Amazon FBA UK: Complete setup guide + how to handle international payments
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Amazon FBA UK is one of the fastest ways to start selling online in one of Europe’s largest e-commerce markets.
FBA, which stands for Fulfilment by Amazon, is a service where Amazon stores your inventory, picks and packs orders, handles delivery and manages customer service on your behalf.
For sellers, the appeal is obvious: access to millions of UK customers, Prime eligibility and the ability to scale without running your own warehouse.
But while opening an Amazon seller account is relatively straightforward, selling successfully on Amazon FBA UK takes more than just listing products. Behind every smooth operation is a solid financial setup – and this is where many sellers run into problems.
From our experience supporting thousands of international e-commerce businesses, we see the same missteps come up:
- Trying to register for Amazon FBA without suitable UK banking details, leading to delays or failed account setup
- Relying on traditional banks for multi-currency operations and losing margins to high FX fees
- Paying overseas suppliers via expensive international wire transfers instead of local currency payments
- Struggling with cash flow because of currency conversion timing and Amazon’s payout schedule
To help you avoid these issues, we’ve put together this practical guide to Amazon FBA UK.
We’ll start with a step-by-step walkthrough of how to set up your Amazon FBA UK account and then cover the key considerations that can make or break your operations.
We’ll also show you how WorldFirst supports Amazon FBA sellers with our World Account, a multi-currency business account built for global e-commerce. With it, you can get paid by Amazon, pay suppliers in their local currency, reduce FX costs and manage cash flow more confidently as your business grows.
In this guide:
- How to get started with Amazon FBA UK: Complete step-by-step guide
- Essential requirements for Amazon FBA UK success
- How WorldFirst makes your Amazon FBA UK operations easier
WorldFirst’s World Account is a multi-currency business account built for global businesses. Register for your World Account for free.
How to get started with Amazon FBA UK: Complete step-by-step guide
Whether you’re a new seller or expanding into the UK market, here’s how to sign up for the Fulfilment by Amazon service, as well as the Amazon FBA fees to be aware of:
Step 1: Create your Amazon Seller Partner Account
Before you can use Amazon’s fulfilment network, you need to register as an Amazon seller.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- A business email address or an existing Amazon customer account
- A chargeable credit card (international credit cards are accepted)
- Valid passport or national ID for identity verification
- Company registration details (including a VAT number, if available)
- Valid phone number for account verification
- UK bank account details where Amazon can send your sales proceeds
You’ll also need to choose a selling plan:
- Individual plan: £0.75 (excl. VAT) per item sold, plus additional selling fees. Best if:
- You sell fewer than 35 items per month
- You’re still testing products
- You don’t plan to advertise or use advanced selling tools
- Professional plan: £25 (excl. VAT) per month, plus additional selling fees. Best if:
- You sell more than 35 items per month
- You want to run ads and access advanced reports
- You want to qualify for top placement on product pages
- You plan to sell in restricted categories
Note that Amazon requires UK bank account details during registration. This is where international sellers may get stuck, especially if they rely on traditional banks with strict residency or in-person requirements.
Step 2: Register for FBA
Once your Seller Partner account is live, log in to Seller Central.
From there:
- Go to Account information
- Check your FBA registration status
- Complete any remaining setup steps
You don’t need to create a separate FBA account. It’s an add-on within Seller Central.
Step 3: Create new product listings (or convert existing listings to FBA)
Next, decide which products you want Amazon to fulfil. You can create new product listings or convert existing listings from merchant-fulfilled to FBA
Use the FBA Opportunities page in Seller Central to see eligible products and recommendations on items that would benefit most from FBA fulfilment.
Read more: How to start selling on Amazon UK
Step 4: Prepare your products and send them to Amazon’s fulfilment centres
Before shipping inventory to Amazon, you’ll need to prepare it according to Amazon’s packaging and labelling requirements.
Once you send your products to Amazon, you’ll be charged for the storage space used in its fulfilment centres. Inventory storage fees are charged monthly and calculated based on the daily average volume your products occupy. Volume is measured in cubic feet and is based on the size of units when properly packaged and ready to ship.
Step 5: Amazon ships what you sell
Once Amazon receives and processes your inventory, your product listings go live with FBA. When customers place orders, Amazon handles:
- Order picking and packing
- Shipping and delivery tracking
- Customer service for delivery issues
- Customer returns processing and refunds
Amazon charges a flat fulfilment fee per unit based on product type, dimensions and weight. These fees are deducted from your sales proceeds along with referral fees and any applicable storage charges.
