Amazon Prime customers can now get same-day delivery in 14 metro areas covering about 500 towns and cities in the U.S.
Prime shoppers have to pay $99 each year, for which they get cloud storage, access to a video library, free two-day delivery on eligible purchase, free same-day delivery to customers in eligible zip codes and more.
The same-day delivery for Amazon Prime customers was previously available in 12 metro areas and now the company is expanding the service to the Tampa Bay and San Diego areas as well.
Greg Greeley, VP of Amazon Prime, said that the company will continue to look at alternatives that ensure the speedy delivery of items.
The same-day delivery is applicable to any purchase of over $35, which should be placed before noon. A customer in the 14 metro areas can expect to get delivery of their online purchases within 9 p.m. that same day. Orders placed post noon will be delivered the next day.
"We've made it simple to find the stuff that you want, and get it on your doorstep before bedtime. Just look for the Prime FREE Same-Day logo on eligible items while shopping, or choose it in the filter menu to see all the items you can get tonight. Order by noon, and you'll get it by 9pm, seven days a week," stated Amazon.
Amazon has around a million products including books, school supplies, electronics, travel equipment and more, which are eligible for same-day delivery. The company revealed that it will continue to expand the product range in the same-day delivery category in the coming months.
Prime customers were previously required to pay $5.99 for the same-day delivery service; however, Amazon is now eliminating this fee as well.
The competition in the e-commerce industry is increasing as more and more people are buying products online. Several traditional retailers such as Nordstrom and Macy's are also testing same-day delivery for a fee of $15. Amazon's latest free same-day delivery for Prime customers may increase the competition even further.
Many customers will want to get delivery of their purchase as soon as possible, and Amazon comes to the rescue of such customers. With delivery time reduced to the same 24-hour cycle, Amazon may expect an increase in Amazon Prime customers in the near term.
To support the fast delivery of products, Amazon also recently announced that it was hiring 6,000 full-time workers for its over 50 distribution centers across the U.S.
Photo: Mike Seyfang | Flickr
