Amazon is introducing 30-minute delivery across the US

Amazon’s sales continue to grow rapidly. On Tuesday, the online retailer announced the launch of its 30-minute delivery system, called “Amazon Now,” in many cities in the United States.

This super-fast delivery option will allow customers to purchase “thousands” of items, Amazon says, including fresh food, household essentials, and other household items.

At launch, Amazon Now will be available primarily in Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia, and Seattle, and is expanding to Austin, Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, Orlando, Oklahoma City, and Phoenix. By the end of the year, Amazon hopes to bring the service to millions of customers in these and other cities, while the rollout continues in the US.

Eligible items will be marked with “30-minute delivery” notices in the Amazon app and website. Amazon Now offers will also be displayed to customers when they shop.

Amazon he began pilot tests 30-minute delivery in Seattle and Philadelphia in December, a move that pitted the retailer against other express delivery services such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart.

In addition to speed, this service competes on price. While Amazon Now delivery isn’t free, Prime members still save because they only pay $3.99 per order, compared to $13.99 for non-Prime members. A small order fee of $1.99 for Prime members, or $3.99 for non-members, is charged on orders under $15.00. It’s a more straightforward payment method than its competitors — and one that’s often cheaper for Prime members, compared to competitors who charge a delivery fee along with fees, expected buyer tips, and sometimes even a price tag for each item.

To achieve this speed, Amazon uses smaller warehouses that are placed closer to where customers live and work, compared to the company’s large warehouses. With a smaller selection of products and shorter travel distances, delivery times can be accelerated.

When starting, Amazon Now orders may include fresh produce, milk and eggs, bakery products, health care and personal care products, baby and pet supplies, electronics, and alcohol, if permitted. In most areas, the option will be available 24 hours a day.

“Amazon Now is when you need or want the opportunity to get your Amazon order in 30 minutes or less,” said Udit Madan, Vice President, Amazon Worldwide Operations, in explaining the launch. “With thousands of items available for super-fast delivery, you can get anything from dinner, AirPods before you fly, to household essentials like detergent or toothpaste delivered to your door.”

The service also joins Amazon’s existing express delivery options, including one-hour and three-hour delivery options available across the board. over 90,000 items since Marchand its same-day delivery system across millions of products. In eight US locations, Amazon is also testing drone deliveries in less than 60 minutes via Prime Air.

In 2025, Amazon Prime members received more than 13 billion items via same-day or next-day delivery worldwide. The US alone accounted for 8 billion of those products, which was up 30% year over year.