If you sell on Amazon via Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM), new rules of the game arrive this summer. Amazon has updated the FBM requirements for Amazon.de – and this time it is not about fees, but about your delivery performance. From 15 July 2026, the on-time delivery rate (OTDR) becomes a binding metric. From 1 September 2026, Amazon can deactivate listings if the rate falls below 90%.
For many small sellers, this is the biggest FBM change in years. Here is what is coming – and where it is worth looking right now.
What is the OTDR – and how does Amazon measure it?
The on-time delivery rate is the share of FBM units that arrive at the customer on or before the promised "delivery by" date. If a shipment counts as late, it drags down the rate – regardless of whether the delay was caused by the carrier, customs or the recipient.
Amazon expects at least 90% from 15 July 2026. You can find your rate in Seller Central under "Account Health" in the shipping performance metrics. A regular look there is worthwhile from now on, because: measurement starts in July, sanctions start in September.
The deadlines at a glance
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 15 July 2026 | The 90% minimum OTDR is measured as binding. Only 0 or 1 day can be selected as the default handling time at account level; accounts set to 2 days are automatically switched to 1 day. |
| 1 September 2026 | If the rate is below 90%, Amazon can deactivate affected listings and revoke the right to list new FBM products. In addition, Amazon automatically activates shorter handling times for SKUs whose actual dispatch time was better than the configured one over 30 days. |
| 30 September 2026 | A second quota applies for business customers (Amazon Business): at least 90% of shipments should be delivered within the recipient's business hours. |
| 30 October 2026 | If the business quota is missed, B2B listings can be deactivated. |
Important on handling time: the reduction to 0–1 days applies to the default setting at account level. Longer handling times remain possible at SKU level – for example for made-to-order items. If you cannot dispatch individual items within one day, it is better to record that explicitly there instead of relying on the old account setting.
Which suspensions are actually looming – and which are not
The word "suspension" spreads quickly, so it is worth taking a close look at the actual risk. Anyone falling below 90% risks two things from 1 September 2026: Amazon can deactivate affected FBM listings – they can then no longer be purchased – and additionally revoke the right to list new FBM products. For a seller who works mainly or exclusively via Fulfilled by Merchant, this amounts to a de facto sales stop, even though the account itself remains in place.
An automatic suspension of the entire seller account, on the other hand, is not part of the policy. In the US, where OTDR enforcement is already running, Amazon even explicitly softened the sanctions in February 2026: instead of deactivating all FBM listings of an account when the threshold is missed, only the listings with the worst delivery performance are affected there – the rest keep selling.
Nevertheless, the consequences should not be underestimated. Persistently weak shipping performance weighs on your overall Account Health, and deactivated listings mean not only lost revenue but also lost visibility and sales history – both of which recover only slowly after reactivation. If you are close to the threshold, you should actively use the weeks between 15 July (start of measurement) and 1 September (start of sanctions) to correct course.
The exemption: those who use Amazon's automation are not rated
Amazon offers a way out – which is also the most controversial part of the change. Shipments for which all three of these functions are active do not count towards the OTDR and business quotas:
- Automated handling time – Amazon sets the handling time based on your actual dispatch data,
- Shipping Settings Automation (SSA) – Amazon calculates the delivery promises based on real transit times,
- Amazon Buy Shipping – the shipping label is purchased through Amazon.
That sounds like a safe harbour, but it has two catches: you give up a degree of control over your delivery promises and your shipping costs, and depending on your existing carrier contract, the label via Amazon is more expensive than buying it yourself. Whether the trade-off is worth it depends on the individual case – anyone already hovering near the 90% mark will likely have a calmer ride with the automation.
Why sellers are protesting
In the Amazon seller forum, the reaction is blunt. The core accusation: the OTDR rates events that sellers cannot control. A late carrier, a recipient who does not answer the door, a customs backlog – all of that counts against the seller, not against the delivery company. Individual sellers are already announcing in the forum that they will shift more of their business to other platforms.
To be fair: Amazon argues that the exemption addresses precisely this problem – those who use the automation functions no longer carry the transit-time risk themselves. The price for that is dependence on Amazon's tools.
What is worth checking now
- Look at your OTDR today: Seller Central → Account Health → Shipping performance. If your rate is well above 90%, there is little acute need for action. If it is below or just above, there are still a few weeks until 1 September to correct course.
- Set realistic handling times: Check which SKUs you actually dispatch within 0–1 days. For everything else: maintain the handling time at SKU level.
- Do the maths on the exemption: Compare your current shipping costs with the prices of Buy Shipping. If your rate is tight, the combination of SSA + automated handling time + Amazon label can be the less stressful option.
- Keep an eye on business listings: If you sell to Amazon Business customers, delivery within business hours will also be measured from 30 September – this mainly affects shipping to company addresses with receiving hours.
- Non-EU shipments: Since 1 July 2026, stricter customs requirements also apply to shipments under 150 euros from non-EU countries (IOSS number, certified carrier). Details in our article on the EU customs reform and the 3-euro duty.
Context: Amazon aligns FBM with FBA
The direction is clear: Amazon wants FBM orders to feel exactly like FBA orders for customers – fast, reliable, with a precise delivery date. For well-organised sellers with a dependable shipping process, the 90% mark is achievable. For sellers with longer handling times, niche products or unreliable carrier transit times, however, FBM becomes noticeably more demanding.
The change joins a summer full of Amazon adjustments – from the switch of VAT calculation to shipment level and the discount on Multi-Channel Fulfilment to the fee changes 2026. If you sell on several channels, it is worth marking 15 July and 1 September in your calendar.
By the way: when invoicing your Amazon orders, office1.cloud with the Easy Invoice cloud supports you in creating invoices for your marketplace sales – including e-invoices in ZUGFeRD and XRechnung format.
_This article is for general information purposes and does not replace legal advice. The official announcements from Amazon in Seller Central are authoritative._
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