Amazon's free same-day delivery service added to 11 more metropolitan areas

Amazon has added 11 metropolitan areas to its free same-day delivery service, bringing the total number of US regions served by Amazon Prime to 27.

Prime customers get free same-day delivery on eligible purchases every day of the week, for orders over $35.

The retail giant started the service last year, waiving off the standard $5.99 fee for Prime subscribers in larger cities such as San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles.

With this expansion, the $99-a-year Prime subscription becomes even more tempting for people in smaller cities, as around a million of Amazon's items were available for delivery on the day they were ordered as against the 20 million that qualified for free two-day delivery.

Amazon said, "with these newly added areas, Prime free same-day delivery now serves 27 metro areas in the US, accounting for more than 1,000 cities and towns."

"Prime was developed to make shopping on Amazon fast and convenient, and millions of members have used Prime free same-day delivery to make their lives even easier," said Greg Greeley, vice president of Prime. "We keep making Prime better, and as our operational capabilities grow, we will continue to invent and expand delivery options that customers love."

The service would also expand in areas where it was already offered, including central New Jersey, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles and San Diego.

The service would remain unchanged in cities in which it was currently available, including Atlanta, Boston, Orlando and Seattle.

Under the terms and conditions, Amazon Prime promised to deliver members any orders that were made before the cutoff time, typically noon, by 9 pm local  time.

An Amazon Prime membership cost $99 and members could also get access to streamed movies, TV shows and Amazon-original productions.

Amazon also offered one-hour and two-hour delivery on tens of thousands of items for Prime members via its Prime Now mobile app programme, which was now available across 25 cities.