Amazon UAE Shipping Options Explained: FBA vs. Easy Ship vs. Self-Ship (Case Study 2025)

Amazon UAE is growing rapidly, offering sellers multiple ways to fulfill customer orders. While these options give flexibility, they can also create confusion when not set up correctly.

Recently, a seller faced a common issue: even after assigning products to Self-Ship, the orders were automatically fulfilled via Easy Ship. We will explain why that happened, what Amazon’s rules are, and how sellers can avoid similar problems.

By the end, you’ll know exactly how FBA, Easy Ship, and Self-Ship work in Amazon UAE and which method suits your business.

Amazon UAE Shipping Options Explained

Here are the Amazon UAE shipping options explained in detail to help you out:

1. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)

FBA means you send your inventory to Amazon’s warehouse, and Amazon handles storage, packing, and delivery.

Advantages:

• Prime eligibility (faster delivery).
• Reduced seller workload.
• Customer service is handled by Amazon.

Disadvantages:

• Storage fees apply.
• Less flexibility in handling custom orders.

2. Amazon Easy Ship

Amazon picks up products from your location and delivers them to customers with Easy Ship.

Advantages:

• No need to manage courier partners.
• Reliable Amazon delivery network.
• Great for lightweight products like toys or household items.

Disadvantages:

• Limited to products within Amazon’s weight & dimension limits.
• Not available for Hazmat products.

3. Amazon Self-Ship

Self-Ship allows sellers to manage their own logistics using third-party couriers or in-house delivery teams.

Advantages:

• Full control over logistics.
• Works for bulky, fragile, or hazardous materials (Hazmat) items.
• Flexibility in pricing and branding delivery experience.

Disadvantages:

• Higher responsibility (late or lost delivery impacts your account health).
• Not Prime eligible.

Case Study: Why Orders Defaulted to Easy Ship

One of our clients enrolled in both Easy Ship and Self-Ship.

• They created a Self-Ship template in Manage Inventory.
• Assigned certain products (bags) to Self-Ship.
• Expected those orders to be handled by their logistics team.

The issue: Orders still defaulted to Easy Ship, confusing the client.

Amazon’s Explanation: Default to Easy Ship

After contacting Amazon Seller Support, here’s what we learned:

• If you are enrolled in both Easy Ship and Self-Ship, Amazon will default all orders to Easy Ship.

Exceptions occur only when:

• Product exceeds Amazon’s weight or dimension limits.
• The product is classified as Hazmat (not deliverable by Amazon).

Reference: Amazon Seller Central UAE – Shipping Settings

The Resolution Process

Amazon provided a solution:

• Fill out an online form to disable Easy Ship and enroll in Self-Ship only.

However, this posed a new problem:

• The client wanted to sell toys via Easy Ship and bags via Self-Ship.
• By default, Amazon doesn’t allow hybrid fulfillment unless specific exceptions are granted.

Client’s Next Step: Requesting an Exception

To solve this, the client:

• Submitted an exception request.
• Provided a list of ASINs (products) they wanted assigned to Self-Ship only.
• Currently waiting for Amazon to approve this hybrid setup.

Key Insights for Sellers

• Default setting → Easy Ship, if both are active.
• Self-Ship is only triggered when product conditions exceed Easy Ship limits.
• Sellers who need a hybrid approach must formally request exceptions.
• Always test your shipping templates before going live.

Cost & Operational Comparison of Shipping Options

Factor	FBA	Easy Ship	Self-Ship
Control	Low (Amazon manages)	Medium (Amazon delivers)	High (Seller manages)
Cost	Storage + fulfillment fees	Delivery fees per order	Seller’s own courier charges
Prime Eligibility	Yes	Sometimes	No
Best For	Scalable eCommerce brands	Toys, small electronics, FMCG	Bulky items, Hazmat, fragile

When to Use Which Method (Flowchart Guide)

• If product is small, lightweight & non-Hazmat → Easy Ship.
• If the product is bulky or Hazmat → Self-Ship.
• If you want to scale fast & offer Prime → FBA.

Common Mistakes Sellers Make

• Enrolling in both Easy Ship & Self-Ship without understanding the default rules.
• Not checking Amazon’s weight/dimension limits.
• Forgetting to submit an exception request for hybrid fulfillment.
• Assuming Manage Inventory settings override system defaults (they don’t).

In the End

The right shipping method on Amazon UAE is critical for smooth operations.

From this case study, we learned:

• Orders default to Easy Ship if both shipping models are active.
• Hybrid setups require special exception requests.
• Sellers should carefully plan logistics based on product type, size, and business goals.

If you’re unsure how to configure your Amazon shipping settings the right way, Amz Seller Hub can help you with that step-by-step. Our experts help you build a strong foundation for your Amazon UAE business success, from product listing optimization to fulfillment setup.

• Contact the AMZ seller Hub Today so we can help you out