Why You Can Trust CNET Amazon expands same-day delivery
Company adds Dallas and SF to the cities with same-day delivery and tries out a filter enabling customers to find products eligible for the service.
Amazon is refining and expanding its same-day delivery service.
The company has added Dallas and San Francisco to its list of cities with same-day delivery. The now-dozen cities include New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Seattle.
Amazon is also testing ways to improve its product search. When customers in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix search for products, they can now apply a same-day search filter called "Get it Today" to determine which products qualify. Amazon said this search option will soon be offered to all 12 same-day cities.
Amazon's same-day delivery has been a slow burn. The company actually introduced the service in 2009 and has expanded it at a snail's pace.
Amazon's same-day delivery costs $5.99 per order for Amazon Prime customers. Pricing for other customers includes a $9.98 fee for the first item and a 99-cent charge per additional item.
Meanwhile, Amazon is interested in ditching the shipping middleman -- UPS, FedEx, and the US Postal Service -- when possible. Shipping through those carriers costs Amazon a significant amount. Last week, reports suggested that Amazon is at work on its own shipping network. That followed the company's revelation last year of its interest in using drones to fly products directly to customer homes.
CNET has contacted Amazon for comment on the expansion. We will update this story when we have more information.
Updated at 7:30 a.m. and 8:35 a.m. PT to add more details and clarify pricing.
(Via WSJ)