Google battles Amazon in bringing same-day delivery services
Source: Mike Lata
If you are an online shopper who lives in the digital age of instant gratification, you should know that both Google's and Amazon's same-day delivery services are expanding in scope. This means you can get your items delivered to you within a 24-hour timespan of your purchase.
The two companies are battling for geographical locations of their services and for your shopping dollars. Amazon has lost Las Vegas, but gained Dallas and San Francisco. It has also expanded into LA along with Google - who also expanded its services recently into New York.
Keep in mind that the cities in question may not be fully supported by the services in question. Only the Manhattan area of NY was mentioned as being supported by Google along with only the West LA portion of LA.
Amazon seems to be targeting a wider scope of residence within cities it expands to; however, the zip code still has to match their service deliveries within the city limits. You may see "Get it Today" or "Get it Tomorrow" filters on Amazon.com if you live within the city limits of where Amazon has expanded its same-day delivery service. Some cities even offer deliveries on Saturdays and Sundays.
You can search directly via Amazon.com for items eligible for the same-day delivery shipments by filtering "Local Express Delivery" in the search field. Alternatively, items you browse may display the "Same-Day Delivery" option for you and you can choose it via checkout. Amazon's websites lists all the supported cities as well, which is worth to check out as the company continues to expand.
Amazon will charge you $9.98 per item and $.99 for additional items, unless you are a Prime member, where you can use the service for as low as $2.99 per item and up, depending on weight.
Google has a website dedicated to its one-day delivery service, called "Google Shopping Express," where you can insert your zip code right away and see if your area of residence is supported. It is part of the Google Shopping service, which relies on third-party shops listing the items, while Google acts as the middle man for consumers.
The Google Shopping ship rates, in general, vary depending on merchant. However, Google is offering its own rates for the same-day deliveries. Right now you can sign up for a membership with six months of free shipping using the service. The service generally runs around $4.95 per item without a membership.
Both Google's and Amazon's services are locked in a tight battle for control over your eCommerce habits. Amazon has expressed concerns with its reliance on FedEx, UPS and USPS services, while Google has its own trucks and delivery men doing the product deliveries. Although, Amazon is also experimenting with its own grocery delivery service called AmazonFresh.
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