Driven by social distancing measures amid the fight against COVID-19, consumers have moved much of their shopping online. Globally, eCommerce sales are expected to hit $4.2 trillion in 2020, compared to $3.5 trillion in 2019.
To win over shoppers, a growing number of businesses big and small are advertising ultra-fast delivery.
If you can recall, there was a time when two-day delivery was the “ultra-fast” shipping speed to beat— but these days, even next-day delivery is considered standard. Now, it’s same-day delivery that is considered the holy grail of online shipping.
Same-day delivery has been attempted (unsuccessfully) a few times in the past, including Kozmo.com in the ‘90s and LicketyShip Inc. in the 2000s. As we near the end of 2020, it looks like several major brands have finally gotten the hang of same-day shipments. Today, same-day delivery is offered by a growing number of popular retailers, from electronic stores to makeup purveyors.
This holiday season, get your gifts delivered faster than you can say “Amazon Prime”. Just refer to the guide below, where we’ve included instructions, costs, cutoff times and other need-to-know info for getting same-day delivery from your favorite stores. Don’t forget to tip your delivery person generously!
Amazon
- Price: Free to Prime members on eligible orders.
- Minimum order: $35.
- Deadline to place order: Noon .
A leader in the race to offer the fastest shipping speeds, Amazon first tested same-day delivery in 2009. Now, the eCommerce giant offers free same-day shipping on millions of qualifying items to more than 8,000 cities. Check if free same-day delivery from Amazon is available in your area.
How to use Amazon same-day delivery
Note that to get free same-day delivery from Amazon, you must be a Prime member (otherwise, you’ll need to pay $12.99 per item). As a Prime Member, you can enjoy free same-day delivery on eligible orders over $35. If you don’t hit the $35 minimum, you can opt to pay a shipping fee of $5.99 per item.
To identify which products are available for same-day shipping, look for products labeled “Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery”. For same-day delivery, you typically must place your order before noon to receive your purchase by 9 p.m. that night.
Bed Bath & Beyond
- Price: $4.99 plus tip.
- Order minimum: $39.
- Deadline to place order: Varies by ZIP code.
Bed Bath & Beyond recently launched its same-day delivery service in select areas across 48 states. To power its same-day service, Bed Bath & Beyond has teamed up with Shipt.
How to use Bed Bath & Beyond same-day delivery
If you want to enjoy same-day delivery, you must spend at least $39 on qualifying items at Bed Bath & Beyond or buybuy Baby stores. At checkout, you’ll pay a flat delivery fee of $4.99. The cut-off time for same-day delivery will depend on your zip code, so it’s best to get your order in as early as possible.
In addition to shopping directly at BedBathBathandBeyond.com and buybuyBaby.com, you can also place your order through Shipt.com or the Shipt app. If you are a Shipt member, you get free delivery on Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy Baby orders over $35.
Best Buy
- Price: $5.99.
- Order minimum: None.
- Deadline to place order: 1 p.m.
Best Buy began testing same-day shipping in the Bay Area in 2015 and has since expanded to metro areas across the country. Same-day service is available for most items in stock at your local store. See if same-day delivery from Best Buy is available in your area.
How to use Best Buy same-day delivery
To get same-day delivery from Best Buy, place your order online at BestBuy.com before 1 p.m. If your purchase qualifies, you’ll see same-day delivery as an option when you check out. Same-day deliveries will arrive by 9 p.m.
Big Lots
- Price: $10 – $95 plus tip.
- Order minimum: None.
- Deadline to place order: Varies by ZIP code.
In summer 2020, Big Lots rolled out same-day delivery from more than 1,100 stores in 300 markets nationwide. Same-day service is available for nearly every item that your local store has in stock.
How to use Big Lots same-day delivery
To schedule same-day delivery, visit BigLots.com and find your nearest store by ZIP code, city, or state. When you shop, you can filter products by “available in-store” to search for items currently available in your chosen Big Lots location. If a product is available for same-day delivery, it will be listed as a shipping option when you click “add to cart.”
Order cut-offs and delivery windows vary by store and costs vary by order size. Here is how same-day delivery pricing from Big Lots breaks down:
- $10 for small orders.
- $35 for medium orders.
- $95 for large orders.
Costco
- Price: Free to members plus tip.
- Order minimum: $35.
- Deadline to place order: Varies by ZIP code.
Costco kicked off its same-day grocery delivery service in 2017. Same-day orders are fulfilled by Instacart. Costco offers the service on more than 2,000 grocery items, including produce, meats, fish, dairy and other fresh goods. Same-day service is available in most metropolitan areas. See if same-day delivery from Costo is available in your area.
How to use Costco same-day delivery
To try out same-day delivery, head to Costco.com, log in to your Costco account and search for “Same Day”. Qualifying items will be listed if they are available for same-day delivery in your ZIP code. To qualify for same-day delivery, you must spend a minimum of $35 on same-day-eligible items. Because service and delivery costs are included in same-day-order pricing, you do not have to pay any additional fees, aside from a tip for your delivery person.
At checkout, you can choose a two-hour delivery window. If your order contains alcohol or prescription medication, you’ll need to verify your ID. You should be present for your delivery (according to Costco’s rules), though contactless delivery is available for orders without alcohol or prescription medication.
Note that Costco same-day delivery orders are independent from other purchases made on Costco.com. Essentially, that means you must check out with your same-day delivery order separately from your standard shipping-speed Costco.com order.
Keep in mind: Only members can use the same-day delivery service directly from Costco.com. Non-members may access same-day service if they order Costco items through Instacart’s Costco marketplace. Instacart’s standard delivery fees apply ($3.99+ for non-members, free for members of Instacart Express on orders over $35).
Macy’s
- Price: $15 for orders that qualify for free standard shipping; $25.95 for all other orders plus tip.
- Order minimum: None.
- Deadline to place order: Noon for Macy’s; 1 p.m. for Bloomingdale’s.
Macy’s just announced plans to join the ranks of retailers offering same-day delivery, with its same-day service set to launch at the end of Oct. 2020. To provide ultra-fast shipping, Macy’s partnered with DoorDash, a restaurant delivery company that is expanding to include retail. Orders will be powered by Drive, DoorDash’s white-label fulfillment platform. Same-day service will be available at 500 Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores across 47 states.
How to use Macy’s same-day delivery
To order same-day delivery, shop on either Macys.com or Bloomingdales.com or either store’s mobile app. Look for products marked with the same-day delivery icon and select the “same-day” option at checkout. You must make your purchase before noon from Macy’s and before 1 p.m. from Bloomingdale’s. No minimum order is required, but a fee of $15 will be charged for orders that don’t qualify for free standard shipping and a fee of $25.95 will be charged on orders that don’t.
Nordstrom
- Price: $20 plus tip.
- Order minimum: None.
- Deadline to place order: 4 p.m.
Nordstrom also launched a same-day delivery service in the summer of 2020, albeit within a very limited area. Same-day delivery from Nordstrom is available on in-stock items to shoppers in New York City and the Hamptons. See if same-day delivery from Nordstrom is available in your area.
How to use Nordstrom same-day delivery
If you do happen to live in New York City or the Hamptons, you can get same-day delivery by selecting “same-day” when you check out. You must place your order before 4 p.m. to receive same-day shipping; orders arrive before 8 p.m. Same-day delivery from Nordstrom costs $20.
Office Depot & Office Max
- Price: $15 plus tip.
- Order minimum: None.
- Deadline to place order: 5 p.m.
After teaming up with Shipt, Office Depot & Office Max began offering same-day delivery on eligible products in 1,100 stores across the U.S. in April 2020. See if same-day delivery from Office Depot & Office Max is available in your area.
How to use Office Depot & Office Max same-day delivery
You can place a same-day delivery order online at OfficeDepot.com or through the Office Depot app. To see if a product is eligible for same-day shipping, look for the same-day delivery option at checkout. Same-day orders must be placed before 5 p.m to arrive before 8 p.m. The cost of same-day delivery is $15.
PetSmart
- Price: $5 plus tip
- Order minimum: None
- Deadline to place order: 3 p.m.
Like Macy’s, PetSmart has partnered with DoorDash to offer same-day delivery from more than 1,400 stores around the country. Same-day delivery is available on thousands of pet products online.
How to use PetSmart same-day delivery
You can place a same-day order online at PetSmart.com or using the PetSmart app. To find out if same-day delivery is available in your area, enter your address after clicking the “check availability” link on a product page or in your cart. You can place and receive your orders during the following windows:
- Place an order by 9 a.m. for delivery between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
- Place an order by 1 p.m. for delivery between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- Place an order by 3 p.m. for delivery between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
A $5 delivery fee applies to same-day orders. After placing your order, your delivery person will drop your order off on your doorstep — no contact required.
Sam’s Club
- Price: $8.99+ plus tip.
- Order minimum: $10.
- Deadline to place order: Varies by ZIP code.
Sam’s Club and Instacart joined forces back in 2018 to offer same-day delivery on grocery and everyday essential items. Now, same-day delivery through Instacart is offered at all Sam’s Club’s locations (aside from those in Puerto Rico).
