Amazon now lets customers in more than 2,300 U.S. cities and towns order perishable groceries alongside other items for Same-Day Delivery, according to its May 12, 2026 update. The service adds another option in a crowded grocery-delivery market that includes Instacart, but the available figures do not establish which service is cheaper, faster, or more widely available. Your address, basket, and membership status determine whether Amazon’s option makes financial sense.
What Amazon’s expanded Same-Day grocery service includes
Amazon’s Same-Day service now includes produce, dairy, meat, seafood, baked goods, and frozen foods, which customers can place in the same cart as other Amazon items. Availability is local: the company’s reported reach of more than 2,300 U.S. cities and towns does not mean the service reaches every address in those places. Check your address on Amazon’s grocery page before relying on it.
Amazon says its broader grocery lineup also includes Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh, Amazon Now, and local grocers or specialty retailers. Those are distinct options, with different assortments, fees, and delivery windows. Amazon describes Amazon Now as a 30-minutes-or-less service that is expanding into dozens more cities in 2026; that is not the same offering as the Same-Day service discussed here. The company’s guide outlines the options and their local availability.
What delivery costs—and when Prime may help
Amazon’s May 2026 update and current guide list these Same-Day delivery terms. They are published terms, subject to local conditions and change:
#1 Best Overall
- 🎒[XL LARGE]🛍️: Spacious insulated bags - Size: 16W x 12.5H x 9D inches. Fits 24 bottles of 500ml Cola. Great for food delivery and grocery shopping.
- ☀️[INSULATION EXCELLENT]❄️: The insulated bags feature a cutting-edge triple-layer insulation system(High-quality aluminum foil, Thick thermal insulation foam, High-density fabric). They ensure exceptional temperature retention for your items.
- 💪[STRONG WEIGHT-BEARING]⏲️: The insulated bags can hold up to 60 pounds of weight, ensuring you can carry your items with ease and confidence.Crafted with superior quality materials,The quality is good and durable. It can be reused for over a year, making them an eco-friendly option.
- [DURABLE ZIPPERS]🪢: The insulated bags has two high-quality zippers. Rest assured, your belongings will remain safely enclosed, preventing any accidental spills or items from falling out. Zippers can be reused more than 1,000 times, these zippers are designed to withstand repeated opening and closing.
- 🥳[OUTSTANDING SERVICE]🎉: We stand behind the quality of our bags. In the unlikely event of any damage within the 1 year, simply reach out to us immediately. We are committed to ensuring your satisfaction and will replace you à new one for free.
| Customer and order | Published delivery fee |
|---|---|
| Prime member, order over $25 | Free in most areas |
| Prime member, order below $25 | $2.99 |
| Customer without Prime | $12.99, regardless of order size |
For a Prime member, the practical question is whether the basket clears $25 and whether the items and delivery window work for the household. A small order below the threshold carries a fee, while a nonmember faces a higher listed fee. These figures cover Amazon’s Same-Day option with perishables; they should not be assumed to apply to Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, Amazon Now, or a local retail partner.
Amazon’s guide says the Freshness Guarantee badge means the item will arrive as expected or Amazon will make it right. That is Amazon’s stated policy, not an independent measure of food quality or a promise that every grocery item carries the badge.
Rank #2
- 【LARGE CAPACITY】: Dimension: 23W x 15H x 14D. One set of 1-pack bag, with capacity of 79L/20.5 Gallon. The big insulated grocery shopping zippered bags work perfect for men. The extra large utility tote bag has good effect to keep lunch food warmer or cooler for more than 1.5 hours. It's a good food storage bag. Internal Dimemsion of catering bag doordash 22x14x13
- 【KEEP FOOD WARM/COLD】: The insulated grocery shopping bags are both cooler and warmer bags for women. The thermal and storage bags have good effect to keep food hot or cold
- 【MULTI-PURPOSE】: The large soft tote bags work for women and men. The large capacity cooler bag has multiple functions. It's the best carry bags for can, wine, water, beverage, drink. It could also used for meal and pizza delivery, food packaging, travel, shopping, travel to beach, food trasport by car, cart shopping for groceries, catering bag for hot/cold food deliveries
- 【DURABLE】: The external cloth of insulated grocery bags are made of fabric, material of internal is leakproof and easy cleaned alumnium foil. It is washable.The reusable shopping bags for groceries are heavy duty. The insulated bag with cooler function is perfect for men, boys
- 【COLLAPSIBLE】: The reusable grocery shopping bags are foldable. The folding cooler bag is portable with dimension of 23W x 15H x 2D Inch, which could save space and easy to store
What Amazon’s figures say about customer uptake
Amazon’s May 12, 2026 update reported that the available fresh-grocery selection had grown by more than 30% since August, and that nine of the ten top-selling Same-Day items were perishables in areas where the service was available. The company also said perishable grocery sales had grown 30 times since January; its update does not specify the January year in that comparison, so the figure should not be read as a precisely defined annual growth rate.
In its 2025 annual-report letter, published in 2026, Amazon separately said perishable Same-Day sales had grown more than 40 times since the service began in early 2025. This is a different time window from the May update’s 30-times figure. Amazon also said its grocery business had more than $150 billion in gross sales in 2025, making it the second-largest U.S. grocer. These are company-reported numbers, not independently verified comparisons of service performance or market position.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Rank #3
- 【SUPER PRACTICAL】:Designed with a large and strong build, the Insulate Delivery bag uses an insulating layer to store hot and cold items and preserve freshness. These pizza delivery bags are big enough for a variety of needs and function well as a catering bag.
- 【LARGE CAPACITY】:23"W * 15"H * 14"D, weight only 0.65 LB/10.4 OZ, soft ,durable material, can help you save valuable space, Internal Dimension: 22x14x13 Inch. This Insulated Delivery bag is also suitable for your car to store food or to help you clean the trunk, folded size only 15.5" * 12" * 1.7" , when you are not in use, you can even store it anywhere
- 【WATER RESISTANT】:These insulated bags come equipped with a waterproof aluminum lining to ensure both heat retention and water resistance. However, due to the stitching process used in making the bags, there may be a risk of water leakage at the stitched seams. This means that water inside the bag may potentially seep through at these stitched areas
- 【STRONG ENOUGH】: Insulate thermal Delivery bag has high-quality two-way zipper pocket and two pairs of hand straps, which is very easy to clean and has good insulation effect
- 【PRODUCT INFORMATION】: Food delivery bags for vip commercial delivery/rideshare drivers, designed for sandwich relay and premium catering needs. Size 23x14x15, warmer type, xxxl capacity, extra tall structure, suitable for etz 79 bike use. Accommodates bon, bread, and beverage items efficiently
How the expansion fits the Instacart competition
Amazon’s move brings fresh food into a shopping experience that can combine groceries and general merchandise in one order. Instacart’s examples in the available announcements use a retailer-partnership model: its World Market release describes same-day delivery for that retailer’s assortment, while its Albertsons announcement describes pickup and convenience delivery. These examples illustrate different ways to assemble selection; they do not show which company has greater coverage, lower fees, better freshness, or faster delivery.
A useful comparison is local and basket-specific. Before choosing, check:
Rank #4
- 【Capacity Size】23"W x 15"H x 14"D. Capacity of 79L/20.5 gallons. This large thermal shopping bag is very suitable for men. The oversized multifunctional handbag can keep lunch food warm or cooled. It is a great food storage bag. The internal dimensions of the catering bag are 22"x14"x13"
- 【Keep Food Temperature】The insulated shopping bag has both cooling bag and thermal bag functions. The hot/cold storage bag is effective in keeping food warm or cold
- 【Excellent Insulation Performance】 The insulated bag features a three-layer insulation system (high-quality aluminum foil, thick thermal foam, high-density fabric). They ensure your items have temperature retention effects
- 【Dual-side access】Designed with two separate access points, allowing fast item retrieval from either side. Strengthened construction holds up to repeated opening and closing in commercial settings.
- 【High Load Capacity】The insulated bag can carry up to 60 pounds, ensuring you can carry items easily and confidently. It is made with premium craftsmanship, offering good durability
- Address: Is delivery actually available where you live?
- Timing: What delivery window does the app offer for the day you need?
- Selection: Does the basket come from Amazon’s assortment, a named retailer, or a local partner?
- Total cost: What are the delivery fee, order minimum, service fees, and any other charges shown at checkout?
- Membership: Does the price depend on Prime or another membership?
- Problem handling: What do the service’s substitution, freshness, and refund policies say?
Fees and availability can vary by location and service, so comparing headline fees alone may not reveal the lower-cost choice for a particular order.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Amazon says it handles perishable orders
In its 2025 announcement, Amazon described specialized temperature-controlled fulfillment, a six-point quality check, and insulated bags for temperature-sensitive products. These are the company’s descriptions of its process, not independent validation of handling or delivery outcomes. The announcement also quoted Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores, saying the service was intended to create a quick and easy grocery experience.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Quick Recap
Best Value
- 【SUPER PRACTICAL】:This Insulate pizza delivery bag is large and strong enough to have an insulating layer that can store hot and cold items for a long time and keep them fresh. Durable Insulated Tote: Made from thick insulated material to keep food hot or cold for hours
- 【STRONG ENOUGH】:Insulate thermal pizza Delivery bag has high-quality two-way zipper pocket and two pairs of hand straps, which is very easy to clean and has good insulation effect
- 【LARGE SIZE AND CAPACITY】:23"W * 15"H * 14"D, soft ,durable material , can help you save valuable space. This Insulated Delivery bag is also suitable for your car to store food or to help you clean the trunk. Internal Dimension of catering bag 22x14x13
- 【PROMISE SATISFACTION】: Food delivery bags for vip commercial delivery/rideshare drivers.
- 【WATER RESISTANT】:These insulated bags come equipped with a waterproof aluminum lining to ensure both heat retention and water resistance. However, due to the stitching process used in making the bags, there may be a risk of water leakage at the stitched seams. This means that water inside the bag may potentially seep through at these stitched areas
How to check whether the service works for your order
- Open Amazon’s grocery page and enter the delivery address you would use for the order.
- Look for perishable items and other Amazon products that can be added to the same cart.
- Review the delivery window and the fee displayed for that address and basket. If you have Prime, check whether the order exceeds $25; the published terms offer free delivery over that amount in most areas.
- At checkout, review the final total and any substitutions or item-specific policies before placing the order.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
