Amazon Expands Same-Day Delivery To 6 Markets, Including NYC, Dallas, D.C.

Amazon’s explanation on how to find and order same-day delivery.

After trying out same-day delivery in a handful of markets primarily on the West Coast, Amazon has announced its first large-scale expansion of “Get It Today” purchasing. Customers along the I-95 corridor from D.C. to Boston — along with people in Indianapolis and Dallas — have the option of getting some items the same day they are ordered.

The markets added to the expansion are Baltimore, Dallas, Indianapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Same-day delivery was already being offered in the Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix areas. It’s also available in Chicago, but as you can see below, you need to get your order in before breakfast.

Eligibility is determined by ZIP codes. Amazon has two lists detailing all the ZIP codes in which it currently offers the service. The list for the East Coast and Midwest markets is HERE, while the info for the West Coast and Southwest ZIP codes is HERE.

You should check those lists before ordering, as not everyone in a market is eligible. For example, some New Jersey suburbs of Philadelphia and NYC are included, but I noticed some missing ZIP codes for residential areas of NYC that are not included.

And not everything on sale at Amazon is available for same-day service. It all depends on whether it’s stocked by one of your local distribution centers.

In terms of cost, Amazon Prime members pay a fee of $5.99 that covers same-day delivery for all items ordered. Non-Prime members pay a $9.98 fee on the first item delivered and $.99 per item after that.

What about timing? Amazon says same-day orders will be delivered — presumably by local couriers or by Amazon’s own growing in-house delivery service — by 9 p.m. but you must get your order in by the deadline. These deadlines vary anywhere from 7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., depending on the market.

As of now, it gives the following deadlines for placing same-day orders:

Baltimore – 1:00 PM

Boston – 1:00 PM (Same-Day Delivery not available on Saturdays)

Chicago – 7:45 AM

Dallas/Fort Worth – 12:15 PM

Indianapolis – 12:15 PM

Los Angeles – 12:15 PM

New York – 12:15 PM

Philadelphia – 12:15 PM

Phoenix – 12:15 PM

San Francisco – 12:15 PM

Seattle – 12:45 PM

Washington D.C. – 1:00 PM

The deliveries are available seven days a week, with the exception of Boston, where it does not fulfill orders on Saturdays.

Prime members pay only $5.99 for all the same-day delivery items they can order. Pricing for non-Prime customers remains unchanged, with a $9.98 fee for the first item and $0.99 for each additional item.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist