Services That Offer Same Day Delivery of Your Orders
Not long ago, ordering something online meant waiting weeks before it was delivered. Everything has changed. Now there is a good chance that you can order something and receive it during the night or even the same day. Let’s take a look at some of the services that make this possible and what you can get from them.
I remember when 3-5 business days delivery was “fast” and many retailers took weeks to process and ship orders. Today we are almost completely used to the fact that orders are processed immediately and delivered within a few days. Now new services promise to deliver your order from screen to door in a matter of hours. It might sound lazy, but it’s actually really helpful, especially for people who have mobility issues, lead a busy lifestyle, or just love instant gratification. Some of the best ones are:
Amazon
For better or worse, Amazon is taking the lead in this new “order something and have it on your doorstep” future. The company has three or four services that offer fast shipping, depending on what you need. Amazon Same Day Delivery guarantees that your order will be in your hands by 9:00 pm if you place it before noon, seven days a week. If for some reason you are a little late, you can probably receive delivery the next day. Of course, same day delivery is only available for certain cities, but most major US metropolitan areas are covered, especially the East and Midwest, and the West and Southwest coasts .
There’s also Amazon Prime , as we all know, giving you free two-day shipping for eligible items (as well as a host of other perks ), but their one-day shipping at $ 3.99 per item is also worth checking out. In most cases, this means that you will have your item on your doorstep in the morning after you placed your order, unless you order too late (and the item is not too far away). In some cases, even choosing 2-day shipping means your item will show up the next morning if it’s in the Amazon warehouse near you (something I figured out when the batteries I ordered on Friday arrived on Saturday, even though that it was snowing.
Google express
Google Express is the Google Shopping division that delivers products to your home the day you order them. If you’re too busy or have too many things you can’t get to Staples, Costco, Giant, Walgreen’s, or a number of other major retailers, Google Shopping can do it for you. You have to sign up for a membership that will cost you $ 10 a month or $ 95 a year (your first three months are free), but once you do, you can order as much as you need or want and get it for free at that the same day delivery of any order worth more than $ 15. You can even tell Google Express when it is convenient for you to receive your shipment so that you are at home when they arrive. If you don’t, they will leave your order at your doorstep (or with someone else authorized to sign it).
Membership costs are a bit high, but if you tend to run out frequently on business and want more time to do what you want instead of jumping between stores in your community, it’s worth taking a look at. Of course, Google Express is only available in a few regions , and a few additional regions are delivered overnight rather than same day. However, Google is expanding the service to more urban areas and allows you to subscribe to receive notifications when your area is supported.
Classmates
If you prefer to shop at local businesses that aren’t necessarily large retailers or chains, Postmates may be on your way. The service is similar to eBay Now in that they use local couriers and drivers to deliver your order to you within one hour. The big difference is that instead of nationwide stores, Postmates focuses on restaurants, specialty stores, and other small, local businesses that can take advantage of your patronage. Their website and theiriOS and Android apps give you access to restaurants and local shops. They even hire people from your community to complete their assigned tasks .
However, you may notice a few recognizable names as you drive up to your town. For example, here in Washington DC I can get delivery from a number of popular bakeries, restaurants and sushi bars, but I can also order groceries from Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and others. Typically, if an item is available from a supported store in your city, Postmates may ask a courier to deliver it to you. Many stores even allow you to place “custom orders,” so if they have one, they will work out a price and pass it on to the courier.
The Postmates help page shows which cities this service is available in (some locations even offer alcohol delivery), and shipping costs start at $ 5 and are calculated based on the distance between the store and the point of delivery. In addition, a 9% commission is applied to your purchase price. If it’s a busy day, rush hour, or other peak time, your order may reach “blitz pricing,” which, like Uber Surge Pricing, will cost you more, but more couriers are available during this time. If you want fast delivery and live in a supported city, you might be surprised at how fast Postmates really is and how wide your choice of items can be.
eBay now
EBay’s same day delivery service, eBay Now , is also in the local fast shipping game, though it’s available in even fewer locations than some of the others here. If you live in a supported area (New York, Dallas, Chicago, San Jose, and San Francisco), you will have access to same day delivery from stores like Home Depot, Best Buy, GNC, Guitar Center. AutoZone. , Office Depot and others. This service allows you to shop from a warehouse in local stores, schedule delivery times from 9:00 to 21:00, and a courier will deliver your order directly to you.
Since eBay uses local couriers and picks up items from stores in your area (instead of warehouses in your area), you can receive your order in just a few hours if your item and delivery window are available. However, you pay for shipping – $ 5 for one order ($ 25 minimum) from one store, $ 10 for one order from two stores, and $ 10 for two orders from one store. However, other than this, there are no membership fees or expenses. However, you must be present (or have an authorized recipient) for your delivery – otherwise they will try to contact you, but if they cannot contact you, they will put it back in store and return your order.
Now they may be the largest, but they are far from the only ones. Uber Essentials , for example, is another project where drivers, who pick up customers and drive them to their destination anyway, also deliver select groceries and other merchandise between rides. It is currently only available in Washington DC, but there are similar services for specific cities across the country.
If you are feeling left out, keep in mind that the services above take a city-to-city expansion approach, so your services may be available soon. Obviously, the days when ordering online meant a day or two to process your order, then at least a week of delivery is over, except in the most rural areas. As more delivery services (including USPS) offer things like Sunday delivery and extended hours, and with more stores promising delivery within an hour, when day-to-day / night becomes the norm, this is just a matter of time.