📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

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.

By Angela Moscaritolo

entrepreneur daily

This story originally appeared on PCMag

via PC Mag

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."

Angela Moscaritolo has been a PCMag reporter since January 2012. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Living

The BirdBike eBike Is Just $700 with Free Shipping

The eBike from the originators of the electric scooter trend is hundreds of dollars off for a limited time.

Business News

'Everyone Is in Complete Shock': A 500-Person Tesla Team Found Out 'in the Middle of the Night' Their Charger Division Was Laid Off

Other car companies that use the technology, such as General Motors and Ford, also weren't expecting the news, according to reports.

Career

This 'Cutting-Edge' Strategy Used By Meta and Google Is Helping Leaders Keep Young Employees Motivated

Archer Chiang, founder and CEO of Giftpack, breaks down the method that can improve results and retention.

Growing a Business

AI Marketing Is Flooding Social Media. Here's How to Make Sure You Don't Get Lost in the Robotic Noise.

Content overload from AI is the new normal. Marketing guru Mari Smithen shares strategies for navigating the AI revolution and getting your messaging across.