Amazon has announced Prime Day 2021 will be taking place in mid-June, dates 21st and 22nd.
The 48-hour year’s event is much anticipated as the best shopping day ever.
Amazon sellers clear stock on their inventory ten times faster than they’d on a normal day.
As for you and other enthusiastic shoppers, you get to purchase massively discounted products, especially Amazon-branded devices and electronics, from big brands such as Sony and Apple.
It’s the golden day where Amazon, sellers, and customers all win.
But while it’s okay to focus mainly on the low prices and how much you’ll be saving, it’s important too to pay attention to shipping arrangements for your Prime orders.
Amazon offers a variety of delivery options, including:
- Free same-day delivery
- Free two-day delivery
- Free no-rush shipping
- Free Amazon Day delivery
- Amazon Prime Now
- Key by Amazon
To understand the best delivery option for you, let’s break down the jargon and find out the truth about each one.
Contents
Amazon Day Delivery
Amazon Day gives you control of when to receive your orders.
It lets you schedule the day of the week when you’d like to receive all your orders.
Therefore, you can place orders throughout the week, and they’ll all be shipped out on the day you selected.
This saves you time and the worry of having to track the delivery of different orders.
Also, this delivery option cuts out paper waste. It has packages delivered in fewer boxes since the orders are grouped.
Normally with the other delivery options, each order is packed in its box, leading to paper waste.
You can also change your Amazon Day to a different day. However, orders placed before the change will be delivered on the initial Amazon Day.
Most items are eligible for Amazon Day.
This service is free for Amazon Prime members.
Amazon Prime Two-Day Delivery
Free two-day shipping was the first delivery option Amazon offered when it launched Amazon Prime in 2005.
At checkout, you select the two-day shipping option and see the estimated delivery window when your order arrives.
The service is available in most addresses in the United States from 8.00 am to 11.00 pm.
For addresses in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska, shipping takes four to seven business days.
The two-day delivery service is freely available if you’re subscribed to the Amazon Prime account.
Although not all items are eligible for two-day delivery, there are almost 100 million items to choose from.
Amazon One-Day Delivery
One-day delivery was introduced by Amazon in June 2019.
When you make an order of eligible items today, the order will be processed on the same day and shipped out the next day, where you’ll receive the package by 9 pm.
This delivery option is only available from 8.00 am to 9.00 pm.
Thus, there are cut-off times when you can place your order. Times vary by area.
This service is available coast-to-coast too.
To find out which items are eligible for one-day delivery, search “Get it tomorrow” on the Amazon site. Over ten million products will appear on the search results.
Amazon Same-Day Delivery
Amazon same-day delivery allows you to order and have your packages delivered later in the day.
It works by placing your order before noon. Then, your package will arrive by 9 pm.
If you order your items in the afternoon, you’ll receive the order the following day.
However, if you’re in Phoenix, Dallas, Orlando, and Philadelphia, you’re in luck.
The time when you can place an order and receive it on the same day is extended to 5 pm. Delivery of your ordered items is in less than five hours.
Items eligible when you’re in these select four locations are marked as “Today” and “Overnight.”
Not all items on Amazon are eligible for same-day delivery. The Prime eligible items are marked as “Prime Free Same-Day Delivery”. There are over three million eligible items.
This delivery option is free on orders above $35 for customers with Amazon Prime membership. Otherwise, you pay a delivery fee of $12.99 per order.
Also, same-day delivery is in only a few select cities. If it’s available in your city, the same-day delivery will appear as you checkout.
Amazon Prime Now
Do you need certain items urgently, like in the next two hours?
Amazon Prime Now is your best bet.
Using the Prime Now app or site, you can make your order of household items, electronics, or groceries, and it’ll be shipped to your address within two hours.
The app or site will notify you when your order is about to arrive.
The Prime Now delivers from morning to evening and is only available in the following countries:
- United States of America
- United Kingdom
- Spain
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
It’s only accessible to Prime customers.
Amazon No-Rush Shipping
As the name suggests, No-Rush shipping is where your order isn’t delivered immediately or within a short time.
Instead, your packages are delivered within six business days.
No-rush shipping enables Amazon to focus on fast deliveries that are urgently needed.
Therefore to thank you, Amazon rewards you like:
- A promotional digital reward
- An instant digital order discount
Amazon rewards only one gift per order.
If it’s an instant discount, it’s applied immediately to your current order at checkout.
When it’s a promotional digital reward, Amazon adds the reward to your account once your order ships.
Prime members are eligible to receive both instant discounts and reward offers.
But non-Prime Amazon customers can only get an instant deduction.
To redeem your reward offers, refer to the email Amazon sends you with the promotional gift details.
