Amazon Launches 30-Minute Delivery to Fight Rivals

Amazon has announced the launch of a new ultra-fast delivery service designed to bring orders to customers in Seattle and Philadelphia in 30 minutes or less, directly challenging rapid-delivery competitors like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart.

What You Can Order and How Much It Costs

Customers using the service can choose from a wide selection of everyday essentials. The inventory includes household staples like milk, eggs, fresh produce, and diapers, alongside cosmetics, pet treats, electronics, over-the-counter medications, and snacks such as chips and dips.

Amazon Prime members can access this high-speed delivery option for a flat fee of $3.99 per order, while non-Prime members will pay $13.99. Additionally, any order totaling less than $15 will incur a small-basket fee of $1.99.

How the 30-Minute Service Works

Eligible users in Seattle and Philadelphia can access the feature by opening the Amazon app or homepage and selecting the “30-Minute Delivery” option in the main navigation bar. Once an order is placed, customers can track their courier in real-time and add tips for drivers directly through the platform.

To achieve these rapid turnaround times, the retail giant is leveraging a localized logistics model. “Amazon is utilizing specialized smaller facilities designed for efficient order fulfillment, strategically placed close to where Seattle- and Philadelphia-area customers live and work,” Amazon explained in a 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.”

Amazon’s Global Strategy and Delivery Expansion

This launch follows Amazon’s recent launch of a 15-minute delivery service in the United Arab Emirates, where some customers reportedly received their orders in as little as six minutes.

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The new initiative represents Amazon’s latest attempt to capture the quick-commerce market in the United States. The company previously introduced a “Prime Now” service in 2014 that offered one-hour deliveries, but discontinued the program in 2021.

To support its ongoing logistics expansion, Amazon announced plans to invest more than $4 billion to triple the footprint of its delivery network by 2026.