For many of us, the convenience of online shopping is something that we can’t live without. Whether we’re buying groceries, clothing, or household items, the ease of ordering online has made it possible to have our items delivered right to our doorsteps. But what happens when you don’t want to wait for your order? That’s where Amazon’s Sunday Delivery comes in. Amazon’s Sunday Delivery service makes it possible for you to order items from the comfort of your own home, and have them delivered on Sunday. With this service, you can shop on your own terms, and get the items you need when you need them. In this article, we’ll discuss what you need to know about Amazon’s Sunday Delivery service, from the benefits to the costs. So if you’re looking for a way to make your online shopping experience even more convenient, read on for all the details about Amazon’s Sunday Delivery.
What Is Amazon’s Sunday Delivery?
Amazon’s Sunday delivery is not yet available to all customers, but it is available in Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, and Minneapolis–St. Paul, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh–Durham, San Diego, San Francisco–Oakland–San Jose, Seattle–Tacoma and Washington, D.C. areas. Prime members in eligible areas can select Sunday as a delivery option for qualifying orders.
Amazon’s Sunday Delivery Policies?
1. It’s A Service For Prime Members
First and foremost, you’ll need to be a Prime member in order to use Amazon’s Sunday Delivery service. This is an important detail because it means you’ll have access to Amazon’s Sunday Delivery only when you’re an Amazon Prime member. If this doesn’t apply to you, however, don’t worry; Amazon does offer other options for getting your items delivered when and where you need them. For example, if you’d prefer same-day delivery or even two-hour delivery, there are other services available on the website that will accommodate your needs.
2. You Can Shop It Anywhere In The 48 Contiguous Us States
One of the great things about Amazon is its ability to provide products from all over the world — I’ve been ordering products from Japan for years now. When it comes to Amazon’s Sunday Delivery service, however, shipping is limited only to the 48 contiguous United States. So if you’re thinking of ordering some new earphones from Tokyo, you’ll want to hold off on your shopping until Sunday.
3. It’s Available Exclusively On Amazon.Com
Your Sunday Delivery order can be made only through Amazon’s website, so make sure you’re looking at the right site before ordering. Many of us are used to having multiple sites for purchase options; for example, I like purchasing items from Vitamin Shoppe and using my regular shipping address for items delivered to my house. However, Amazon’s Sunday Delivery is a service that can be made only on Amazon’s website; it doesn’t matter what country you’re shipping your item to or even if it has anything to do with books — you’ll need to use the web address amazon.com in order to make this kind of purchase.
4. You’ll Be Charged An Extra $7 Per Delivery
Although Amazon does offer free same-day delivery in certain areas if you spend more than $35 on your order, $25 for 2-hour delivery, and free one-day or two-day shipping for orders over $25, you’ll still be charged an extra fee of $7 on Sunday for each order that is delivered on Sunday. This is not a flat fee for all orders; Amazon will charge you based on how much your order costs when it’s delivered on Sunday.
5. Shipping Still Has To Be Free
Believe it or not, even though you’re paying a premium price for shipping, all Amazon customers are entitled to free standard shipping as usual via the Amazon Prime service. This means that even if your order would normally require you to pay extra for “super saver” shipping or overnight delivery, Amazon will waive the additional fees because your items are getting shipped on a Sunday. That difference in price will be offset by the additional fees mentioned in the previous paragraph.
Benefits of Amazon’s Sunday Delivery
1. You Can Get The Items You Need Faster
Most Sundays, I don’t have any urgent needs for anything that can only be purchased online, but sometimes I do. For example, one of my favorite books has been out of print for over a year now. If I need a replacement copy, ordering it from Amazon on Sunday with free two-day shipping will get it to me by Wednesday. And with Amazon’s Sunday Delivery service, I’ll have it in my hands earlier than that — as long as I place my order before noon and make sure to pick the right shipping option.
2. Parents Will Have An Easier Time Taking Care Of Kids
Although some parents can get by without a day off each week, most people need at least one day of rest and relaxation every seven days — Sunday is ideal for parents to spend one-on-one time with their children or just take advantage of some downtime after a stressful week (or busy weekend) at work. Many families will go to a park, a restaurant or a mall, or they might clean the house or do other chores. With Amazon’s Sunday delivery option, it will be easier for parents to buy necessary items.
