The U.S. Postal Service and Amazon have begun a limited pilot program allowing Amazon packages dropped off in the afternoon to reach customers the same day via USPS delivery routes. A company representative confirmed the initiative, which uses the Postal Service’s existing infrastructure to create additional delivery opportunities for shoppers.
The program requires Amazon packages to arrive at USPS facilities between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. local time. After sorting, they are processed for delivery between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on the same day. The pilot launched on Tuesday at two locations: the Morgantown, West Virginia, sorting center and the Lake Havasu City, Arizona, facility. Each site will manage up to 200 packages across three designated routes, with no fixed conclusion.
According to Amazon spokesperson Terrence Clark, the workflow follows standard USPS procedures but introduces a new afternoon drop-off window. “For example, orders placed later in the day would now be eligible for same day delivery through this pilot,” Clark said. The test builds on Amazon’s longstanding use of USPS for a portion of its shipments, even as the company has rapidly expanded its own delivery network.
While the initial rollout covers just 200 packages at two locations, the program will expand to the Columbia, South Carolina, center on October 20. That facility will handle 500 packages across five routes. The move supports Amazon’s broader strategy of faster delivery options, including one-hour and three-hour services, as well as plans to extend drone delivery coverage to reach customers in as little as 30 minutes.
This collaboration benefits both companies. For Amazon, it strengthens same-day delivery capabilities, particularly for high-demand items like groceries and essentials. The Postal Service, meanwhile, faces ongoing financial pressures, and Amazon has become one of its largest customers, spending over $5 billion with the agency in recent years. Earlier this year, the two companies renegotiated their shipping agreement to improve efficiency.
The Postal Service has also pursued other ways to optimize its network. In January, it opened a bidding process for shippers to reserve capacity at last-mile facilities, enabling faster delivery options. The same-day pilot represents another step in this effort, though the agency declined to comment on the program by the time of publication.
