For those of you not familiar with Amazon Fresh, it’s a grocery delivery service that will pickup and deliver fresh produce, meat, eggs, dairy, frozen items, and household items to your home. It use to cost $14.99/month but now it’s completely free with your Amazon Prime membership. Here are all the details so you can try it out for yourself…

Is Amazon Fresh Delivery Really Free?

If you’re a current Amazon Prime member, YES.

As long as your Amazon Fresh order totals at least $35, you’ll get free 2-hour delivery.

You pick the available time window for delivery, and Amazon takes care of the rest.

If your order totals less than $35, you’ll be hit with a $4.99 service fee.

See Also: 9 Amazon Prime Benefits You’re Probably Not Using

How Do I Know If Fresh is Available Where I Live?

Currently Amazon Fresh is available in these 19 major markets.

• Atlanta
• Baltimore
• Boston
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Denver
• Houston
• Indianapolis
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• Minneapolis
• New York
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Washington, D.C.

New cities are added every month so I will be sure to keep this list updated.

Will the Service be Available on Thanksgiving and Christmas?

YES.

I started a live chat session to verify this information with Amazon as I was curious.

As a matter of fact, Amazon Fresh will deliver 365 days a year and never takes a day off.

See Also: Here’s How to Use Your EBT Card to Buy Amazon Fresh Items

Can I Get Delivery in Under 2 Hours?

If you’re in a real pinch, and need 1-hour delivery, you’ll pay an extra fee between $4.99-$7.99 for order of $35 or more.

For orders under $35, you’ll pay an extra $9.99 fee.

Not a terribly high fee if you’re right in the middle of cooking a huge meal and need a few small things.

Where Do the Products Come From?

AmazonFresh packs and delivers products from nearby Amazon distribution centers.

But Amazon makes an effort to source local growers for many of their products whenever possible.

Many of the diary and egg products come from the Amazon in-house brand “Happy Belly”.

Many of the meat products come from brands like Organic Prairie, Jennie-O, Wellshire Farms, and Pre.

Are AmazonFresh Prices Competitive?

I personally think their prices are a little on the spendy side.

Here are a few popular Amazon Fresh grocery items (Seattle area) to give you an idea of pricing:

• Siggi’s Vanilla Yogurt, 5.3 oz: $1.25
• Bananas, 1 bunch (min. 5 ct.): $1.09
• Ancient Harvest Organic Quinoa, 12 oz: $8.49
• Organic Blackberries, 6 oz: $3.50
• Applegate Natural Sunday Bacon, 8 oz: $7.29
• Hass Avocado, 1 Lg: $1.00
• 365 Everyday Value, Organic Baby Spinach, 5 oz: $1.99
• Haagen-Daz Ice Cream, 14 oz: $4.89
• Red Onion, 1 Lg: $0.58
• 85% Lean Ground Beef, 1 lb: $5.59
• Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna, 5 oz: $3.26
• Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breast, 1.0 lb: $5.84
• Nature’s Own, Honey Wheat Bread, 20 oz: $2.88
• Happy Belly Cage-Free, Large, White Eggs, 1 Dozen: $2.48
• 365 Everyday Value, Large Brown Eggs, 1 Dozen: $2.79
• Brussels Sprouts, 16 oz: $2.69
• 365 Everyday Value, Salted Butter, 16 oz: $3.29
• Pirate’s Booty Puffs, 4 oz: $2.69
• 365 Everyday Value, Organic Coconut Unsweetened, 13.5 fl oz: $1.99

You’re definitely paying extra for the convenience of the service.

How do these prices compare to grocery stores in your neck-of-the-woods?

How is This Service Different than Prime Now?

It’s essentially the same service but Prime Now focuses on non-grocery and non-perishable items.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they scrap Prime Now in the next year and combine both Fresh and Now under the same service.

How Do I Join AmazonFresh?

If you’re already a Prime member, just visit the AmazonFresh page and start shopping.

If the area you live in is currently not a part of the program, you’ll see the “Request an Invite” button which you can click and Amazon will notify you via email when it’s available to you.

How Well Are Items Packaged for Delivery?

I have a friend in the Seattle area who recently tried Amazon Fresh and had his items left on his doorstep.

Here are his initial thoughts…

• Frozen Items – “My frozen items came with dry ice packs to keep them frozen until I got home”.
• Meats – “Came with multiple ice packs to keep items cold for several hours.”
• Dairy – “Packaged carefully to avoid leaks and also came with ice packs to keep stuff cold.”
• Fruits/Veggies – “I was impressive with the freshness and they seemed to be hand picked rather than just thrown into a bag at random.”
• Dry Goods – “Delivered in bags that hid the contents which I appreciated for security reasons.”

Let me know in the comments below if you’ve had a different experience than my friend’s.

Can College Students Use AmazonFresh?

If you live off-campus in a house or apartment you can definitely use the service.

BUT….if you live in a dorm room on-campus, Amazon Fresh will NOT deliver to you.

Also, if you’re a member of Amazon Student (or in the 6 month trial period) you can use Amazon Fresh, you just can’t get items delivered to a dorm room.

See Also: Amazon “Prime Student” Hacks (Plus a 6-Month Trial Membership)

Can AmazonFresh Orders Be Picked Up?

YES, and in many cases your order can often be picked up within 30 minutes of you placing it.

Amazon will give you local pickup options that may be available to you and let you know when you can pick-up your stuff.

Can I Use this Service Without Paying for Prime?

YES.

If you have a current SNAP EBT card (food stamps) you can use AmazonFresh without a Prime membership.

Can I Use Amazon Fresh During my Prime Free Trial?

YES.

You have all the same privileges during your 30-day free trial that a regular Prime membership gives you.

Ask the Reader: Have you tried AmazonFresh yet? What was your overall experience?

By Kyle James