Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Online retailer Amazon.com announced in-home delivery of packages in which purchases will be placed within a customer's home.
The service, called Amazon Key, will be available in 37 U.S. cities beginning Nov. 8 to customers of the Amazon Prime service.
"No more leaving the key under the mat" for deliveries when a customer is not home, Amazon said.
Customers must first purchase a $250 kit which includes an indoor security camera and a compatible door lock. After ordering a product online and clicking the "in-home" shipping option, a delivery person will enter the house to complete the transaction. The camera records the entire process, and the purchaser can watch from a remote location.
The system can also be used to let family and friends into the home while the resident is away.
Walmart, an Amazon competitor, announced in September that it is testing a similar service, called Deliv, largely to be used in delivery of groceries. The delivery person receives a one-time-use passcode for entry, and can be given access to the refrigerator. Security cameras allow the away-from-home resident to watch the transaction.
