Amazon’s handling time requirement: what FBM sellers need to do by June 29

Amazon is forcing FBM sellers to stop padding handling times, and it starts in 10 days.

What changed

From June 29, 2026, you must set accurate handling times for seller-fulfilled SKUs. Amazon’s data shows 87% of FBM orders ship within one day, but many sellers set longer times as a buffer. That ends now.

Your two compliance paths

Enable Automated Handling Time (AHT) (recommended). It sets handling time based on your actual shipping history and gives you late shipment rate protection. You can enable it now in your Shipping settings.
Manually set SKU-level handling times and keep them accurate. Amazon will monitor for 30 days. If you consistently ship faster than your stated time, you get flagged and have 30 days to fix it.

What happens if you don’t comply

Amazon takes over. They’ll manage your SKUs on your behalf and give you 180 days of late shipment rate protection, but you lose control of your handling times.

What it means for UK sellers

This applies to Amazon.co.uk the same way. The real consequence: tighter handling times mean tighter margins on delivery promises. If you’ve been using a 2-3 day buffer to cover unexpected delays, you can’t anymore. A missed shipment now costs you more than it used to.

Check your current handling times now. If you’re shipping faster than you’ve stated, update before June 29. If you’re genuinely slower, enable AHT and let Amazon’s algorithm handle it.

My view

This is Amazon pushing sellers to be honest about speed. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s fair. Customers benefit from accurate promises, and sellers who ship fast get rewarded with better visibility. The ones who’ve been gaming the system will feel it.

Run your shipping data this week.