Non-Prime Amazon customers can now use Amazon Fresh

Amazon has announced that its Amazon Fresh service will be opened up to non-Prime members, as one of several changes to its grocery services. Unlike Amazon Prime customers who have benefited from this perk for some time, non-members haven’t had access before. 

A news report from Bloomberg says that, initially, the service will be rolled out to all customers in 12 US cities: San Diego, Austin, Nashville, Sacramento, Charlotte, Portland (Oregon), Dallas, San Francisco, Phoenix, Richmond, Denver, and Boston. 

In a statement from the company, Amazon customers were informed that: “We’re always looking for more ways to make grocery shopping easy, fast, and affordable for all of our customers, and are excited to offer Amazon Fresh grocery delivery to customers without a Prime membership in a dozen U.S. cities. 

Now even more Amazon customers can benefit from our high-quality grocery experience, with Prime members continuing to save on grocery delivery fees and through exclusive savings on hundreds of items in-store.”   

Before this expansion, the only customers that could create orders with Amazon Fresh were those who purchased a Prime membership, which also has other benefits. 

As well as paying a membership fee, there were shipping charges for Fresh orders if they were less than $150, which ranged between $3.95 to $9.95 for each delivery. 

In comparison, non-Prime customers are expected to pay much higher charges when placing their orders. Amazon Fresh orders will probably cost between $7.95 and $13.95 just for delivery, but the actual cost will depend on how big the delivery is.  

Customers without a Prime membership will also be slightly limited in the services they can use. For example, members can use Whole Foods, but non-members can’t. However, this could be expanded in the future, and it’s also expected that the service will be rolled out across the country at a later time this year.