Amazon Prime Members Will Stop Getting Free Whole Foods Delivery Again!

By NATE GARTRELL On Oct 30, 2021

Those who enjoy Whole Foods’ delivery will be disappointed to learn that Amazon will remove one of its perks from Amazon Prime memberships. Whole Foods orders that are delivered within two hours will now be charged for a $9.95 delivery charge by Amazon this week.

Before, Amazon Prime which costs $119 per year or $12.99 per month had had the Whole Foods service for free.

Amazon warned subscribers last month that the new fee was coming, even though it only took effect this week. An employee of Whole Foods told CNN Business that the extra charge is for operating costs like technology and equipment, and not for raising prices on the groceries.

Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Portland, Maine, Providence, Rhode Island, and Manchester, New Hampshire have been the six markets that will operate under the new fee over the summer before it went nationwide. There will also be an additional charge for a one-hour delivery for customers who will need such quick delivery.

Since Amazon acquired Whole Foods in 2018, the perk has been available with Prime memberships. In addition to the free one-hour pickup at Whole Foods store locations, Prime members will still have access to other Whole Foods benefits. Orders placed through Amazon Fresh will not be charged the new fee.

Walmart jumped at the chance to provide something Amazon could not provide before the Whole Foods fee went into effect. According to CNN Business, Walmart declared last week it would refund $9.95 to Walmart+ subscribers.

“Because customers deserve a grocery delivery service that won’t leave a Whole in their wallet for delivery fees – whoops, typo,” an email from Walmart stated.

Among Walmart+’s perks is free shipping without a minimum order, similar to Amazon Prime. Annually, it costs $98, and monthly it costs $12.95.

After a year of the Coronavirus pandemic, Americans are starting to feel the pinch of higher grocery costs. According to the Consumer Price Index, grocery prices rose by 3% from 2020. The cost of dining out also increased by 4.7% from last year.

Adobe’s Digital Economy Index calculates that grocery shopping costs increased by 1.64% in August 2021 compared to August 2020. The total cost of shopping online also climbed up by 3.1%.

Customers can still find a way to save money at Whole Foods as an Amazon Prime customer. Blue tags in stores indicate Prime members are eligible for sales on specific items in addition to the free one-hour pickup option, reports CNet.

Also, when an item already on sale has a yellow tag, Prime subscribers are eligible to get an extra 10% off. Customers can also get additional exclusive Prime deals through Whole Foods Market’s app at checkout.