Read more: How to sell globally on Amazon (& top tips)
Essential requirements for Amazon FBA UK success
Getting set up is one thing. Running a profitable, scalable FBA business is another. Here are a few ways to make your operations run more smoothly.
1. Set up UK bank details so that Amazon can pay without delays
To sell on Amazon UK, you need bank details that can receive GBP payouts locally.
The problem is that creating an account with a traditional bank often comes with unnecessary friction. Opening a UK business account may require:
- A UK business address
- Local director residency
- In-person appointments
This can be a barrier for international sellers – and an inconvenience for UK-based businesses that prefer digital-first banking.
This is where multi-currency account providers like WorldFirst remove a major barrier by offering UK account details without residency or in-person requirements, making it far easier to get up and running.
Read more: How to choose a multi-currency business account (+ 6 options)
2. Forecast inventory to avoid stockouts, overstock and surprise storage fees
Successful FBA sellers obsess over inventory planning – and for good reason. Poor forecasting can leave you paying long-term storage fees that exceed the value of the products themselves.
Seasonal planning matters too, because Amazon’s storage fees increase during peak periods. On the flip side, running out of stock can be just as damaging. When you run out of stock, you lose sales momentum and algorithm rankings, which can take weeks to recover.
3. Pay suppliers faster and in their local currency to secure better pricing and reliability
Your suppliers play a huge role in your success on Amazon. Consistent quality, reliable lead times and predictable pricing all depend on strong supplier relationships.
Most international suppliers expect payment in their local currency – often USD or CNH for Chinese manufacturers, for example. By paying quickly, reliably and in the right currency, you strengthen relationships with your suppliers, which often leads to better pricing and priority production.
Read more: How to source wholesale using 1688.com outside China
How WorldFirst makes your Amazon FBA UK operations easier
WorldFirst is a global payments platform with over 20 years of experience supporting international businesses. Since 2004, we’ve processed more than $500 billion in transactions for more than 1.5 million businesses worldwide.
Our World Account is a multi-currency business account designed for e-commerce sellers, importers and growing global businesses. It was built to support the day-to-day realities of selling internationally – from receiving marketplace payouts and managing foreign currencies to moving money across borders efficiently.
Here’s how it supports Amazon FBA UK sellers:
Get instant UK bank details plus local account details for 20+ currencies
With a World Account, you get UK bank details you can use for Amazon FBA registration – without needing UK residency or a local business address. Approval is typically completed within 48 hours, compared to the weeks or months traditional banks often require.
You’ll also receive local account details in 20+ currencies, including GBP, USD, EUR and CNH. This lets you connect directly to multiple Amazon marketplaces and hold funds in local currencies, rather than being forced to convert immediately.
Everything is managed in one platform, giving you a single view of your global cash flow.
Read more: What’s the best business bank account for e-commerce companies? 7 options
Simplify payouts via our Amazon payment integration
WorldFirst is a certified Amazon Payment Service Provider with direct integration into Amazon’s payout systems.
This means you can receive marketplace payouts the same day or the next day, rather than waiting several business days for international transfers. And because your World Account lets you hold multiple currencies, you can get paid in local currency and convert when it suits you, rather than being locked into Amazon’s conversion timing.
For sellers looking to protect margins, WorldFirst also offers FX risk management tools like forward contracts to lock in exchange rates up to 24 months ahead and firm orders that automatically convert when target rates are reached. It’s no surprise that more than 300,000 Amazon sellers globally already use WorldFirst to manage their international payments.
Read more: Amazon seller payouts: Everything you need to know
Use your World Account to pay suppliers in 210+ countries and territories
Your World Account isn’t just for getting paid – you can also use it to pay suppliers.
You can make global business payments in over 100 currencies to 210+ countries and territories using faster, lower-cost local payment rails instead of expensive SWIFT wires.
WorldFirst also integrates directly with 1688.com, enabling you to pay millions of Chinese suppliers instantly from your account balance. This removes the need for sourcing agents, Chinese bank accounts or relying on third parties to make payments on your behalf, allowing you to streamline your relationship with your suppliers.
Set up Amazon FBA UK and scale globally
Listing products and shipping inventory is only half the job. Long-term success on Amazon FBA UK depends on building the right financial foundations from day one.
From getting paid by Amazon faster to paying suppliers in their local currency, WorldFirst’s multi-currency business account is built to support FBA sellers at every stage of growth. If you’re planning to launch or scale on Amazon FBA UK, setting up your World Account early can help you move faster and grow with confidence.
Shawn Ma leads business development at WorldFirst UK, with a deep expertise in fintech, risk management and cross-border commerce.
Shawn Ma
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