Amazon begins testing “ultra-fast” 30-minute deliveries

Amazon has it Announce It’s launching a new service that completes deliveries in 30 minutes or less in Seattle and Philadelphia. The new “ultra-fast” delivery option will allow Amazon to better compete with services like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Instacart.

Customers will be able to order a range of different items, including milk, eggs, fresh produce, toothpaste, cosmetics, pet treats, diapers, paper products, electronics, seasonal items, over-the-counter medications, chips, dips and more, according to the company.

Prime members can choose the express delivery option for a fee of $3.99 per order, while non-Prime members will have to pay $13.99. Orders under $15 will include a small basket fee of $1.99.

Customers in Seattle and Philadelphia can now check the Amazon app and homepage and look for the “30-Minute Delivery” option in the navigation bar to see if it’s available in their area.

After placing an order, customers can track deliveries and tip drivers through the app.

“Amazon uses smaller, specialized facilities designed to fulfill orders efficiently, and are strategically located near where Seattle and Philadelphia area customers live and work,” Amazon explained in a statement. Blog post. “This approach prioritizes the safety of employees picking and packing orders, reduces the distance delivery partners need to travel, and enables faster delivery times.”

This move follows Amazon Launching the delivery service within 15 minutes In the United Arab Emirates in October. The company said at the time that some customers received their orders in less than six minutes.

The launch of the new service represents Amazon’s latest effort to enter the express delivery market in the United States. In 2014, the e-commerce giant Introduced “Prime Now” service. Which provided delivery service within one hour, but the company stopped it in 2021.

Amazon is expanding its delivery options and announced this in June It plans to invest more than $4 billion To triple the size of the delivery network by 2026.