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Amazon Rolls Out $3.99 30-Minute Delivery in Three Cities

5/12/2026

Summary

Amazon 30-Minute Delivery

Amazon launched a U.S. 30-minute delivery service costing $3.99 for Prime members and $13.99 for non-members.
Orders under $15 incur a $1.99 small-basket fee.
The service uses mini-warehouses the size of a CVS store that hold about 3,500 items.
After testing in two cities, Amazon Now now serves Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, with New York slated for year-end.

Summary

Amazon Expands Grocery

Amazon has become the second-largest U.S. grocer, posting more than $150 billion in grocery sales in 2025.
Amazon opened a micro-fulfillment center inside a Whole Foods in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, for in-store pickup.
Amazon entered the B2B grocery market by adding same-day perishable groceries to its business delivery service.
CEO Andy Jassy said perishable goods made up nine of the ten most-ordered same-day items, pressuring Instacart, DoorDash and Uber Eats.

History

Historical Context

Amazon introduced Prime in February 2005, charging $79 for free two-day U.S. shipping. The service’s growth helped the company reach $386 billion in U.S. retail e-commerce sales by 2020 and fund its 2017 $13.7 billion purchase of Whole Foods, launching cashier-less Amazon Go stores in 2018. Those moves set the stage for today’s micro-fulfillment hubs in major metros.

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Amazon 30-Minute Delivery

Amazon launched a U.S. 30-minute delivery service costing $3.99 for Prime members and $13.99 for non-members.
Orders under $15 incur a $1.99 small-basket fee.
The service uses mini-warehouses the size of a CVS store that hold about 3,500 items.
After testing in two cities, Amazon Now now serves Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, with New York slated for year-end.

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