Amazon is still exploring with methods to have a comparable impact in grocery, even after establishing itself as a dominant force in retail. The most recent change to the company’s service drops the minimum amount required to receive free supermarket delivery to $35. However, in addition to having a Prime membership ($15 monthly or $139 yearly), the majority of users of the program will also have to pay a $10 monthly subscription fee.
You have to reside in one of the 3,500 US cities and towns that are supported in order to take part. (If your primary mailing address is not supported, it will notify you throughout the sign-up process.) Unlimited grocery delivery are available through the service from a number of local and specialty partners as well as Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon. Among them are Pet Food Express, Rite Aid, Bartell Drugs, Cardenas Markets, Save Mart, Mission Wine & Spirits, and more.
Priority access to the company’s recurring reservations, unlimited 30-minute pickup orders, and one-hour delivery windows when available are all included in the membership. You may select a guaranteed weekly window for supermarket delivery using this option. You must select your weekly two-hour time slot at least 24 hours in advance in order to use it.
People using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other government assistance programs can get the same grocery delivery benefits for half the price ($5 monthly). If you fall in that camp, you can get those perks without needing a Prime subscription on top of the subscription fee.
It remains to be seen if this latest iteration of the program will stick since Amazon’s strategy has been all over the place. Early last year, the company increased the minimum checkout price for free grocery deliveries from $35 to $150, then dropped it to $100 (while voiding the Prime requirement) about 10 months later. If you like this version of the program, cross your fingers that Amazon doesn’t change it again in a few months.
Before rolling out the program’s latest version on Tuesday, Amazon tested it in Columbus, OH, Denver, CO, and Sacramento, CA, in late 2023. The company says over 85 percent of survey respondents who used the service were “extremely” or “very” satisfied, leaving high marks for its convenience and savings on delivery fees.
You can see if the program is available in your area on Amazon’s groceries sign-up page. If it is, you can try it free for 30 days before paying.
