An Amazon employee delivers an Amazon package on February 2, 2026 in San Francisco, California.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Amazon The company announced Tuesday that it will begin offering one- and three-hour delivery in parts of the U.S. as it continues to find ways to satisfy impatient consumers.
The company says three-hour delivery is available in about 2,000 U.S. cities and towns, and one-hour delivery is available in hundreds of those areas.
“Our customers are busier than ever and are looking for new ways to save time while running their homes,” Udit Madan, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations, said in a statement.
Over 90,000 items are eligible for 3-hour delivery, including groceries, cleaning supplies, over-the-counter medications, clothing, toys, and more.
Amazon said it plans to roll out the service, which launched in a small test late last year, to more parts of the country in the coming months.
“We’re pleased that, 20 years after Prime’s launch, we continue to innovate to make shipping even faster, while maintaining the everyday low prices and huge selection that are Amazon’s hallmarks,” Madan said.
Amazon will add in-store shopping pages in regions where the option is available, allowing shoppers to filter search results for products that can be delivered within one or three hours. Users can also check Amazon’s getitfast site for super-fast shipping options.
Amazon introduced free two-day shipping alongside its Prime loyalty program in 2005, making consumers addicted to fast shipping. By 2019, the company made one-day delivery the norm, and has poured money and resources into expanding same-day delivery in the years since. Same-day orders typically arrive within a few hours.
To further speed up deliveries, Amazon has been experimenting with a number of programs to leverage its vast fulfillment network and large number of on-demand Flex gig workers.
In 2021, the company ended its standalone Prime Now high-speed delivery service. In 2024, Amazon discontinued a service that promised fast delivery from malls and brick-and-mortar retailers.
Most recently, the company has been testing 30-minute delivery of household goods and fresh groceries using a program called Amazon Now. The service is being piloted in Seattle, Washington and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as international markets including the United Arab Emirates, India, Brazil and Mexico.
Amazon has also been working for more than a decade to start making deliveries using drones within an hour, starting in two small test markets before expanding to several cities.
Other retailers are increasingly competing with Amazon on speed.
walmarthas a wide range of brick-and-mortar stores and touts delivery to 95% of U.S. homes within three hours. Quick Commerce Player Preferences instacart, door dash and Uber Eats offers products from more and more retailers within hours.
Prime members pay $9.99 for 1-hour delivery and $4.99 for 3-hour delivery, while non-Prime customers pay $19.99 for 1-hour delivery and $14.99 for 3-hour delivery.
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