Amazon launches an unlimited grocery delivery subscription

Amazon is bringing back free(ish) grocery deliveries for orders over $35 in the form of a new monthly subscription program the company announced today. It’s $9.99 per month for Prime members and includes unlimited one-hour grocery delivery where it’s available, as well as unlimited 30-minute grocery pickups, with a half-cost option for low-income non-Prime members who qualify.

Amazon launched a trial of the subscription in three cities last year but now says it’s available in 3,500 cities across the US. Deliveries include groceries from Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh but also local grocers and specialty retailers that it’s partnered with. Subscribers get “priority access” for recurring weekly groceries, too.

This new subscription could be a boon for those participating in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as it can often be harder for them, physically, to get groceries, either due to time or physical limitations. There’s still a $4.99 monthly fee, though, and SNAP beneficiaries can’t pay that with their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card.

Amazon announced in December that it was testing the subscription, which sits on top of the standard $14.99 per month (or $139 per year) Prime membership. The company has been tinkering with its grocery delivery program for some time, having started out with free deliveries for orders over $35 originally. It raised the free delivery threshold to $150 last year, then lowered it to $100 several months afterward. For now, the company is offering the subscription as a 30-day free trial to anyone who hasn’t used it before.