When to Move From Home Prep to a Prep Centre (UK Amazon FBA, 2026)

Quick answer: switch when packing time starts costing you sourcing time. For most solo UK sellers that lands around 80-120 units a week. Below that, your garage is cheaper. Above it, a prep centre at roughly 45-60p per unit usually beats the hours you lose standing over a tape gun.

Published September 2026. Prices checked September 2026 - prep centres change their rate cards often, so treat the numbers below as a benchmark, not a quote.

The switch point is time, not pride

Doing your own prep feels free. It is not. Every hour labelling, polybagging and building boxes is an hour not spent finding profitable stock - and sourcing is the part of the business that actually makes money.

A simple test: time yourself prepping 50 units end to end. Multiply that by your weekly volume. If the weekly total is more than about 3-4 hours, you are likely past the point where a prep centre pays for itself.

At 100 units a week, most sellers spend 4-6 hours on receiving, checking, labelling, bagging and shipping. A prep centre does the same work for roughly £45-£60. Ask yourself honestly whether you can find more than £50 of extra profit with those 5 hours back. For most people sourcing seriously, the answer is yes.

What UK prep centres actually charge (September 2026)

Rates vary, but current UK pricing clusters around these bands:

Volume discounts are real: the more units you send monthly, the lower the per-unit rate. If your volume is inconsistent, pay-as-you-go pricing works but costs more per unit.

Watch the extras: inbound shipping to the prep centre, minimum monthly spends, storage beyond a free window, and charges for oversized or fragile items. Ask for the full rate card before sending anything.

What about Amazon's own prep service?

Seller Central lets you pay Amazon to label and prep for you. It is simple to switch on, but fees are set by Amazon, turnaround can be unpredictable, and plenty of sellers report stock going missing before it ever gets labelled. Most growing UK sellers end up with a third-party prep centre for control and communication, even if it costs slightly more per unit.

Choosing a prep centre: the short checklist

1. Location - near a major Amazon fulfilment centre or with cheap pallet/courier rates into the network.
2. Turnaround SLA in writing - 24-72 hours from receipt to shipped is normal.
3. They send photos - receiving photos of every carton protect you in supplier disputes.
4. Software or a shared tracker - you should see what arrived, what was prepped and what shipped without chasing emails.
5. Insurance and damage policy - who pays when a carton arrives crushed?
6. A named contact - prep errors happen; how fast they answer matters more than the rate card.

The honest trade-off

A prep centre adds a cost line and a day or two of lead time. In exchange you get your evenings back and a business that scales past your garage door. Keep a small home-prep setup for urgent or awkward items - most sellers run hybrid long after the switch.

Frequently asked questions

How many units a week justify a prep centre?

Around 80-120 units a week for a solo seller, or whenever prep passes 3-4 weekly hours. Below that, home prep is usually cheaper.

How much does FBA prep cost in the UK?

As of September 2026, roughly 13-50p per unit for labelling, 20-55p for polybagging, and around 60p per unit all-in. High-volume tiers drop to about 45p.

Can I mix home prep and a prep centre?

Yes, and most sellers do. Send bulk replenishable lines to the centre, keep urgent or fragile items at home.

Will a prep centre receive stock directly from my suppliers?

Most UK centres will, and it is one of the biggest time savings - wholesale and online orders go straight to them, you never touch the box.

What is the biggest hidden cost?

Storage beyond the free window and minimum monthly spends. Both are in the rate card, not the headline per-unit fee.