Get Fast Amazon Delivery After Your Order: Speed Up Shipping & Tracking
Ever gotten that Amazon order confirmation and instantly regretted not picking a faster delivery option? Waiting feels endless when you’re desperate for that phone charger, those noise-cancelling headphones, or—let’s be honest—just regular toothpaste because you forgot to get any actual groceries. But what if I told you it’s still possible to get your order sooner, even after you’ve already checked out? Yeah, most folks don’t know all the little levers you can pull after you hit that 'Buy Now' button. Today, we’re breaking down some real-deal Amazon secrets and logistics quirks that can save your bacon when you need your package ASAP.
How Amazon Delivery Actually Works After You Order
Before you try to speed anything up, it pays to understand the behind-the-scenes process. Amazon’s warehouse system is a wild beast—think 175 fulfillment centers worldwide, most running nearly 24/7. In 2024, Amazon shipped an estimated 8.1 billion packages globally. That’s over 22 million boxes per day. Orders zip through endless conveyor belts, barcode scanners, and robotic arms before they even make it into a delivery van.
After you place an order, here’s the usual drill:
- Order received: Amazon confirms your payment, checks inventory, and finds the nearest warehouse with your item.
- Packing: Humans (and, increasingly, robots) pick and pack your item. Fun fact: Kiva robots carry shelves right to workers, speeding up the process by 50% compared to the old days.
- Shipping label & sorting: Packages pass through sorting hubs, sometimes getting rerouted several times, especially if you’re in a remote spot like rural New Zealand or—brace yourself—a cottage off Wellington’s windy south coast.
- Transportation: Amazon uses its own vans, partner couriers, and even contracted drivers to get things moving. For international orders, your package might bounce through customs and up to three different service providers before arrival.
- Out for delivery: This is the famous ‘last mile,’ the trickiest part of delivery. In New Zealand, this can mean anything from a courier in a van to a rural driver popping stuff in your letterbox at 7 am.
Amazon Prime changed the game by guaranteeing one or two-day shipping for a ton of products—but what about after you order, when the die seems cast? Here’s where it gets interesting. Your package might still be sitting on a shelf if warehouse pickers haven’t grabbed it yet. And the earlier you act, the more options you’ve got.
Speed bumps can come from: item being at a warehouse far away, running out of regional stock, public holidays, or even a storm down south. According to a 2023 logistics whitepaper, the average Amazon package spends less than two hours waiting in a warehouse before packing, but rural addresses (like, say, Featherston) add an average of 1.9 days to standard shipping. The good news? You can sometimes game the system.
| Step | Average Time (in Hours) | Potential Delays |
|---|---|---|
| Order Confirmation | 0.05 | Payment processing issues |
| Packing | 1.8 | Warehouse backlog, peak shopping periods |
| Sorting & Labeling | 2 | Regional center availability |
| Shipping Transit | 16-48 | Rural areas, customs, carrier problems |
| Last Mile Delivery | 3-6 | Weather, driver shortages |
Proven Tricks to Get Your Amazon Package Faster
Here’s what everyone wants to know: can you actually speed things up after you click 'order'? Yes, sometimes. But you’ll need to move fast and get creative.
- Cancel & reorder with faster shipping: Once you hit Confirm, Amazon gives you a short window—sometimes less than 30 minutes—to cancel the order. If your package isn’t in 'Shipping Soon' or 'Shipped' status, you can cancel, go back, and reorder the same item using One-Day or Expedited Shipping, even if you didn’t choose it at checkout. Pro tip: On the Amazon app, you’ll often see a 'Cancel items' button until packing starts.
- Contact Amazon customer support quickly: If you can’t cancel because the cutoff passed, chat or call support straight away. Ask if your item can be upgraded to a faster method. They can’t always oblige, but if the package’s still in-house, Amazon reps have tools to resubmit your shipment with expedited shipping. Be polite but firm; sometimes mentioning urgency (medical needs, travel) helps.
- Swap to Amazon Locker or Pickup Point: Delivery to a Locker or Pickup Point is often one day faster, since couriers drop many packages at once and skip driving all over town. If your order hasn’t shipped, you can sometimes edit delivery location: go to Orders > Track Package > Change delivery instructions.
- Update delivery instructions: If your courier gets locked out of your building, you might get delayed a day or two. Edit your delivery instructions to clarify gate codes, pet warnings, or neighbors who can accept on your behalf. In New Zealand, specify where on the property’s safe to leave parcels if you’ll be out.
- Track your order with third-party apps: Amazon’s own tracking is solid, but there are apps like Parcel and AfterShip that ping you the second your order updates. This means you can adapt—for instance, if a signature is needed, make sure you’re home that day, or quickly contact the courier for rescheduling.
