Amazon officially launched its 30-minute “Amazon Now” delivery service across dozens of U.S. cities, with thousands of items available, including fresh groceries, household essentials, healthcare items, baby and pet products, electronics, and alcohol. What, no weed?
Amazon Now soft-launched in Seattle and Philadelphia in December 2025, before expanding to international markets at the start of 2026 and eventually making its debut in dozens of U.S. cities this month including Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, Minneapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, Denver, and Oklahoma City.
The service costs $3.99 per order for Prime members or $13.99 for non-members, plus a small basket fee of $1.99 (Prime) or $3.99 (non-Prime) for orders under $15, and is available in most areas 24 hours a day — which is quite remarkable. Remember when Walmart used to be 24 hours? Can that please come back?
Notably, Amazon Now is more expensive in the U.S. than in other markets where the service is already operating. Prime members in Brazil and the UAE get free Amazon Now delivery on orders, while non-Prime members in Brazil pay just $1.04 per order compared to the $13.99 Americans get charged. To be fair though, the cost of labor, gas, and general overhead is significantly higher in the U.S.
Amazon Now is made possible through a network of smaller fulfillment hubs ranging from 5,000-10,000 sq ft that are strategically placed closer to where customers live and work. That way drivers don't have to go back and forth to Amazon's larger distribution facilities, which are often on the outskirts of town, for every delivery.
The move puts Amazon in direct competition with Instacart, DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Walmart's Express Delivery service. However, Amazon Now's $3.99 Prime fee is higher than what Instacart and DoorDash charge their paying members, who typically get free delivery on qualifying orders, but roughly on par with Walmart Express Delivery's surcharge, though Amazon's 30-minute delivery window beats Walmart's 1-hour promise.
