Key Takeaways for Sellers:
- Maintain at least 90% OTDR for seller-fulfilled orders starting September 16, 2025
- Use Amazon’s automation tools to improve delivery accuracy
- Expect shipping template changes in January 2026
- Monitor your performance and take action before October 16 warnings begin
Starting September 16, 2025, Amazon UK will begin enforcing a new performance metric for all Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) sellers: On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR). Sellers must maintain at least a 90% OTDR to continue listing FBM products on Amazon.co.uk.
As early as September 25, 2024, Amazon required the US marketplace (Amazon.com) to maintain an on-time delivery rate of at least 90%.
What Is OTDR
OTDR measures the percentage of seller-fulfilled orders that are delivered on or before the promised “Deliver by” date. Unlike Amazon’s Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) service, seller-fulfilled orders are handled entirely by third-party sellers—from packaging to shipping.
What Happens If Sellers Don’t Meet the 90% OTDR?
Amazon will begin sending informational warnings starting October 16, 2025, but enforcement begins February 2, 2026.
| OTDR Level | Consequences |
|---|---|
| 80–90% | Listings with <90% OTDR may be temporarily deactivated. You can reactivate them immediately via Account Health. |
| 60–80% | Listings under 80% OTDR will be deactivated. If no improvement within 30 days, more listings may be removed. Reactivation will require a Plan of Action. |
| Below 60% | Account-level enforcement. You may lose the ability to sell FBM products until you submit a detailed reactivation request. |
OTDR Exemptions
Orders will not impact OTDR negatively if all three of the following are used:
- Shipping Settings Automation (SSA)
- Automated Handling Time (AHT) or 0–1 day default handling time
- Buy Shipping labels purchased via Amazon tools or approved integrators
Also, sellers with fewer than 20 shipped units in the 14-day period are exempt from OTDR requirements.
To help sellers meet the new standard, Amazon recommends several tools and strategies:
- Review and adjust your Handling and Transit Times
- Use reliable carriers that consistently meet delivery times
- Enable Amazon’s automation tools:
- AHT: Sets handling time per SKU based on actual performance
- SSA: Dynamically adjusts transit time based on real delivery data
- Buy Shipping: Helps you select shipping services that meet delivery promises
From January 19, 2026, Amazon will reduce the maximum transit time for UK Mainland standard shipping from 5 days to 4 days, based on actual carrier performance.
Are you reevaluating your freight shipping routes? Contact Linktrans for a free quote.
04 Sep, 2025