- Sign up for Amazon Prime: If you’re on the fence and have a big order or series of packages coming, it can be worth it to activate Prime for a month. In 2025, about 43% of New Zealand’s regular Amazon users pay for Prime—nearly triple from 2021. One-day or two-day shipping covers thousands of items, and the membership perks keep growing.
- Order split shipments: Sometimes, Amazon holds delivery until all items in an order are ready to go. Opt for split shipments if possible, especially when ordering from multiple sellers.
- Use the “Reschedule” and “Request Earlier Delivery” buttons: These only appear for Amazon Logistics deliveries (not always available in New Zealand, but growing quickly). If you see it, click it! Sometimes you can nudge your order up a day, especially if cancellations free up van slots nearby.
One hidden gem: some third-party sellers offer 'Priority Dispatch' or even same-day dispatch if you message them soon after purchasing. Look for sellers with high ratings who mention fast dispatch in their shop policies.
For urgent items, consider regional Amazon warehouses. For Kiwis, most Amazon AU orders come from Sydney or Melbourne, not the US or UK. Filtering by 'Ships from Australia' almost always slashes delivery by at least two days compared to international shipping.
Don’t overlook the effect of order time and day: ordering before 2pm local time maximizes your shot at next-day dispatch. Orders placed late Friday or on holidays may sit unopened until Monday.
| Trick | Chance of Success | Potential Delivery Time Saved |
|---|---|---|
| Cancel & reorder with faster shipping | High (if caught early) | 1-3 days |
| Contact customer support | Moderate | 0.5-2 days |
| Switch to Pickup Point | High (urban areas) | Up to 1 day |
| Sign up for Prime | High | 1-5 days on eligible items |
| Split shipments | Moderate | Varies |
Biggest hack? Don’t hesitate. Every minute counts, because once your package makes it to the packer’s trolley, it’s game over for switching speeds.
Real-World Delivery Hiccups and How to Beat Them
Even with every hack, life happens. Flooded roads, customs mix-ups, a courier who dumps your headphones on the neighbour’s porch—it never goes 100% to plan. But you can stack the odds in your favour.
- Check public holidays and courier strikes: Public holidays, especially in New Zealand and Australia, add “dead days” to the calendar. In April 2025, Amazon orders to the lower North Island saw delays since couriers paused for local Anzac Day. Track your country’s main courier calendars to avoid awkward surprises.
- Beware customs bottlenecks: Some items (like electronics or alcohol) get held for inspection at the border, dragging out delivery by a week or more. If you need speed, filter out products shipping from overseas or marked “may be subject to customs.”
- Keep shipping addresses up to date: Sounds stupid, but you’d be amazed how many delays come from one wrong digit. Double-check apartments, unit numbers, and especially postal codes if you’ve just moved—urban apartments in Wellington are notorious for missed deliveries when couriers can’t buzz residents.
- Sign up for text and email alerts: Opt in for every alert you can. Amazon, Aramex, and NZ Post all send push notifications as packages move. If you get a 'Delivery Attempted' status, jump on the phone to reroute your package for the next day rather than waiting another week for redelivery.
- Leverage local courier depots: If a package is stuck in town, sometimes you can contact the local courier or depot and arrange self-pickup. For really small items, this can shave a day and help you dodge missed delivery slips in your mailbox.
- Use Amazon’s map tracking: For certain orders, you get a live delivery tracker showing how many stops away your driver is—sometimes within a 2-hour window. If you’re on a busy street, this can mean ducking out to grab your box before it walks away.
- If it’s late, request compensation: Amazon’s on-time delivery promise is real. If your fast Amazon delivery doesn’t arrive as scheduled, jump on chat—often you’ll get a voucher or a free month of Prime as an apology, even for cross-border shipments.
Want to get scientific about your odds? Here are a few statistics from 2024, courtesy of Australia Post’s international e-commerce report and Amazon’s Q4 transparency update:
| Region | On-Time Delivery Rate | Average Delay (when late) |
|---|---|---|
| NZ Urban (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch) | 95.1% | 1.2 days |
| NZ Rural | 81.6% | 3.6 days |
| Australia Metro | 97.8% | 0.7 days |
| Australia Rural | 83.2% | 3.1 days |
The short version: urban Kiwis have good odds. Rural addresses still trip up systems, so always order earlier, and pick up at a city friends’ place or at work if it’s urgent. Power users even swear by renting a mailbox at a busy central post office just for rush orders, switching delivery there whenever needed.
Here’s one more hot tip: always, always check tracking. If your order seems stuck for more than 24 hours at one stage, reaching out to Amazon or the courier solves hang-ups surprisingly often. Packages, like people, sometimes need a nudge to get going again.