1 │ Monday-Morning Shock: A Real-Life Inbox Ping
“Subject: Upcoming change to UK FBA fulfilment fees — action required.”
Coffee still brewing, you open the PDF and see every size band you’d memorised has swapped names—and prices.*
If you sell t-shirts, backpacks, or yoga leggings via FBA, that e-mail just became your P&L’s new boss. Let’s slice through the jargon and find out how much it will actually cost you.
2 │ What Exactly Changed? (Quick-Glance Table)
| Old Band (2024) | New Band (2025) | Dim Limits (L × W × H, cm) | 2024 Fee (£) | 2025 Fee (£) | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Letter | Light ≤ 460 g | 33 × 24 × 2.5 | 1.17 | 1.22 | +4 % |
| Large Letter | Light > 460 g | 33 × 24 × 2.5 | 1.46 | 1.52 | +4 % |
| Small Parcel | Standard | 45 × 34 × 26 (max 9 kg) | 2.18 | 2.27 | +4 % |
| Oversize (all) | Oversize Tier 1 | ≤ 120 cm longest side | 4.08 | 4.24 | +4 % |
| — | Oversize Tier 2 | > 120–150 cm | n/a | 5.93 | NEW |
Fine print: The 4 % bump is an average—lighter SKUs (< 150 g) rise 3 %; heavier garments (1.5–2 kg) climb ~5 %. HMRC’s guide to ‘Classification of textile garments for import and export’
3 │ Micro-Case: StreetWear-UK Hoodie SKU “SW-HD-01”
| Metric | Before (Jan 2025) | After (Feb 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Weight | 680 g | — |
| Fee Band | Small Parcel | Standard |
| Fulfilment Fee | £2.18 | £2.27 |
| Margin / Unit (£39 RRP) | £14.05 | £13.96 |
Nine pence feels small—until you ship 6 000 hoodies in Q2 (-£540).
4 │ Calculator: What’s Your New Cost?
Paste this one-liner into any cell in Google Sheets or Excel:
=ROUNDUP((Old_Fee*1.04) – Old_Fee, 2)
It spits out the extra £ per unit at the default +4 % uplift. Replace 1.04 with 1.05 if your SKU’s dimensional weight bumps it into Oversize Tier 1.
5 │ Three Moves to Get That 4 % Back
| Hack | How Fast? | Typical Payback |
|---|---|---|
| Shrink the poly-bag—Amazon bills on the bigger of weight vs size; trimming 2 cm often re-classifies leggings from Standard to Light. | 1 week (new bag order) | ≤ 30 days |
| Bundle two units per bag for high repeat-purchase items; “sell more, ship once.” | 2 weeks | ~8 % higher AOV, negates fee bump |
| Outbound via 3PL for domestic orders > 2 kg—MCF’s new Light band is cheaper than FBA for that weight slot. | 4 weeks (integration) | 6–10 % freight savings |
(Courier fees still dwarf pick-pack costs—see our price table in Pick and Pack Pricing 2025.)
6 │ FAQ
-
Does the fee rise hit non-apparel ASINs?
Yes—every category inherits the new bands, but apparel/bags were specifically called out because of typical sizing. -
Will Amazon auto-upgrade my listing’s size tier?
Yes; you don’t need to re-measure. Check the “Fulfilment” tab in Seller Central on 1 Feb. -
Can Small & Light enrolment offset the rise?
Amazon retired Small & Light UK in 2024; the new Light tier replaced it.
7 │ Action Plan
-
Run the calculator across your top 20 SKUs; flag any margin hit > £0.10.
-
Order sample right-size packaging—aim to drop into Light if possible.
-
Update repricer guardrails to auto-lift price when margin < 15 %.
-
Schedule March FBA inbound early; fee changes often clog FC receiving.
8 │ Final Thoughts & CTA
A 4 % fee hike won’t sink a healthy margin—but stacked on poly-bag bans, SIPP rules, and 2025 carrier surcharges, it chips away at apparel profits. Audit now and tweak packaging before Q3 peak.
Need hands-on help? UK Pre Fulfilment’s packaging lab can right-size and drop-test a hoodie in 48 hours. Book a slot.
