How To Delay Delivery On Amazon | Smart Delay Tips

There isn’t a button called Delay. You have several levers that push a delivery to a later day without drama. Before a parcel ships, you can switch to a slower speed. For large or scheduled items, you can move the appointment. When the box is already on the way, you can route it to an Amazon Locker, Counter, or a carrier pickup point and collect it when you return. This guide walks through each route with quick steps and limits so you pick the method that fits.

How To Delay Delivery On Amazon (Quick Routes)

Here are the common paths shoppers use when asking how to delay delivery on amazon. Pick the one that matches your order status and item type.

Method	When It Works	Where To Find It
Change Shipping Speed	Order not yet dispatched	Your Orders → Order Details → “Change” if shown
Reschedule Scheduled Delivery	Large items with a booked slot	Your Orders → Reschedule
Amazon Day	Prime checkout for eligible items	Checkout → “Amazon Day Delivery”
Amazon Locker / Counter	Ship to pickup; collect later	Checkout → Choose a Pickup Location
Carrier Hold (UPS/FedEx)	Shipped with those carriers	UPS/FedEx tracking → Hold at location
USPS Hold Mail	USPS delivers to your address	USPS Hold Mail request

Each option has a cutoff. Change links disappear once packing starts. Locker codes expire after a short window. Carrier holds require eligibility and valid tracking. The rest of this guide shows the exact steps and boundaries so you can act in the right order and avoid dead ends.

Change Shipping Speed Before It Ships

If the order still shows “Not yet dispatched” or “Preparing for shipment,” you may be able to slow it down. Amazon allows edits to some order details until packing starts. Look for a Change link next to delivery speed or delivery day in Your Orders. If you see it, select a slower option such as Standard, No-Rush (when available), or Amazon Day, then confirm.

• Open Your Orders — Find the item and select Order Details.
• Click Change — If the delivery speed line shows a Change link, select it.
• Select A Slower Speed — Pick Standard, No-Rush, or a later Amazon Day.
• Save — Review the new date range and confirm.

If the link isn’t visible, two routes remain. Place a new order with a slower speed, then cancel the original if cancellation is still offered. Or keep the original and move it to a pickup option once a tracking link arrives. Re-ordering helps when stock is stable and price hasn’t moved; pickup helps when you can’t risk a sell-out.

Shipping credits and promotions may change when you edit speed. If you used a No-Rush credit, switching away from No-Rush can remove that perk for the order. Review the totals on the confirmation screen before you press Save.

Amazon Day has its own setting for a preferred weekday. You can set that day once and use it at checkout whenever you want a later drop. Not every item or address shows Amazon Day, and some third-party orders ship on the seller’s schedule. If the option is missing, choose a pickup route instead at checkout.

Reschedule A Scheduled Delivery

Big items delivered by appointment—fridges, furniture, TVs, treadmills—use Scheduled Delivery. These orders usually show a button labeled Reschedule inside Your Orders. Pick a new slot that fits your return date and confirm. The window might fill quickly in busy seasons, so act as soon as your plans change.

• Go To Your Orders — Open the product’s order card.
• Choose Reschedule — Pick a new date and time window.
• Confirm — Check the updated confirmation email or text.

Some regions also let you request a new day for orders shipped by Amazon’s own network when the driver is still a day out. If the reschedule link doesn’t appear, use chat to reach an agent and have the order pulled back to the next available window, if the local station allows it.

If the booked date is tomorrow and no later slot appears, decline the appointment when the automated call or text arrives. That message usually includes a link to pick a different day. It’s better to move the slot than to miss the delivery at the door.

Use Amazon Day, Locker, Or Counter

Amazon Day lets Prime members group deliveries to a weekly day they pick. At checkout, choose Amazon Day and select a later weekday that suits your schedule. It’s a clean way to delay an order you’re placing right now while keeping everything in one drop.

