Amazon to Offer In-Garage Deliveries Prime members in 37 cities will be able to choose a new 'in-garage delivery' option when checking out on Amazon's website.
This story originally appeared on PCMag
Are you worried about porch pirates stealing your packages, but too sketched out to give Amazon access to your home or car? How about your garage?
The online retail giant on Monday announced it's expanding its Key by Amazon service to offer in-garage deliveries. Starting in the second quarter of the year, Prime members in 37 cities will be able to choose a new "in-garage delivery" option when checking out on Amazon's website.
Customers who select this option will receive notifications via the Key app when their package is on the way, when their garage door opens for the delivery, and when it closes. Those with a Cloud Cam ($119.99 at Amazon) will also be able to watch the delivery as it happens.
Amazon is launching Key for Garage in collaboration with the Chamberlain Group (CGI), a company that makes garage door openers. For it to work, you'll need a Chamberlain or LiftMaster myQ-connected garage door opener or a Key for Garage Kit to add connectivity to your existing setup. To sign up to be notified when Key for Garage is available, head here.
Amazon will use an "encrypted authentication process" to verify that the right driver is at the right address before the garage door opens, CGI said in a news release. After the delivery, the driver won't move on until the garage door closes.
"A self-contained extension of the home, the garage offers a convenient destination for delivery hurdles such as potential theft and missed deliveries," CGI President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Meredith said in a statement. "Prime members now have a new secure delivery option for all of their purchases."
In other Key news, Ring customers will soon be able to lock and unlock Key-compatible smart locks from the Ring app, Amazon announced. This feature is expected to launch this quarter.
"Ring's customers already regularly use two-way talk on Ring devices to scare off would-be thieves or other bad actors," Ring Chief Inventor and Founder Jamie Siminoff said in a statement. "With the integration of Key, they'll also be able to use the Ring app to open the door to neighbors, family, and service providers they do want coming and going, no matter where they are."
Plus, lock manufacturer Schlage just introduced a new Wi-Fi-enabled smart lock for Key. The Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt is available for pre-order now and slated for release on March 5. It costs $250 alone or $300 when bundled with an Amazon Cloud Cam ($119.99 at Amazon).
Finally, Amazon also this week introduced Key for Business, a smart fob that lets Amazon delivery drivers drop off packages to commercial and residential properties without having to bother building staff for access every time. Amazon says Key for Business is currently available to "hundreds of building across the country."
