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Tired of porch pirates? Amazon now lets you schedule your package delivery

Image used with permission by copyright holder

With recent initiatives like Amazon Key, which lets delivery drivers drop off packages in your home or car trunk when you’re away, and Amazon Locker, Amazon has been making strides in making it easier, safer, and more convenient for shoppers to order what they need online. To further this mission, Amazon is now adding yet another delivery option. The company announced that subscribers to its Prime service can now schedule when a package gets delivered through a new service called Amazon Day.

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With the ability to schedule when your package will arrive on your front porch, Amazon is hoping to deter the rise of porch pirates who follow delivery vehicles and steal packages left unattended outside of homes. “This new delivery innovation enables Prime members to choose a day of the week to be their delivery day, which makes it easier to get purchases grouped and delivered together and, in many cases, in fewer packages,” the company stated in a press release. “Members can also choose from Prime’s fast, free shipping options for any item they don’t want to include as part of their Amazon Day shipment.”

In addition to helping reduce theft, the online retailer claimed that Amazon Day will also help with sustainability. By being able to group shipments together and reduce packaging waste, Amazon Day is part of the company’s efforts to have 50 percent of all shipments with a net-zero carbon footprint by the year 2030.

In a support page, Amazon noted that not all shipments will qualify for Amazon Day, but if you have an eligible item, you’re able to schedule a delivery date and time after the item has been added to your cart. Again, the service is only available for Amazon Prime customers, a subscription that costs $119 annually, or $13 per month. Amazon advises customers to have a current phone number associated with their Prime account, as the courier will call with a confirmation prior to delivery.

Being able to schedule a delivery date and time will make it more convenient for users to shop online and will give Amazon Prime an edge over competing delivery services, like Shipt and Shoprunner, as well as other retailers.

Chuong Nguyen
Silicon Valley-based technology reporter and Giants baseball fan who splits his time between Northern California and Southern…
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