From 1 January 2026, Amazon will no longer offer any in-house FBA prep or labelling services, including poly-bagging, bubble-wrapping, or barcode application. This change is already confirmed for the US, and UK sellers should expect a similar shift to follow.
For Amazon sellers using FBA, this marks a major operational change – and one that requires immediate planning.
What’s Changing?
Up until 31 December 2025, Amazon’s fulfilment centres will continue offering prep services as usual. But from January 2026, all inbound inventory must arrive fully prepped and compliant. If your goods arrive unprepared, they may be refused, returned, or not reimbursed if damaged.
This includes:
- Barcode/FNSKU labelling
- Poly-bagging and bubble-wrapping
- Kitting and bundling
- Safety seals or suffocation warnings
- Item inspection and packaging checks
The prep support currently used by thousands of UK sellers will disappear entirely.
Why is Amazon Doing This?
Amazon states that seller compliance and packaging standards have improved over time, reducing the need for its own prep services. By phasing out these services, Amazon aims to streamline its fulfilment centres – focusing purely on receiving, storing, and shipping inventory.
It’s a business decision that helps Amazon run leaner operations but leaves sellers responsible for every detail of prep.
What This Means for UK Sellers
If you’re an FBA seller in the UK, this announcement gives you a six-month window to redesign your prep process.
You’ll need to either:
- Build your own in-house FBA prep workflow, or
- Outsource to a trusted third-party (3PL) provider or FBA prep centre
Failure to do so could lead to delays, rejected inventory, or revenue loss as a result of non-compliance.
What Are Your Options?
1. Set Up an In-House Prep System
You can prep goods manually in-house, or work with your suppliers to prep and label at source. This route gives you complete control but often requires more staff, training, and space.
Typical tasks include:
- Applying Amazon-compliant barcodes and FNSKU labels
- Bundling, bagging, or bubble wrapping
- Quality inspection
- Boxing and palletising
- Carton-level labelling
While this option offers control, it can be time-consuming and error-prone if your volumes grow.
2. Work with a UK-Based 3PL or FBA Prep Centre
3PL companies like 3P Logistics already offer FBA prep and compliance support as part of wider warehousing and fulfilment services.
At 3PL, we’ve supported Amazon sellers for years with:
- Barcode labelling and relabelling
- Kitting, bundling, and pack checks
- Polybagging and warning label application
- Palletisation and routing into Amazon FCs
- Inspection and photography on arrival
We offer this as either:
- A supplementary service for existing clients using 3PL for broader fulfilment
- A standalone FBA prep solution for Amazon sellers looking for compliance support
If you’re unsure whether to fully outsource fulfilment or just the prep aspect, we’re happy to guide you through the pros and cons of each approach. You can find our more about our Amazon FBA Prep services here.
Will This Shift Sellers Away from FBA?
There’s already speculation that this move will encourage more brands to switch from FBA to Merchant Fulfilled Network (MFN) or Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP), where they retain more control and use third-party logistics providers instead of Amazon storage.
For fast-growing brands, outsourcing fulfilment and prep through a 3PL like 3P Logistics could be a more scalable and flexible route than relying solely on FBA.
Final Thoughts
The clock is ticking.
By January 2026, Amazon will no longer offer any prep services, and all FBA inventory must be prepped and fully compliant before it arrives at fulfilment centres. UK sellers should take this time to review their operations, vet third-party providers, and future-proof their supply chain.
At 3P Logistics, we’re already helping sellers make the switch with compliant, scalable FBA prep support and complete ecommerce fulfilment services.
Need Help Preparing for the Amazon FBA Prep Changes?
Whether you’re looking to outsource the full process or simply need help with barcode labelling, kitting, or routing into Amazon, our team is ready to support your brand.
Get in touch today to plan your transition before the 2026 deadline.
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