All About Amazon's Free Prime Shipping
One of the biggest reasons most shoppers use Amazon is the unmatched infrastructure the company has in place to get orders to customers as quickly as possible. Amazon quickly outgrew the business model of using other carriers to deliver its packages and while UPS and US Postal Service still deliver quite a lot, most packages are shipped and delivered by Amazon itself.
In the last quarter of 2021, Amazon was shipping nearly 72% of its own packages, with a fleet of 400,000 drivers, 40,000 semi-trucks, 30,000 vans, over 70 Amazon-owned planes, and yes, even Amazon-chartered cargo ships.
Amazon has become so efficient it offers its own shipping services to others at lower prices than UPS or FedEx, through the Amazon Freight network. Sellers on eBay and even Walmart utilize Amazon shipping. When I ordered my free COVID tests through my local state program, they were delivered by, you guessed it- Amazon.
Amazon’s delivery methods for its customers are available to you vary based on where you live. Some items are listed as Prime for some shoppers on a regional basis or by the quantity being ordered. By setting up and saving a default address in your Amazon account, you will be able to see how fast you can get things sent to you.
Amazon Prime Shipping Benefits
Same-Day Delivery
While not everyone lives in one of the 21 qualifying cities (near a major Amazon distribution center or warehouse) and can get Same Day, those of us who do are pretty spoiled. At least the recipients of the last-minute “I forgot it was your birthday today” gifts I order Same Day are.
You can either order $35.00 worth of products or pay $2.99 per order, delivered to residential addresses only. And while in some cases like during peak shopping seasons your package may show up after bedtime, it will get there same day. Items must be Sold by Amazon.com. Check your eligibility and browse the Same-Day Store here.
Free One-Day Delivery
If you live within a certain distance of the 47 metropolitan areas of the US, Prime One-Day Delivery is available with over 15 million items available to ship to Prime Members for free. The proximity of the delivery address to the local fulfillment center will determine availability and delivery times.
Amazon Day Delivery
I swear they heard me wondering why I was getting so.many.packages, all which came with one single thing in it, spaced out over an entire week. Probably not, but this option can keep your Amazon deliveries limited to up to 2 preferred days each week. Once you configure this and tell Amazon which days you prefer, when you check out you will have the option to choose your Amazon Day, and know when everything will arrive.
Not only will this help you know plan for when to send your spouse out shopping that day so they don’t see all your boxes, it allows Amazon more flexibility to combine your orders so you don’t get as many packages with a single thing in it.
Amazon Day Delivery isn’t available for items that are ineligible for one or two-day shipping, hazmat items, or for shipping on Amazon Hub Locker, Amazon Hub Counter, or a P.O. box.
Relax… and be rewarded: Amazon’s No-Rush Shipping Delivery Incentives.
U.S. Amazon customers have options to save even more money on amazon by opting for no-rush shipping, which earns Prime members a digital reward (to be applied towards Kindle purchases, music, movies, etc.) or discount applied immediately to the current order. Only Prime Members are eligible for the rewards.
While most of us want our stuff and we want it right now, I can boast that at times I’ve been patient enough to earn a few free books and movies this way.
Large & Bulky Items Delivery: Always check for availability
Amazon doesn’t always ship bigger stuff. So always be sure to add your big item to checkout in order to see if there are restrictions. I learned this the hard way. After spending hours shopping for and narrowing down a couch for a family member, they loved it! It was on Amazon! All the stars seemed to have aligned… until I plugged in their address and discovered it could not be shipped to them.
Generally, certain US territories, protectorates, PO boxes, Amazon Lockers, FPO/APO/DPO addresses are ineligible for large items or scheduled delivery.
Need something shipped away from home? Try Amazon’s Pick-Up Location Delivery
Amazon also offers the option to have your package delivered to a physical Amazon retail store (yes! They exist!), a locker, or an Amazon counter location. These are located in many convenient places including your local mall, grocery store, or touch-free Amazon locker locations. Depending on the site, customers have up to seven days to pick up their order.
Now I never really thought much about how convenient these actually are until I needed to have something delivered to me while traveling for work. I also learned that one of my friends utilizes the locker service for her Christmas presents because her creative kids being home all the time meant that they could get to the boxes before she did.
Package pick-up is available with the same options as home delivery. Shoppers who do not have a Prime membership can get their orders shipped free for orders over $25.00.
Amazon Physical Store Locations
- Amazon Books: Books, Devices, Merchandise, Pick-up & Returns
- Amazon 4-Star: Books, Devices, Merchandise, Pick-up & Returns
- Amazon Fresh: Grocery, Prepared Foods, Alcohol, Pick-up & Returns
- Amazon Pop-Up: Merchandise, Pick-up & Returns
- Amazon Go: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Pick-up & Returns
- Free shipping is one of the best benefits of a Prime membership.
- Shoppers without a Prime membership can still utilize Amazon’s shipping with order minimums and charges per order.
- Same and One-Day Delivery is available in certain metropolitan areas of the US, but not for rural areas, APO/FPO addresses.
- No-Rush Shipping can earn you credit towards digital purchases.
- Always check for delivery eligibility when ordering large or bulky items.
- Shoppers can have orders sent to Amazon’s Physical Store Locations and Lockers instead of their usual home address.