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The difference is simple: with FBA your stock sits in Amazon fulfilment centres and Amazon ships to customers, while you deliver inventory in bulk, on appointments. With FBM the stock sits with you or in a rented warehouse and you ship every parcel yourself, returns included. A forwarder works in both models, just at different points of the chain.
FBA logistics from Poland
Inventory travels from Poland in batches: pallets in groupage or a full truck. On the way, export and import clearance, because since Brexit a sale into the UK is an export, and Amazon will not act as your importer. Then the appointment and delivery to the assigned centre under the programme rules. The border mechanics are covered in our guide to Amazon FBA deliveries in the UK.
FBM logistics from Poland
Shipping parcels straight from Poland to UK customers is the easiest start, but delivery times and the per-parcel cost of crossing the border soon begin to hurt. Mature FBM usually means stock in a UK warehouse and local courier dispatch. Our Milton Keynes warehouse plays exactly that role: it receives bulk deliveries from Poland, dispatches parcels and handles returns under a local address, as in the ReturnHub service. FBM returns get their own article on Amazon returns for FBM sellers.
Costs: where the difference really sits
- FBA: you pay Amazon logistics fees per unit and for storage, but your transport is bulk, so cheap per unit.
- FBM: no Amazon fulfilment fees, but you carry warehousing, dispatch and returns; an advantage at low volume, and at high volume something to run the numbers on.
- In both models the border costs the same: clearance cannot be skipped, only done well.
The mixed model
In practice many sellers combine both worlds: bestsellers in FBA, the rest of the range and seasonal overflow in their own warehouse. A UK buffer also absorbs FBA mishaps such as a rejected delivery or a missed appointment window. In both models the inventory runs on our Amazon delivery service.
How do weight and time limits dictate your FBA and FBM delivery strategy?
Choosing between FBA and FBM depends heavily on your inventory turnover rate and physical shipment dimensions. When shipping to an Amazon FBA fulfilment centre, the standard pallet height must not exceed 1.8 metres, with a maximum gross weight limit of 500 kilograms per pallet. In terms of timing, hauliers must arrive within a strict 30-minute window of the booked CARP slot. Any delay beyond this tolerance window risks rejection at the inbound gate, which can push your stock intake back by up to 3 days.
Under the FBM model, you retain physical control of your stock until final dispatch, but you bear the operational risk of cross-border customs hold-ups. Standard LTL groupage transport from Poland to the UK takes between 3 to 5 working days, whereas a direct FTL vehicle completes the route in 24 to 36 hours. Furthermore, if your inventory remains stored in an FBA warehouse for longer than 180 days, Amazon applies long-term storage surcharges that significantly erode profit margins on slow-moving items.
This specific pallet height limitation of 1.8 metres does not apply to oversized items categorized under Amazon Oversize rules, where dimensions are assigned individually based on master carton metrics. Operational costs ultimately depend on cargo density and velocity: products with a turnover cycle under 60 days benefit from bulk transport into FBA, while oversized or low-velocity SKUs are usually more cost-effective when managed via FBM through a buffer warehouse.
Step by step
- Goods preparation. You pack and secure stock on pallets or in parcels following the required standards.
- Customs documentation. You arrange export and import declarations needed for cross-border transit to the UK.
- Slot booking. You schedule delivery appointments with the destination warehouse or organise parcel collections.
- International haulage. Your freight moves across the border via road transport and ferry crossings.
- Final delivery. The shipment reaches the fulfilment centre or is handed over directly to the buyer.
Definitions
- FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon): A logistics model where Amazon stores inventory and dispatches orders to end customers.
- FBM (Fulfilment by Merchant): A sales model where the seller handles storage and fulfills order shipping directly.
- Appointment: A pre-agreed time slot scheduled for delivering goods to a fulfilment centre warehouse.
- Customs clearance: Official border procedures required when moving goods across different customs territories.
The OTSL role
OTSL manages groupage and full truckload transport from Poland, handling border clearances and delivery schedules. We organise Amazon UK deliveries efficiently and support reverse logistics as described in Import from Great Britain to Poland.
