A worker delivers Amazon packages in San Francisco, California, on Feb. 2, 2026.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Amazon said Tuesday it’s starting one-hour and three-hour deliveries in parts of the U.S., as the company continues to look for ways to satisfy impatient consumers.
The company said three-hour delivery is available in about 2,000 cities and towns in the U.S., while one-hour delivery is available in hundreds of those areas.
“Our customers are busier than ever and are looking for new ways to save time while keeping their households running,” Udit Madan, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations, said in a statement.
More than 90,000 products are eligible for delivery in three hours or less, including pantry items, cleaning supplies, over-the-counter medications, clothing and toys.
Amazon said it expects to bring the service, which started via small-scale tests late last year, to more areas of the country in the coming months.
“We’re excited to say that two decades after Prime launched, we’re still innovating to make delivery even faster, while maintaining the same everyday low prices and vast selection Amazon is known for,” Madan said.
Amazon added a storefront shopping page in areas where the options are available, and shoppers will be able to filter search results for products that can be delivered in one hour or three hours. Users can also check ultrafast delivery options on Amazon’s getitfast site.
Amazon got consumers hooked on fast shipping when it introduced free, two-day delivery alongside its Prime loyalty program in 2005. By 2019, it made one-day shipping the standard, and in the years since, it has poured money and resources into expanding same-day delivery. Same-day orders typically arrive within a few hours.
In its quest to make deliveries even faster, Amazon has experimented with a number of programs that sought to leverage its sprawling fulfillment network and legions of on-demand Flex gig workers.
The company in 2021 shut down its standalone Prime Now fast delivery service. In 2024, Amazon discontinued a service that promised speedy delivery from mall and brick-and-mortar retailers.
More recently, the company has been testing 30-minute deliveries of household essentials and fresh groceries with a program called Amazon Now. The service is being piloted in Seattle, Washington, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, along with international markets like the United Arab Emirates, India, Brazil and Mexico.
Amazon has also been working for over a decade to launch drone-based deliveries in an hour or less, initially launching the service in two small test markets, although it has since expanded to several cities.
Other retailers are increasingly competing with Amazon on speed.
Walmart, which maintains an extensive brick-and-mortar footprint, has touted that it can deliver to 95% of American households in under three hours. Quick-commerce players like Instacart, DoorDash and Uber Eats also offer products from a growing number of retailers within a couple of hours.
Prime members will pay a $9.99 fee for one-hour delivery and $4.99 for three-hour delivery, while customers without a Prime membership will pay $19.99 for one-hour delivery and $14.99 for three-hour delivery.
WATCH: Amazon is using generative AI to drive more same-day shipping
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/17/amazon-rolls-out-1-hour-3-hour-delivery-in-latest-fast-shipping-test.html
