Amazon.co.uk on-time delivery policy and shipping settings update
Fast and accurate delivery is essential for customers and often determines where they choose to shop. The best way to ensure reliable on-time delivery for customers is to set accurate handling and transit times and to choose reliable carriers. To help reduce late deliveries, we’re introducing an on-time delivery rate (OTDR) policy.
Effective from September 16, 2025, you’ll be expected to maintain a minimum 90% OTDR without promise extensions when fulfilling Fulfilled by Merchant orders on Amazon.co.uk. OTDR measures the percentage of your Fulfilled by Merchant units that are delivered on or before the “Deliver by” date.
Depending on your OTDR performance level, you may face actions ranging from temporary deactivation of individual listings to restrictions on your ability to list Fulfilled by Merchant products. We will publish the updated OTDR metric on the Account Health dashboard starting from September 16, 2025, and send out informative warnings from October 16, 2025, with your current OTDR and recommendations on how to improve, if you’re below the minimum requirement. No enforcement measures will apply before February 2, 2026.
To improve your OTDR, you can set accurate delivery promises by adjusting your handling time and transit time settings and choosing reliable carriers. Alternatively, you can get help managing your delivery dates by using the following tools, which are designed to offer accurate promises and reduce late deliveries:
- Automated handling time sets handling times at SKU level based on how long it usually takes you to process and hand over that product to carriers.
- Shipping Settings Automation (SSA) sets transit times based on up-to-date carrier delivery performance from your warehouse locations to different customer destinations.
- Buy Shipping helps you choose a shipping label for a service that can meet the Prime delivery promise to the customer.
When you use all of the above tools to fulfil an order or alternatively set a 0- or 1-day handling time in combination with SSA and Buy Shipping, those orders will have no negative impact on your OTDR. You’ll still be expected to ship on time and meet the account level requirement on late dispatch rate.
Effective from January 19, 2026, we’ll also make changes to shipping settings to provide customers with accurate and fast delivery promises. The maximum transit times available in standard domestic shipping templates for the UK mainland will change from 5 days to 4 days based on observed actual carrier transit times. Non-mainland and certain remote areas will be excluded from this change. For a detailed list of excluded areas and item level exceptions, go to Default transit times for domestic sellers.
To learn more about these changes, the various performance thresholds and actions, go to the announcement on the Changes to programme policies page.
Amazon.co.uk on-time delivery policy and shipping settings update
Fast and accurate delivery is essential for customers and often determines where they choose to shop. The best way to ensure reliable on-time delivery for customers is to set accurate handling and transit times and to choose reliable carriers. To help reduce late deliveries, we’re introducing an on-time delivery rate (OTDR) policy.
Effective from September 16, 2025, you’ll be expected to maintain a minimum 90% OTDR without promise extensions when fulfilling Fulfilled by Merchant orders on Amazon.co.uk. OTDR measures the percentage of your Fulfilled by Merchant units that are delivered on or before the “Deliver by” date.
Depending on your OTDR performance level, you may face actions ranging from temporary deactivation of individual listings to restrictions on your ability to list Fulfilled by Merchant products. We will publish the updated OTDR metric on the Account Health dashboard starting from September 16, 2025, and send out informative warnings from October 16, 2025, with your current OTDR and recommendations on how to improve, if you’re below the minimum requirement. No enforcement measures will apply before February 2, 2026.
To improve your OTDR, you can set accurate delivery promises by adjusting your handling time and transit time settings and choosing reliable carriers. Alternatively, you can get help managing your delivery dates by using the following tools, which are designed to offer accurate promises and reduce late deliveries:
- Automated handling time sets handling times at SKU level based on how long it usually takes you to process and hand over that product to carriers.
- Shipping Settings Automation (SSA) sets transit times based on up-to-date carrier delivery performance from your warehouse locations to different customer destinations.
- Buy Shipping helps you choose a shipping label for a service that can meet the Prime delivery promise to the customer.
When you use all of the above tools to fulfil an order or alternatively set a 0- or 1-day handling time in combination with SSA and Buy Shipping, those orders will have no negative impact on your OTDR. You’ll still be expected to ship on time and meet the account level requirement on late dispatch rate.
Effective from January 19, 2026, we’ll also make changes to shipping settings to provide customers with accurate and fast delivery promises. The maximum transit times available in standard domestic shipping templates for the UK mainland will change from 5 days to 4 days based on observed actual carrier transit times. Non-mainland and certain remote areas will be excluded from this change. For a detailed list of excluded areas and item level exceptions, go to Default transit times for domestic sellers.
To learn more about these changes, the various performance thresholds and actions, go to the announcement on the Changes to programme policies page.
136 replies
Seller_Ia4rfwPcFkAIZ
Is this just going to be another endless fight/appeals for a company that cannot use integrated suppliers/traditional carriers such as mine?
It's bad enough constantly tackling VTR (even thought my order fulfilment rate is very good) strikes, is this going to be another reason amazon will suspend my account and then be a roll of the dice whether the appeal process works?
Seller_9eQoilvUMduf7
What about sellers who are based outside the UK and ship from overseas?
Also it would be nice if Amazon provided shipping updates (like the customer sees) on our shipped orders.
