Amazon UK is one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Europe, with millions of daily active shoppers on amazon.co.uk. For sellers with consistent inventory — whether you source products, manufacture your own, or sell wholesale — Amazon’s reach is unmatched. For one-off secondhand sales, other platforms are a better fit.
Who Amazon UK Is For
Amazon UK suits sellers who have repeatable inventory: private-label products, wholesale resale, book dealers, and small manufacturers. It is not designed for casual secondhand selling — listing fees, account requirements, and competition make it inefficient for one-off items. If you want to sell used or secondhand goods, eBay or Facebook Marketplace are more appropriate starting points.
Setting Up an Amazon Seller Account
Go to sell.amazon.co.uk and choose a selling plan. There are two options:
- Individual plan: no monthly fee, but you pay £0.75 per item sold plus referral fees. Best for low volume (under 35 items per month).
- Professional plan: £25 per month (plus VAT) with no per-item fee. Cost-effective above 35 sales per month.
Registration requires a business name (or your own name as a sole trader), contact details, ID verification, bank account, and a credit or debit card. Amazon’s verification process can take a few days.
Fees on Amazon UK
Beyond the plan fee, Amazon charges a referral fee on each sale. This varies by category:
- Electronics: 7–8%
- Clothing and fashion: 15%
- Books: 15%
- Home and kitchen: 15%
- Toys and games: 15%
If you use FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon), add fulfilment fees per item based on size and weight, plus storage fees. For a comparable breakdown of Amazon’s European fee structure, see our guide on Amazon seller fees across Europe. Germany has similar fee structures — our Amazon Germany guide covers the differences between UK and German selling.
FBA vs FBM
FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon): You send inventory to Amazon’s UK warehouse. Amazon picks, packs, and ships orders and handles returns. Your listings are Prime-eligible, which significantly improves conversion. You pay storage and fulfilment fees on top of referral fees.
FBM (Fulfilment by Merchant): You store and ship your own orders. Lower fees, but you manage logistics and customer service. Prime eligibility is harder to achieve without FBA.
FBA suits sellers with consistent, small-to-medium items at good margins. FBM suits sellers with large or heavy items where Amazon’s fulfilment fees would be prohibitive, or with very low sales volume.
Listing on Amazon UK
If your product already has an ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number), you list against the existing product page — you do not create a new one. If your product is new to Amazon, you create a new listing with GTIN (barcode), title, bullet points, description, and photos. Amazon’s style guide is strict — follow it to avoid listing suppression.
The Buy Box (the default “Add to Cart” button) goes to the seller offering the best combination of price, fulfilment method, and seller metrics. FBA sellers have a strong advantage. If you are not in the Buy Box, you are competing directly against sellers who are.
Payment and Payouts
Amazon disburses funds to your bank account every two weeks, minus fees. There is a reserve period where a portion of funds is held to cover potential refunds. Disbursements go to a UK bank account in GBP.
Selling in the EU After Brexit
Since Brexit, selling from a UK Amazon account to EU customers requires separate VAT registration in at least one EU country, or use of Amazon’s pan-European FBA program with careful attention to VAT obligations. Selling into Germany, France, or the Netherlands as a UK seller has additional compliance requirements. This is a meaningful operational consideration before expanding.
Tax for Amazon Sellers in the UK
Amazon sellers operating as a business (not casual sellers) must register for VAT once turnover exceeds £90,000 per year (the UK VAT threshold as of 2026). Income from selling is subject to income tax or corporation tax depending on your business structure. Amazon provides annual sales reports to assist with tax filings and reports seller data to HMRC.
Is Amazon UK Worth It in 2026?
For sellers with the right product and margin, Amazon UK offers scale that no other UK platform matches. The barrier is real: fees, competition, and compliance are more demanding than on Etsy or eBay. The platform choice guide has a full comparison if you are weighing your options.