If you’re a fan of Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh delivery, Amazon’s new grocery subscription might make things a little cheaper.
U.S.-based Amazon Prime members, who already pay $15 a month for a Prime membership, can now access an added $10 grocery subscription that makes deliveries on orders from Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and local grocery stores free for orders above $35.
The subscription covers specialty stores like Rite Aid and Pet Food Express. Depending on the area, the delivery could arrive within an hour at no extra cost.
Prime subscribers can already get food delivered through Amazon — but without the added grocery subscription, they have to pay $10 in delivery fees for every Amazon Fresh order below $50 and $7 in fees for orders from $50 to $100. Amazon Fresh deliveries above $100 are free. Whole Foods grocery deliveries usually cost $10 in fees per order.
The new service can help Prime members save money if they order groceries more frequently and if their orders would usually cause them to pay added fees.
Amazon pitched the 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.” Either option would cost $10.
Members can also get 30-minute pickup times on orders, no matter how big or small, and have priority access to recurring grocery orders.
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Non-Prime members with an EBT (electronic benefit transfer) card can access the same subscription for $5 per month, without paying extra for a Prime membership.
Amazon is currently offering a free 30-day grocery delivery service trial to Prime members and EBT card holders.
Photo by Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
Earlier this month, reports emerged that Amazon’s cashier-free “Just Walk Out” technology at its Fresh stores in the U.S. stores required human review that was conducted abroad. Amazon decided to replace Just Walk Out with Dash Carts that track what shoppers put into their carts and give them a running total as they move throughout the store.
Amazon started testing out the grocery delivery subscription last year in select areas in Colorado, California, and Ohio. As of Tuesday, the service is available in 3,500 cities and towns throughout the U.S.