Seller_tcjTAYWS9J4EP
*I can see the question being asked repeatedly but no real response.
What happens with none tracked large letters that aren't scanned on delivery very often? I know VTR seems to take this into account even though it affects the VTR, but how will this work with OTDR?
The only response I can see to this in the thread is 'To determine what products require tracking you can refer to the valid tracking rate policy.' We have already determined this which is why we use RM48, but this doesn't answer the question. My VTR is at 45% because of RM not scanning RM48, although most are actually delivered but they do seem to confirm with RM before deactivating.
So...how will OTDR deal with untracked post that isn't scanned on delivery?
Seller_ZQyopdiwkUHOZ
That doesn't add up. What is the number of parcels the account health page says has valid tracking for you? The number, not the percentage. What are the parcel figures for the OTDR that is showing as 56.98%?
Seller_ZQyopdiwkUHOZ
Your VTR, or your OTDR?
Seller_tcjTAYWS9J4EP
My VTR is only at around 40% because RM don't scan most of them so I was worried about this affecting the OTDR, but my OTDR is at 97.4% so it doesn't seem to take into account the undelivered RM48 mail.
Seller_ZQyopdiwkUHOZ
That VTR seems too low to be just due to RM48s not getting scanned. Royal Mail's scan rate for CRL post is around 80%.
It can vary up or down, but it shouldn't be as low as the 40s.
I would be thinking about whether there is an issue with the label printer you're using that could be causing them to be unscannable.
Seller_tcjTAYWS9J4EP
Nothing wrong with the label as they fine you if they can't scan it. Had that happen only once. Also no one is coming back saying undelivered. It isn't causing any issues other than the VTR figure. Also just to add it is a little lower than normal at the moment, it usually hangs around 50%
Seller_ZQyopdiwkUHOZ
It shouldn't be that low. It should hover around 80 and range maybe 10% either way at a push. Have you been checking the report to confirm if the parcels on it haven't been getting scanned?
Seller_d8YGbIjNqwFxn
It is still low at 40-50%. We are normally around the 70% mark.
What size are your products? From my own stats I often see that larger items are more likely to get a delivery scan.
For example I get a higher percentage of delivery scans on clothing items sent via RM48 than greeting cards which have smaller packaging.
Some sellers have indicated adding a note on the RM48 parcel for the postie to scan helps improve your VTR.
Seller_tcjTAYWS9J4EP
All LL that aren't getting scanned. I have a circle printed on each label asking them to scan but seems to make no difference.
Seller_tcjTAYWS9J4EP
I don't think I have ever had it that high. Between 50-60 is normal for mine. Strange it's lower than all you guys! They all seem to scan though so not sure what the issue is!
Seller_W0UadCH7lVBVG
Well done Amazon!...I have just added more days onto my handling and transit time, customers now see an item for sale with an even slower delivery speed!!!!
Excellent work.
This new OTDR that started today is NOT going to do what you want it to do!
OTDR started today. I have just ran my report. For many many weeks my VTR has been 100%, today, it has 7 orders that are on the report.
5 are 'Amazon buy shipping' (Royal Mail) So I'll have to extend the promised delivery date for all RM items.
1 is a DX Freight item where the customer asked DX to re-arrange a delivery date by 1 day, causing it to be included in the report...so i'll have to extend the promised delivery date for all DX parcels in case the customer can't receive the item so lightening fast!
And then there was the same for a Parcel Force item.
So, Amazon, tell me....How on earth is this supposed to benefit an Amazon customer for a "Fast and accurate delivery is essential for customers and often determines where they choose to shop"..and to ensure that items are "....delivered on or before the “Deliver by” date.".
Clearly you have not thought this through, not tested it, so typical of a big Corp.
Sellers like myself now have to extend the handling days or number of delivery days just to ensure we fit within the OTDR.
So, now, instead of customers seeing an item delivered within 1-2 days, they will be seeing 2-3 days, possibly 3-5 days in some cases.
So, in your own words Amazon, I do indeed wonder '... where they choose to shop' will not be on Amazon, but instead other trusted, Marketplace platforms that can offer a faster, accurate delivery speed which are coming online each day... Tesco, B&Q, Harvey Nichols, The Range...and so many more...and with much lower % rates!
Well done Amazon!
Seller_d8YGbIjNqwFxn
Is the report and calculation correct?
According to the dashboard I have 51 late orders. The report has 46 lines on but some of those lines are duplicated as it shows it at SKU level. For example on tracked order with 4 SKU's on it shows 4 times on the report.
Is there any need to have the SKU on the report, it doesn't matter what they ordered...all that matters is how late the order is.
Seller_MYW4mrY7RosgH
Im struggling to understand this policy. I sell personalised items, many that are under £5 in price and are sent royal mail 48 LL. As we all know, RM hardly ever scan these items. So am i now going to be penalised for this as they are not scanned and recorded as delivered? Are Amazon implying that i have to send EVERYTHING tracked?
I cannot use Amazon buy shipping due to my RM pricing contract and business set up across multi platforms, nor should i feel blackmailed into using Amazon shipping. But where does this leave me?
Seller_ZJhFeE3tNKzfh
Amazon want sellers using FBA, that much is now clear. And only top sellers at that. Everyone else…I would suggest finding other avenues to sell on.