How to use Sam’s Club same-day delivery
To get same-day shipping from Sam’s Club through Instacart, you do not have to be a Sam’s Club member — though members can enter their membership number to receive exclusive lower prices. You can shop for same-day orders on Instacart’s Sam’s Club marketplace using the Instacart app or desktop site. Deliveries can be scheduled for as little as one hour. The cost of same-day delivery from Sam’s Club is as follows:
- $8.99 on orders $35 or more
- $12.99 on orders under $35
- $10.99 for one-hour delivery on orders $35 or more
- $14.99 for one-hour delivery on orders under $35
Same-day delivery from Sam’s is free for members of Instacart Express on orders over $35.
Sephora
- Price: $3.99+ plus tip
- Order minimum: $10
- Deadline to place order: Varies by zip code
Sephora unveiled its same-day delivery service in September 2020. To hook shoppers up with delivery as fast as an hour, the beauty retailer joined forces with Instacart. The service is available from more than 400 stores across the U.S. and Canada.
How to use Sephora same-day delivery
Same-day delivery from Sephora is available through Instacart’s Sephora marketplace, either via the app or desktop platform. On Instagram’s newly developed Sephora-specific storefront, you can browse thousands of products from more than 300 brands and hunt down the right color using a one-click shade selector.
To access the same-day service, you pay a delivery fee to Instacart, which starts at $3.99 for same-day orders over $35. If you have an Instacart membership, same-day delivery is free on orders over $35. Prices vary for one-hour deliveries and orders under $35.
As a member of Sephora Beauty Insider, you can earn points and participate in Sephora’s Savings Events when you shop through Instacart — just enter your Sephora email address at checkout.
Staples
- Price: $3.99+ plus tip.
- Order minimum: $10.
- Deadline to place order: Varies by ZIP code.
In summer 2020, Staples introduced its same-day delivery service to more than 1,000 locations open wide. Like many a retailer on this list, Staples teamed up with Instacart to power this speedy service.
How to use Staples same-day delivery
You can access same-day shopping on Instacart’s Staples marketplace using the Instacart app or desktop site. Standard Instacart delivery and service fees apply and — as always — same-day delivery is free for members of Instacart Express on orders of $35 or more.
Target
- Price: $9.99 for non-Shipt members plus tip.
- Order minimum: None.
- Deadline to place order: Varies by store hours.
Target’s same-day delivery service is also powered by Shipt, which Target actually acquired back in 2017. With Target’s same-day service, you can get delivery in as little as one hour after placing your order. The same-day selection includes more than 65,000 products, including groceries, toys, select electronics and more. Same-day delivery is available in most metropolitan areas of the U.S. See if same-day delivery from Target is available in your area.
How to use Target same-day delivery
To place an order for same-day delivery from Target, you have five options:
- Visit the Same Day Delivery home page on Target.com.
- Visit Target.com and filter by “same-day delivery” to browse eligible items.
- Use the Target App and select “shop by category” or navigate to the “to go” tab in your account.
- Visit Shipt.com and place an order from Target.
- Use the Shipt app to place an order from Target.
No matter what method you choose, delivery is $9.99 per order for non-Shipt members. Members of Shipt get free shipping on orders over $35.
Walmart
At Walmart, there are two different avenues for getting same-day shipping:
Walmart+
- Price: Free for Walmart+ members plus tip.
- Order minimum: $35.
- Deadline to place order: Varies by ZIP code.
The big-box retailer’s response to Amazon Prime, Walmart+ is a subscription service offering a variety of perks, including free unlimited same-day delivery on qualifying orders of $35 or more. Free, unlimited delivery is available for Walmart+ members in most metropolitan areas. See if same-day delivery from Target is available in your area.
How to use Walmart+ same-day delivery
Once you are a member of Walmart+, you can shop from the pickup & delivery section of Walmart.com or the Walmart app. Same-day shipping is available for virtually any item currently available at your local Walmart.
A Walmart+ membership costs $12.95 per month or $98 per year. You can try out Walmart+ in a free 15-day trial.
Walmart Express
- Price: $10 + shipping fee of $7.95 or $9.95 plus tip.
- Order minimum: $35.
- Deadline to place order: Varies by ZIP code.
Walmart launched its Express Delivery service in April 2020. Express Delivery service gets orders delivered in under two hours and is available on more than 160,000 items — from groceries to electronics to toys. The service is available on qualifying orders of $35 or more.
How to use Walmart Express same-day delivery
To get delivery in two hours or less, shop from the pickup & delivery section of Walmart.com or the Walmart app. The cost of Express delivery is $10 in addition to Walmart’s typical delivery fees of $7.95 or $9.95.
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