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ZDNET's key takeaways
- Amazon now has 1-hour and 3-hour delivery options for some items.
- 1-hour delivery is $9.99 for Prime members.
- Eligible items include household essentials and personal care.
Amazon is offering a new super-fast delivery option — but it's not cheap.
In a post Tuesday, Amazon revealed that customers in more than 2,000 cities now have access to 1-hour and 3-hour delivery for household essentials like paper products, personal care items, and over-the-counter medications.
Prime members will pay $9.99 for 1-hour delivery and $4.99 for 3-hour delivery, while non-Prime customers will pay $19.99 for 1-hour delivery and $14.99 for 3-hour delivery. The service is available seven days a week, and Amazon said items will come from existing same-day fulfillment facilities.
How to tell if your city has 1-hour Amazon deliveries
Amazon already has same-day shipping on many items, but you have to hit a certain threshold. It also offers same-day grocery delivery for free (as long as your order is over $25) in more than 2,000 cities. The new option doesn't have a minimum spending limit, but tacks on a fairly significant fee.
You can check whether 1-hour shipping is available in your area here.
Also: Your Amazon deliveries got 3 major upgrades. Here's what's new (and why you'll want to try it)
More than 90,000 items are eligible for the new delivery option, Amazon explained. You'll see a note on items designating they're eligible, or you can use the “in 1 hour” or “in 3 hours” search filters or the dedicated storefront.
The biggest question is whether this service is worth it. If you're shopping for a small household item, there's a good chance the delivery fee will cost almost as much as what you're buying (or even more).
For an emergency item, a very last-minute gift, or some medicine when you can't get out of bed, maybe it's worth the extra cost. But for most items, the fee might be too high.
In fact, Amazon is charging so much that you might be better off looking to another service if you need something quickly. DoorDash has no delivery charge for DashPass subscribers (it costs $10 a month or $96 a year, but some credit cards offer it for free), and Walmart+ offers free same-day delivery on most grocery items (the subscription costs $13 a month or $98 a year). One difference, though, is that with Amazon, you likely won't be asked to tip, while you will on other services.
