Amazon deliveries in 30 minutes? New service launches in Atlanta

If overnight delivery wasn't fast enough for your Amazon packages, residents of four major metro areas will soon be able to receive deliveries in record time.

Amazon is launching a new type of delivery called Amazon Now in Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia and Seattle, and promises to deliver some items in 30 minutes or less after they have been ordered.

The "ultra-fast" delivery was tested in Philadelphia and Seattle, but the expansion to two other major cities is just the beginning.

Here's what to know about Amazon Now.

Where will Amazon Now be available?

The 30-minute or less delivery is widely available in four cities, but it is also live in Austin, Houston, Minneapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, Denver and Oklahoma City, and will continue to expand to dozens more, the company said in a May 12 news release.

"Amazon Now is for when you need or want the convenience of getting your Amazon order delivered in 30 minutes or less,” Udit Madan, senior vice president, Amazon Worldwide Operations, said in the release. “With thousands of items available for ultra-fast delivery, you can get everything from groceries for dinner, to AirPods before a flight, to household essentials like laundry detergent or toothpaste delivered right to your door.”

Amazon Now will use a network of smaller distribution locations situated around the available cities that are placed "where customers live and work." This means there will be shorter driving distances in order to make the quick delivery time.

How can you shop Amazon Now?

If you are in a qualifying region for Amazon Now delivery, a "30-Minute delivery" option will now appear in the banner of the Amazon app or homepage. Search results may also include items that can be fulfilled through Amazon Now.

You can check whether you are in an official area of coverage on the Amazon Now page.

There is a $13.99 delivery fee for 30-minute deliveries for non-Prime membership over $15, but that fee drops to $3.99 for members.

An additional fee of $1.99 for Prime members or $3.99 for non-Prime members is placed on 30-minute delivery orders that are less than $15 total.

The rapid delivery option expands on the existing programs like 1-hour and 3-hour delivery and the same-day delivery networks that have decreased delivery time in many parts of the country, including a significant number of small towns and rural areas.

Drone delivery is also available in some cities with short delivery times.

Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].