If you're a fan of Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh delivery, Amazon's new grocery subscription can make things a little cheaper.
US-based Amazon Prime members who already pay $15 per month for a membership in the Prime Minister, can now access a $10 add-on grocery subscription that makes deliveries from Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market and local grocery stores free on orders over $35.
The subscription covers specialty stores like Rite Aid and Pet Food Express. Depending on the area, delivery can arrive within an hour at no additional cost.
Prime subscribers can already get food delivered through Amazon — but without the added grocery subscription, they have to pay $10 delivery fee on any Amazon Fresh order under $50 and $7 delivery fee on orders between $50 and $100. Amazon Fresh deliveries over $100 are free. Whole Foods grocery deliveries typically cost $10 in fees per order.
The new service could help Prime members save money if they order food more often and if their orders would normally incur additional fees.
Amazon raised subscription as something that “pays for itself after just one delivery order per month from Whole Foods Market, or one delivery order per month from Amazon Fresh for under $50.” Each option would cost $10.
Members can also get 30 minutes of pickup time on orders, no matter how big or small, and get priority access to repeat grocery orders.
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Non-Prime members with an EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) card can access the same subscription for $5 a month, without paying extra for a Prime membership.
Amazon is currently offering a free 30-day trial of its grocery delivery service for Prime members and EBT cardholders.
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Earlier this month, reports came out that Amazon's checkout-free “Just Walk Out” technology at its Fresh stores in U.S. stores required human review that was performed overseas. Amazon decided to replace Just Walk Out with Dash Carts that track what shoppers put in their carts and give them a running total as they move through the store.
Amazon began testing subscription grocery delivery last year in select areas in Colorado, California and Ohio. As of Tuesday, the service is available in 3,500 cities and towns across the US