Amazon UK EPR Pay on Behalf: The £20 Service Fee and Two Separate Invoices
Amazon's September 2026 UK EPR Pay on Behalf update changes when the service fee is charged and separates it from the eco-contribution invoice. It does not announce a higher service fee: Amazon says that remains £20 per year for each applicable EPR category.
The £20 is not a seller's entire EPR bill. Service fees and eco-contributions are different charges. This guide explains the public announcement, checked on 6 October 2026, without assuming that your account is enrolled or that a particular product qualifies.
What changed in September?
Amazon says the service fee for Amazon.co.uk sales is charged within 30 days of enrolment for each reporting period, replacing the previous mechanism in which it was held in the account-level reserve and charged later.
Its notice also gives a separate condition for sellers whose registered business address in Seller Central is outside the UK. If those sellers have products subject to EPR obligations on Amazon.co.uk, Amazon says the service fee is charged directly to the selling account within 30 days of the first qualifying sale in each reporting period, without a service-fee reserve.
Those are different triggers. Do not copy a single enrolment-date rule into every seller's cash-flow forecast.
Service fee versus eco-contribution
| Charge | What the announcement establishes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Pay on Behalf service fee | Unchanged at £20 per year for each applicable EPR category; charging mechanism updated. | A universal £20 total for every seller or every product. |
| Eco-contribution fee | Charged separately, with its own invoice. | A single flat amount, or that it is included in the £20 service fee. |
Keep the charge label, category and reporting period with the invoice. Two documents referring to the same service do not necessarily represent a duplicate charge; they may cover these two different fees. Equally, the announcement does not prove that any particular invoice is correct.
Why there may now be two invoices
Amazon says sellers will receive one invoice for the service fee and another for the eco-contribution, instead of one invoice combining both.
When reviewing records, compare like with like. A service-fee invoice alone does not show the total cost for the reporting period. A combined historical invoice may not be directly comparable to one of the new separate invoices.
This is an explanation of document and fee mechanics, not tax advice. VAT treatment, reporting requirements and your account's specific invoices should be checked with the appropriate adviser where needed.
What to check in your own account
- Enrolment: confirm whether EPR Pay on Behalf applies to your account rather than assuming every UK seller uses it.
- Business address and qualifying activity: read the charging condition that matches your registered address and sales.
- Category and reporting period: check which category and period a fee covers.
- Charge type: distinguish the service fee from the eco-contribution before reconciling totals.
- Actual account entries: use current dashboard and invoice details. A public announcement is not evidence that your account has been charged.
The announcement points sellers to the EPR Pay on Behalf dashboard and the help page covering fees, account-level reserves and refunds. Follow the current links within Seller Central; this guide does not establish a particular seller's liability, enrolment choice or refund entitlement.
Quick answers
Has the service fee increased?
Not according to this update. Amazon says the service fee remains £20 per year for each applicable EPR category.
Does £20 cover all EPR costs?
No. The notice distinguishes the service fee from eco-contribution fees, which are charged separately.
Does the update apply to every seller with a UK listing?
Do not assume so. Check your enrolment, applicable categories, registered business address and qualifying sales against current terms.
Should two invoices be treated as duplicates?
Check the labels and periods first. Amazon says the service fee and eco-contribution now have separate invoices. That explains a possible reason for two documents, not proof that any particular charges are valid.
Source
Amazon UK: Update to EPR Pay on Behalf service fee charging for the UK, dated 9 September 2026. Current account terms and records take precedence for an individual seller's decision.