Depending on the type of offer indicated at your order checkout, you can use your rewards to buy:
- Ebooks
- Kindles
- Digital music
- Amazon Appstore apps
Most items on Amazon are eligible for no-rush shipping.
For Prime members, no-rush shipping is free. But for customers without Prime membership, it comes with additional shipping costs.
Amazon-Whole Foods Delivery and Pickup
Amazon has revolutionized shopping at Whole Foods for their Prime members by offering:
- One-hour pickup
- Two-hours delivery
One-hour Pickup
You can place your order from Whole Foods’ online shop using the Amazon app or website and opt to pick up your order after an hour.
When you’re ready to pick up your order, you check in with the staff at Whole Foods to let them know you’re on your way. You can do this via the Amazon app or through the order’s confirmation email.
During check-in, you can choose to have your order brought to the car’s curbside or pick it up inside the store.
It’ll take only a minute to receive your order upon arrival.
Two-hours Delivery
Here you select the two-hour delivery window at checkout.
This allows your order to be packaged and dispatched to your chosen destination.
Note: Whole Foods Delivery and Pickup is eligible for Prime members. Also, it’s free for orders above $35. If your order is less than the minimum purchase, you’ll pay an additional cost of $4.99.
Key by Amazon Delivery
Key by Amazon Delivery is a contactless delivery option that’s only available in select cities.
This Prime delivery service includes several Amazon deliveries:
- Key by Amazon In-Garage Delivery
- Key by Amazon In-Home Delivery
- Key by Amazon In-Car Delivery
Note: The Key by Amazon delivery is only freely available to Prime members.
Key by Amazon In-Garage Delivery
The Key by Amazon In-Garage Delivery allows the delivery driver to place your order inside your garage.
Before selecting this method at checkout, first set up the myQ Smart Garage Hub and link it to the Amazon Key.
You’ll receive an “Arriving Now” notification before the driver opens your garage door using an Amazon scanner.
When the package is safely placed inside your garage, the driver will close the garage door using the Amazon scanner, and you’ll receive a final update notification.
Also, using a compatible camera installed inside the garage, you can watch the live video of everything that’s happening.
The In-Garage delivery is limited only to Prime members in select metro areas.
This delivery method is best for:
- Protecting your packages from theft
- Keeping your packages undamaged from harsh weather
Key by Amazon In-Home Delivery
The Key by Amazon In-Home Delivery allows the dispatcher to deliver your order inside your home
On the day your order is shipped, you’re sent a notification requiring you to choose a four-hour delivery window when you’re available.
Upon the order’s arrival, you’ll receive an “Arrival Now” notification with an option to watch a live video of the delivery.
The driver will knock on your door and request to unlock it using the Amazon scanner.
When Amazon verifies the driver and the order address, the security camera turns on while the door unlocks.
When the package is put inside your house, the driver requests to lock your door, locks it, and then you’re sent the final update notification.
Key by Amazon In-Car Delivery
Key by Amazon In-Car Delivery delivers your order safely inside your car’s trunk.
Before selecting this delivery method at checkout, you’ll have to download the Amazon Key app.
When you place an order, park your car in an area that’s publicly accessible.
Using the Amazon Key app, you can track the progress of your order.
When the order arrives, you’re notified before the trunk is unlocked and notified again once the order is securely in your car and the trunk is locked.
Each delivery is backed by Key by Amazon Happiness Guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Prime Members Get Free Shipping?
Yes, they do. However, on some delivery options, such as same-day delivery, free shipping is only available on orders above $35.
What to Do If Your Amazon Prime Delivery is Late
When your order doesn’t arrive on the promised delivery date, Amazon advises you to wait two days or 48 hours to accommodate unexpected delays.
If it hasn’t arrived yet after 48 hours, reach out to Amazon’s customer service via their “Contact Us” page.
Why Does Amazon Prime Shipping Take 4-5 Days?
Amazon Shipping takes longer than the normal two days because of unexpected delays or when your order requires ground shipping or extra preparation before shipment.
How Long Does Amazon Prime Shipping Take?
How long shipping takes is dependent on:
- Time of ordering
- Location of order destination
- Choice of courier service
- Weather patterns
- Level of order traffic on Amazon
Can Amazon Prime Two-Day Shipping Arrive Earlier?
Surprisingly, yes. Although it doesn’t happen all the time, your order can arrive earlier than the expected time on two-day shipping.
Why Are Amazon’s Delivery Estimates Always ‘by 8 pm’ On a Given Day?
8.00 pm is when most courier services such as FedEx and UPS make their latest deliveries.
Does Amazon Prime Deliver On Sundays?
Yes. You can receive your order on Sundays if you specify at checkout to receive weekend deliveries.
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