Amazon UK is the fourth largest Amazon marketplace globally, with over 30 million active customers and £28 billion in annual GMV. For UK entrepreneurs and small businesses, it offers access to millions of buyers with relatively low entry barriers — you can go from registration to live listing in under a week.
This guide covers everything a new seller needs to know: account types, required documents, fees, fulfilment options, and a step-by-step path to your first sale.
Step 1: Choose Your Selling Plan
Amazon UK offers two seller account types:
| Plan | Monthly Fee | Per-Item Fee | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | £0 | £0.75 per sale | Selling fewer than 35 items/month, testing the platform |
| Professional | £25 + VAT | None | Serious sellers, brand owners, FBA users, PPC advertisers |
If you plan to use FBA, run PPC ads, or sell more than 35 items per month, start with Professional from day one. The £25/month quickly pays for itself in per-item fee savings alone.
Step 2: What You Need to Register
Amazon requires identity and bank verification before your account goes live. Have these ready before you start registration:
- Valid government-issued photo ID (passport or driving licence)
- Proof of address (utility bill or bank statement, less than 90 days old)
- Business bank account details (sort code and account number)
- Credit or debit card for seller fees
- Tax information: UTR number for sole traders, Companies House registration for limited companies
- Phone number for two-step verification
VAT registration: You are not required to be VAT registered to sell on Amazon UK. However, if your turnover exceeds £90,000 (the current 2026 threshold) or you sell goods already stored in the UK via FBA, you may be required to register. Consult an accountant before launch if you are unsure.
Step 3: Registering Your Account
Go to sell.amazon.co.uk
Click “Start Selling” and create a new Amazon account, or sign in with an existing customer account (note: your seller account will be separate).
Enter Business Information
Business type (sole trader, limited company, charity), business name, address, and company registration number if applicable.
Complete Identity Verification
Upload your photo ID and proof of address. Amazon’s automated system typically reviews these within 24–72 hours. Video call verification may be required for some applicants.
Add Bank Account & Tax Info
Enter your UK bank details for disbursements (Amazon pays out every 14 days). Add your tax information to avoid withholding on your payments.
Set Up Two-Step Verification
Mandatory security step. Use an authenticator app rather than SMS for better security and reliability.
Step 4: Choose Your Fulfilment Method
FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon)
You send inventory to Amazon’s UK fulfilment centres (Dunfermline, Tilbury, Rugeley, and others). Amazon picks, packs, ships, and handles returns. Your listings get the Prime badge, which typically increases conversion by 20–30%.
Pros: Prime eligibility, hands-off fulfilment, Amazon handles customer service on shipping issues, Buy Box advantage.
Cons: FBA fees on top of referral fees, aged inventory fees, IPI score to manage, less control over packaging.
FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant)
You store inventory and ship orders yourself (or via a third-party logistics provider). No FBA fees, but you are responsible for all fulfilment, returns, and customer service.
Best for: Large, heavy, or low-margin products where FBA fees would eliminate profit; custom or made-to-order items; very slow-moving products.
Our recommendation for new sellers: Start with FBA if your unit economics work. The Prime badge, Buy Box advantage, and hands-off fulfilment outweigh the extra fees for most product types. Calculate FBA fees using the Amazon Revenue Calculator before committing.
Step 5: Create Your First Listing
In Seller Central, go to Catalogue → Add Products. You can either:
- Match to an existing listing (if someone else already sells the same product — common for resellers and wholesalers)
- Create a new listing (for private label or unique products)
Every listing requires: product title, bullet points (up to 5), product description or A+ Content, images (minimum 1, recommended 7–9), and a price. You’ll also need a product identifier — typically a GTIN (EAN or UPC barcode) or, for brand-registered sellers, an Amazon-issued ASIN.
Barcode Requirements
Amazon requires a valid GS1 barcode (EAN-13 for UK products) for new listings, unless you have a Brand Registry exemption. Purchase barcodes from GS1 UK directly (gs1uk.org) — avoid third-party barcode resellers as these are often invalid and cause listing suppression.
Amazon UK Fees You Need to Know
| Fee Type | How It Works | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|
| Referral Fee | % of total sale price, per category | 6% (electronics) – 17% (beauty) |
| FBA Fulfilment Fee | Per unit, based on size and weight | £2.35 – £5.15 for small standard |
| Monthly Storage | Per cubic foot, per month | £0.75/ft³ (Jan–Sep), £2.40/ft³ (Oct–Dec) |
| Aged Inventory Surcharge | Units stored 271+ days | £0.50–£6.90/unit/month depending on age |
| Professional Plan | Flat monthly fee | £25 + VAT/month |
Step 6: Getting Your First Sale
New listings have no sales history and no reviews, which means low organic visibility. To get the flywheel moving:
- Run Sponsored Products (PPC) from day one. Start with auto campaigns to gather search term data. Set a daily budget of £10–£20 while you learn what converts.
- Use the “Request a Review” button in Seller Central for every order. This sends Amazon’s compliant review request email. Essential for building early social proof.
- Optimise your main image for click-through rate. It is the single highest-leverage listing element for a new product with no reviews.
- Price competitively at launch. A slightly lower price than competitors helps win the Buy Box and improves conversion while you have zero reviews.
- Consider Amazon Vine (available to Brand Registry sellers). Enrol up to 30 units to get verified reviews from Amazon’s trusted reviewer programme.
Common Mistakes New UK Sellers Make
- Sending too much inventory on launch (FBA storage fees on unsold stock hurt cash flow)
- Not calculating true profitability before listing (include referral fee, FBA fee, COGs, and PPC in your margin calculation)
- Using restricted or gated categories without getting approval first
- Buying barcodes from non-GS1 sources
- Ignoring account health metrics in the first 90 days (late shipment rate, order defect rate)
- Listing products with IP (intellectual property) issues without checking Amazon’s Brand Registry database
Realistic First-Month Timeline
- Week 1: Account registration and verification
- Week 2: Sourcing product, ordering barcodes, creating listing, preparing FBA shipment
- Week 3: Inventory received at FBA centre, listing goes live, launch PPC
- Week 4: First sales, first review requests, analyse search term report and optimise bids
How much does it cost to start? Most new private label sellers invest £1,500–£5,000 for initial inventory, product samples, photography, and launch PPC budget. Resellers and wholesalers can start for less by listing existing products on existing listings, with no photography or listing creation costs.