FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) means your stock sits in Amazon's fulfilment centres and Amazon handles everything from pick and pack to delivery. The Prime badge comes with it — and in the UK market, that badge has a measurable impact on conversion.
FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) means you or a third-party partner handles fulfilment entirely. You control the process, the cost and the customer experience.
FBA costs go beyond the headline fulfilment fee. Inbound preparation, inventory placement across multiple centres, removal fees and long-term storage charges add up quickly — particularly for lower-margin or bulky products.
FBM shifts those costs elsewhere: carrier negotiation, returns management and maintaining delivery standards all require either internal resource or a reliable operational partner.
SFP lets you display the Prime badge while fulfilling orders yourself — but Amazon's requirements are strict. You need a 99%+ on-time delivery rate, next-day capability and specific carrier integrations. Very few sellers maintain SFP status without a specialist fulfilment partner.
Many UK sellers run a hybrid model — FBA for fast-moving lightweight SKUs where the Prime badge justifies the fee, FBM for heavier or slower products where cost control matters more. The right split depends on your margin, product dimensions and sales velocity.
Working with a specialist UK fulfilment partner means you can move between models as your business evolves — without rebuilding your operation each time.
