Amazon recently tweaked its grocery delivery service options (again!), adding a new annual grocery subscription that gives Prime members free delivery on orders of $35 or more. But is it worth it? Read on for a side-by-side comparison between Amazon's grocery subscription and competing options for free grocery delivery, plus how you can save on your Amazon grocery order.
Of course, the best way to take advantage of all of Amazon’s delivery services is to sign up for Amazon Prime. In addition to grocery delivery perks, Prime membership has many other benefits.
For more smart shopping tips and savings hacks, download the KCL app or text HACKS to 57299.
What is Amazon Grocery Delivery?
Amazon Grocery Delivery allows those with an Amazon account (Prime or just a regular account) to shop groceries from Amazon's warehouses, Fresh stores, and Whole Foods and have them delivered straight to their home. Grocery delivery operates a bit differently from regular Amazon shipping. Because you're ordering fresh items, you'll need to choose a delivery window, and your groceries will be delivered in temperature-controlled packaging. Another difference: the free shipping for Prime members doesn't apply to grocery. There are fees attached to grocery orders under $100.
New for 2024: Amazon grocery subscription is here, but you have to pay extra on top of Prime.
Amazon is now offering Prime members the option to sign up its new Amazon Grocery subscription to get unlimited free delivery on grocery orders of $35 or more from Amazon Fresh (aka delivery from Amazon's own grocery warehouses), Whole Foods, and other local stores. This includes its fastest delivery option (one hour). You can still get grocery delivery without the subscription, but you'll continue to pay the usual delivery fees which vary, depending on delivery speed, order total, and whether or not you're a Prime member.
Here are the costs of the new subscription:
$9.99 monthly subscription
$99.99 annual subscription ($20 discount over paying monthly)
Keep in mind, though, that you have to pay for Amazon Prime to get these subscriptions, and that alone costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year (sign up for a free 30-day trial).
How the Amazon Grocery Delivery Subscription Works
This new subscription won't change much about how Amazon grocery delivery works. With or without a subscription, you can go into your Amazon account online or in the app and order groceries straight to your home.
The major change is that you don't have to worry about any fees if your order is $35 or more.
Does Amazon's Grocery Delivery Subscription work with my local grocery store?
It depends on where you live. Amazon is now incorporating local grocery stores into its options for subscribers in some areas. If you live in one of those areas, the subscription will allow you to shop Amazon Fresh (food stored in Amazon's warehouses or Amazon Fresh stores), Whole Foods, and select local grocers. Not all local stores participate in Amazon's network. To see if any local grocery stores near you are participating in Amazon's delivery network, enter your ZIP code on this page. When we typed in ZIP code 20002, for example, we found that Weis Markets participates.
You'll pay more for Amazon free grocery delivery compared to Walmart and Target
With its move to a grocery delivery subscription model, Amazon is shifting more toward Target's and Walmart's membership options, which have a heavy focus on same-day free grocery delivery. Just as with Amazon's grocery subscription, you don't have to get Target Circle 360 or Walmart+ to get grocery delivery, but you have to have them to get free grocery delivery with no per-order fees.
Here's how they compare when it comes to grocery delivery:
Service | Free grocery delivery on | Includes | Total price (monthly) | Total price (annually) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Orders $35+ | Groceries from Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods, local grocery stores | $24.98 (grocery subscription + Prime) | $238 (grocery subscription + Prime) | |
Orders over $35 | Target, Shipt Marketplace | $10.99 | $99 | |
Orders $35+ | Walmart stores | $12.95 | $98 |
Because you'll have to pay for Prime membership to even get the free grocery delivery subscription, Amazon is by far the most expensive option.
Is the Amazon Grocery Subscription Worth It?
Remember: free grocery delivery is just one of the benefits you get from paying any of these retailers a monthly or annual fee. You really have to compare the full suites of benefits of these services. Check out our guides to each one:
You'll have a lot of things to compare. For example: will you use Walmart's gas discount? Is Amazon Prime Video streaming a valuable benefit to you? Do you have the Target Circle credit card and want that 5% off?
In general, though, Amazon's grocery delivery subscription is worth it if any of the following are true for you:
You're already a Prime member and plan to stay one. At that point, the grocery delivery add-on is just an extra $99 a year or $9.99 a month.
You really like the Amazon Fresh grocery brands and Whole Foods.
You frequently place grocery orders under $100, or from Whole Foods. Even without the subscription, grocery orders over $100 are free with Prime anyway. But if you place smaller orders without the subscription, you'd pay $6.95 delivery fee for Amazon Fresh on orders between $50 and $100 or a $9.95 fee on orders under $50. Whole Foods delivery always charges Prime members a $9.95 fee. That means, if you get the subscription, you'd make up the $9.99 monthly fee in two orders.
Here's how to save on your Amazon grocery order, subscription or no.
Whether you have Prime, the grocery delivery add-on, or neither, you can save on Amazon groceries by using the following tips.
1. Be flexible to avoid that delivery fee.
If you're not a Prime member with a delivery subscription, you'll pay a fee on your Amazon grocery delivery. But how much that delivery fee is depends on basket size and your flexibility with timing. Your delivery fee could be as low as $4.95.
We tested a few grocery delivery orders on a non-Prime account and learned the following:
If you need your order within one hour, you'll pay up to $18.95 for delivery on orders under $50 and $15.95 on orders over $50. If you're willing to wait two hours or more, you'll lower that cost by $5 automatically. So give yourself some breathing room to lower your delivery fee.
Larger orders have lower delivery fees. In general, orders under $50 incur a $13.95 delivery fee, orders between $50 and $100 incur a $10.95 delivery fee, and orders over $100 incur a $4.95 delivery fee. So wait until you have a larger order to place in order to minimize the delivery fee.
KCL TIP: If you live near an Amazon Fresh store or a Fresh pickup location, you can opt to pick up your grocery order. No matter what your order total is, pickup is free.
2. Save up to 15% on Amazon grocery household items with Subscribe & Save.
Shopping through Amazon Subscribe & Save is an easy way to save up to 15% on groceries. Subscribe & Save is a subscription service through Amazon that delivers products straight to your door on a schedule of your choosing. You can select weekly or monthly deliveries. When you have five or more items set up in your Amazon Subscribe & Save, you’ll save up to 15% on each product. Certain products have a reduced savings of 5%.
You can save on everything from toilet paper and feminine hygiene products to paper plates and laundry detergent. Plus, there are Amazon Subscribe & Save deals you can shop to save even more.
And don’t sweat it if you don’t like Subscribe & Save. Canceling your Subscribe & Save is super easy.
3. Clip Amazon’s virtual coupons and save more on groceries.
If you didn’t know already, you can coupon on Amazon. I’d even suggest you should avoid brand loyalty and buy whichever brand has a coupon! Amazon coupons range from $0.35 off up to $10 off, depending on the price of your item.
And of course, if we see a really good Amazon coupon, we’ll post about it on our Amazon Coupons page.
4. Shop Amazon grocery deals of the week.
Amazon frequently offers discounts on its Amazon Fresh brands. We've seen up to 30% off for non-Prime members. Prime members can save even more (we've spotted up to 50% off Amazon Fresh items). Check out Amazon's grocery deals page to see discounts for Prime and non-Prime shoppers alike.
5. Score uber-cheap Add-on Items when you spend $25 or more.
Any time you’re making an Amazon purchase over $25, check out Amazon Add-on Items to save up to 50% on stuff like Band-Aids, Planters peanuts, toothpaste, deodorant, and more. These items are normally marked down low because they’ll ship only if you’re purchasing an amount over $25.
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