Amazon has launched a new ultra fast delivery service that completes orders in 30 minutes or less for customers in Seattle and Philadelphia. The new service went live today as part of Amazon’s wider push to compete more directly with fast commerce players in the United States. The company says the rollout aims to offer greater convenience and broaden delivery speed options for busy urban customers.
The new 30 minute delivery tier covers a wide set of daily essentials. Shoppers can request groceries such as milk, eggs, bread, fresh produce and snacks, along with toiletries, cosmetics, pet supplies, over the counter medication, electronics, seasonal items and more. Amazon says the assortment is designed to match the most common urgent household needs.
Prime customers will pay a delivery fee of 3.99 dollars for every ultra fast order. Non Prime users will pay 13.99 dollars. Any basket below 15 dollars will include an additional 1.99 dollar small order fee, a move Amazon says helps support logistics costs in high speed fulfilment environments.
Customers in the two launch cities can now open the Amazon app or access the homepage and check for the “30 Minute Delivery” option in the main navigation bar. Once an order is placed, tracking and tipping options appear directly inside the app, offering real time updates and a streamlined checkout flow.
Amazon says the speed upgrade is made possible through smaller, specially designed fulfilment facilities located close to residential areas in Seattle and Philadelphia. These sites focus on rapid picking and packing with short driving routes for delivery partners. The setup significantly reduces the total distance between shelf and doorstep.
According to Amazon, the new model also prioritises worker safety. The company says the compact fulfilment centres enable improved workflow layouts and reduce the physical strain associated with long warehouse routes.
The launch continues Amazon’s renewed interest in the ultra fast delivery market. In October, the company introduced a 15 minute delivery service in the United Arab Emirates, where some customers received orders in as little as six minutes. Globally, Amazon has been testing faster delivery frameworks as part of a wider strategy to maintain its dominance in retail logistics.
Amazon previously experimented with one hour delivery through its Prime Now service, introduced in 2014. The programme was discontinued in 2021 as Amazon consolidated offerings into the main app. This latest initiative signals a return to rapid fulfilment but with updated infrastructure and a broader product mix.
The company has repeatedly stated that faster delivery is a cornerstone of its future logistics roadmap. In June, Amazon confirmed plans to invest more than four billion dollars to triple the size of its delivery network by 2026, with a particular focus on regional hubs, automation and neighbourhood level fulfilment centres.
The 30 minute model positions Amazon directly against competitors like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Instacart. These companies have expanded from restaurant meals into everyday essentials, creating a fast growing category of on demand retail. Amazon’s entry into this space brings new pressure and could reshape expectations around urban delivery speed in the United States.
If the Seattle and Philadelphia pilots prove successful, analysts expect Amazon to expand the service to additional cities across the US. The company has not provided a timeline for further rollout, but its investment signals a long term commitment to fast commerce.