Need control after checkout? Ship to a pickup point and collect when you’re back:

• Amazon Locker — Lockers hold packages for three calendar days. If uncollected, the parcel returns and you’re refunded.
• Amazon Counter — Staffed counters at partner stores scan your pickup code. The pickup window appears in your ready-for-pickup email and is often longer than a Locker window.
• Retail Pickup (Buy Online, Pick Up In Store) — Some items ship to a partner retailer’s service desk. Those pickups typically allow a few days to collect before the order cancels and refunds.

Add a Pickup Location from your account or choose one during checkout. This route is handy when you can’t be home and want to prevent doorstep attempts and return cycles. If your first choice is full, try another location nearby; capacity changes during the day.

Pickup locations require an ID in some regions. Bring the barcode from your email and a matching ID just in case. If a friend is collecting, add their name to the pickup screen where the app asks who will pick up the parcel.

Carrier Holds And Household Workarounds

When a parcel has already shipped, the carrier’s hold tools can buy time in a clean way.

• UPS Hold At Location — Redirect eligible UPS shipments to a Customer Center or Access Point and pick up within the posted hold window.
• FedEx Hold At Location — Send the box to a FedEx Office or facility and pick up within the stated business-day window.
• USPS Hold Mail — If USPS serves your address, request a hold for your entire household’s mail for 3–30 days so parcels don’t stack on your porch while you’re away.

Set these holds from the carrier’s tracking page tied to your parcel. UPS and FedEx accounts unlock more control, like choosing a specific Access Point or FedEx Office. Holds may not apply to every service level or to some international shipments.

If your parcel uses USPS, a household Hold Mail request pauses delivery of letters and boxes to your address for the days you choose. That keeps packages off the doorstep while you travel. When the hold ends, the Post Office delivers the stacked items in one run, or you can pick them up at the counter.

When Things Already Shipped: Realistic Paths

If the package left the warehouse and you need to pause the last mile, aim for a pickup solution fast. Many Amazon Logistics parcels can’t be rerouted once they reach the final station, but you can still switch to an Amazon Locker or Counter if the option shows in tracking before the local truck loads. Carrier-handled shipments offer their own hold tools from the tracking page.

• Check Tracking Early — Look for any option to change where to receive the package before “Out for delivery.”
• Pick A Secure Pickup — Choose a Locker, Counter, UPS Access Point, or FedEx location where you can collect later.
• Manage Return Scenarios — If a pickup window passes and a parcel returns, Amazon typically refunds once it’s processed. Re-order with a later date when you’re back.

Delivery instructions like gate codes or a safe place help drivers find your home, but they don’t delay the date. For true timing control, use one of the methods above. If the parcel is marked undeliverable and headed back, place a fresh order to a pickup point or with Amazon Day so you lock a date that suits you.

Travel spans that cover public holidays or peak weekends add pressure on local stations. Choose a pickup window or Amazon Day that lands after the rush so you avoid reattempts and call-backs from carriers.

Delay Amazon Delivery — Best Practices

Two quick things raise your success rate when you’re working out how to delay delivery on amazon. First, act before the packing stage and switch to a slower speed or Amazon Day. Second, if timing slips, move to a pickup point. Both routes avoid missed-delivery loops and keep the item secure until you’re ready.

• Plan At Checkout — Place time-sensitive orders with Amazon Day or a Pickup location from the start.
• Use The App — The mobile app often exposes change links and pickup toggles sooner than desktop.
• Watch For Cutoffs — Change options fade once a label prints or the parcel reaches the final station.
• Keep IDs Handy — Pickup spots require the barcode and sometimes an ID; bring both.
• Check Eligibility — Hazardous items, oversized goods, and some third-party shipments may not allow holds.
• Confirm Fees — Carriers sometimes charge for certain redirects; review the prompt before you accept.

If your plans are fluid, set Amazon Day as your default so new orders land on one predictable weekday. You can still switch a given order back to a faster option when you need it. That single setting saves you from chasing edits later.