Amazon Hub Guide: Pick up deliveries at a locker or counter to avoid package theft

• You can ship Amazon deliveries to Hub lockers and pick them up at your convenience. 
• You have 3 business days to pick an item up from a locker or 7 days to claim it from a counter. 
• No special signup or subscription is required — just choose the locker location.

The ubiquity of Amazon deliveries has spawned a drastic rise in porch pirates — criminals who steal deliveries right off your front steps.

And while home security systems like Ring doorbells can help mitigate the problem (or at least show you video of the theft after the fact) there are other ways to virtually eliminate porch theft. An Amazon Hub Locker, for example, is a safe and secure drop-off location hosted by local retailers.

Here’s what you need to know to take advantage of them. 

How does Amazon Hub work?

Amazon Hub is a network of secure pickup locations for Amazon deliveries. They’re generally located in shipping centers, retail stores, and shopping malls. You don’t have to do anything special to use Amazon Hub — there’s no signup process or subscription. You can choose a Hub as your delivery location all the time, or only once in a while when needed. 

There are two kinds of Hub locations: lockers and counters. If your item is delivered to a locker, you’ll use the Amazon app on your phone to unlock it and claim your package. If the item is stored behind a counter, such as at a shipping center, the employee behind the counter will retrieve the package for you. 

How do I set up Amazon Hub?

Getting started with Amazon Hub is simple — you don’t need to sign up or register. Instead, find a nearby Hub locker where you’d like your package delivered, and then select that location when placing an order with Amazon. Here’s how to do that:

1. Go to the Amazon Hub webpage and find a locker location that’s convenient for you. You can use the search box at the top of the page to find one near your home or work. 

2. If it’s important that your locker always be no higher than 48 inches off the ground, be sure to click Use lower Locker Slots and then, in the pop-up window, click Always use lower Locker slots. 

3. When you find a locker location you like, click Add to address book. This adds it to the list of possible delivery addresses when you check out on Amazon.

4. When you place an Amazon order, proceed to checkout as you normally would. In the Shipping address section, click Change and choose the Locker location from Your pickup locations. Alternatively, you can see all the nearby Locker locations by clicking See nearby pickup locations under your default address. 

5. When the item is delivered to your locker, you’ll get an email with pickup instructions. 

How much do Amazon Hub partners make?

To offer enough locations to make the Amazon Hub program successful, Amazon needs to partner with local businesses, such as retailers and shipping service centers, that can host space for lockers or securely receive and store packages behind the counter. At this time, though, Amazon doesn’t financially compensate businesses for hosting lockers. Instead, retailers can benefit from increased foot traffic that potentially converts to additional business.

Amazon offers a similar program to local retailers that does include compensation. The Amazon Hub Deliver program allows businesses to receive and deliver packages. Amazon is growing its roster of Hub partners, offering up to about $27,000 per year to partners who sign up. 

What do you need to collect a package from an Amazon Hub?

How you pick up a package depends on the type of Hub location you’re using.

• If you pick up from a locker with a screen, you must enter a code or scan a barcode. You can find these in the delivery confirmation email or the Your Orders page in the Amazon mobile app. Enter the code or scan the barcode. 
• If your locker does not have a screen, you’ll unlock the locker via Bluetooth. Open your delivery confirmation email and select Start Pickup, or go to the Your Orders section in the Amazon mobile app. Follow the directions to start the pickup, which will open the locker automatically. 
• If you had an item delivered to an Amazon Hub counter, visit the counter and present the delivery code found in the delivery confirmation email. 

How long can you keep an item in the Amazon locker? 

You have three business days to pick up packages from Hub lockers or seven days to visit the counter.