Fast‑Ship Now: Amazon Brings Hour‑Long Deliveries to U. S. Cities

Amazon has rolled out a new delivery service that can bring items to customers in as little as one hour or three hours. The move is aimed at catching up with rivals such as Instacart, DoorDash and Uber Eats that already offer quick pick‑ups. Over 90, 000 products are now eligible for the fast option. When a shopper sees a “1‑hour” or “3‑hour” badge next to an item on the app, they know it can arrive in that time frame. A special filter lets users search only for these speedy options. Prime members pay $9. 99 for a one‑hour drop and $4. 99 for three hours, while non‑members face higher fees of $19. 99 and $14. 99 respectively. The service covers hundreds of major U. S. cities—Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D. C. , Des Moines, Boise and American Fork for the one‑hour slot—and over 2, 000 towns for the three‑hour window.Amazon will use its existing same‑day fulfillment centers to meet these deadlines, leveraging the company’s vast logistics network. A new storefront on its website will showcase all items that qualify for instant shipping. “This launch shows how Amazon can turn a busy lifestyle into something smoother, ” said Udit Madan, senior VP of Worldwide Operations. He added that the platform will offer more value to Prime members while helping customers save time on everyday needs. Amazon’s history with instant delivery dates back to 2014, when Prime Now first tested one‑hour deliveries. The program was paused in 2021 but re‑introduced briefly last year with a 30‑minute option in Seattle and Philadelphia. The current expansion marks a renewed push into the fast‑delivery market.