3. You Might Be Able To Get What You Want Faster
If you’re on the fence about buying something from Amazon, you’ll probably lean toward ordering it more often on Sundays, because you know it will be at your door the next day instead of several days later if you choose standard shipping. It might also inspire you to spend more than you normally would so that your entire order qualifies for free two-day shipping — and that’s okay! Don’t feel too guilty about spending extra when it comes to your hobbies and interests; you deserve to be able to enjoy these things without having to wait for them.
4. It Will Cost Less In The Long Run
Although some people will balk at paying an extra $7 each time they get something shipped on Sunday rather than on another day, you’ll actually end up paying less than if you had followed the standard schedule. Assuming each order costs $25 or more, that’s $10 in savings every time you order on Sunday — plus the cost of a stamp.
5. It Could Create Jobs
Amazon’s Sunday Delivery move might be more of a response to Walmart’s ShippingPass program than a way to make tons of money, but it could end up creating jobs in the process — if Amazon requires extra employees on Sundays to package and ship everything that’s ordered, it will hire even more workers to meet the demand (in addition to hiring employees year-round).
6. Live Sports Fans Will Thank Them
If Amazon wants to offer Sunday shipping for all orders placed before noon and picked up in-store, it will have to hire more employees at its physical locations. This is good news for anyone who enjoys live sports broadcasts online or likes being able to watch them at home rather than in a bar; thanks to Sunday shipping, you won’t have to go out to buy food or drinks if it’s your team’s game day.
How to Use Amazon’s Sunday Delivery
1. Do Your Research
Amazon will only ship pre-orders and purchases made through the Amazon site — so if you find a product at Walmart or another store, you’ll have to order it there and pick it up in-store. The same goes for items that are in stock at stores: you can’t order them on Amazon and have them delivered on Sunday.
2. Shop!
If you’re looking for something specific or just browsing, use the Amazon mobile app to see if it’s available for Sunday delivery. If it is, don’t forget to check out with 1-Click ordering so your purchase can be sent directly to your door the next day (and make sure each item is eligible for free two-day shipping). Remember that eligible items must be pre-ordered before 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time on Saturday in order to be sent out the next day — although this does mean that you can place an order after 10 p.m. on Saturday night and still have it arrive on Sunday.
3. Sign Up For Prime
Some people will want to take advantage of the new service if only to sign up for Prime. Although you’ll have to pay a yearly fee of $99, that fee entitles you to free two-day shipping on all Prime-eligible Amazon products and exclusive discounts on select items. If you’re already a Prime member but don’t pay for an annual renewal, log into your account and cancel beforehand (you can always renew later). Once you’ve signed up for Amazon Sunday shipping, re-activate your Prime membership; once again, this will enable you to get free next-day delivery on eligible orders placed before 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time the day before delivery is set to occur (although this does mean that you could place an order at 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time on Saturday night and still have it delivered by Sunday).
4. Watch Out For Shipping Costs
The good news is that Amazon Sunday shipping is free for Prime members, but the bad news is that people who aren’t Prime members will have to pay $7.99 for next-day delivery on eligible orders of at least $35.
5. Sign Up For Emails
To ensure that you’re notified in advance of any new offerings from Amazon Sunday delivery, sign up to receive email notifications from Amazon. Keep in mind that the company is still testing the service, so if you don’t see the email there’s no need to panic — it might be offered again in the future. One reason that it could disappear at any time is if it turns out not to be profitable; however, given how much time and effort they’ve put into developing and marketing this offering, chances are good that we’ll continue to see Sunday delivery available through this service for quite some time.
Conclusion
Amazon’s Sunday Delivery is a great way to get the items you need quickly, without having to wait until the following week. If you’re an Amazon Prime member or spend a certain amount on select items, you can take advantage of this service for free. If you don’t have a Prime membership, you will have to pay a fee for Amazon’s Sunday Delivery.
