Amazon introduces same-day delivery in some cities, adds shipping options

Every year, I end up renewing my Amazon Prime membership when I realize that it’s cheaper than shipping all of Santa’s presents in a timely fashion without it.

Until today, the biggest drawback (besides the $80 price tag) was that the service was really only “prime” for half the week. Needing items sooner rather than later from Thursday through Monday kind of felt like a jack. Sunday was understandable, but the omission of Saturday delivery made the service far less convenient. Now Amazon has revamped the shipping options it offers, including Saturdays on the Amazon Prime shipping options and introducing an innovative new same-day shipping options in some major cities. This is a huge value add for Prime members, and I can imagine this Christmas I’ll be marginally less reluctant to pay the fee.

NYC, Philly, Boston, DC, Vegas, Baltimore and Seattle have the option, which costs $5.99 per item for Amazon Prime members. It’s not immediately clear what costs will be for those without Prime membership. Delivery cutoff times range between 10am-11am, but waking up before noon beats the hell out of leaving the house.

Here’s the relevant portion of Amazon’s press release:

Oct. 15, 2009– Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced the launch of “Local Express Delivery,” a new shipping option giving customers same-day delivery in seven major cities including New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Seattle andWashington D.C. The service will be extended to Chicago, Indianapolis and Phoenix in the coming months.

Thousands of items are now available for Local Express Delivery. Amazon Prime* members pay just$5.99 per item for the service. Full details, including the rate card for all other customers, are available at www.amazon.com/help/shipping.

Items ordered before the following local cut-off times will be delivered the same day:

• New York City – Order as late as 10 a.m.
• Philadelphia – Order as late as 10 a.m.
• Boston – Order as late as 10:30 a.m.
• WashingtonD.C. – Order as late as 10:30 a.m.
• Baltimore – Order as late as 10:30 a.m.
• Las Vegas – Order as late as 11 a.m.
• Seattle – Order as late as 1 p.m.

Customers will find delivery cut-off times on each product’s detail page.

“We want to make online shopping as convenient as possible,” said Girish Lakshman, vice president of Transportation at Amazon. “We’re continuously working to speed up delivery times and customers receiving items on the same day as ordered is an exciting step. Now, if a customer needs a last-minute present for a birthday or wants a copy of their book club book before the weekend starts, they can order from Amazon instead of the hassle of a last-minute trip to the mall.”

Amazon has also expanded Saturday Delivery options. Now, items ordered before the cut-off time on Thursday using Two-Day Shipping will be delivered on Saturday instead of Monday. For Prime members, Thursday-to-Saturday delivery is free using Two-Day Shipping. For all other customers, the service is offered at the current Two-Day Shipping rates. Saturday Delivery is also available for orders placed before the cut-off on Fridays for $6.99 per item for Prime members and an additional charge for all other customers. Full details can be found at www.amazon.com/help/shipping.