There are roughly 750 US foreign military bases around the world and almost 500 bases on US soil. If you or a loved one lives on a military base either in the USA or around the world, you probably already know that some items can be quite hard to come by.
Because Amazon has over 12 million products available for delivery, you may be wondering: Does Amazon deliver to military bases?
Does Amazon Deliver to Military Bases?
Amazon does deliver to military bases in the United States and around the world. Although there are some items that are prohibited, the majority of Amazon’s stock can safely be shipped to a military base with no additional shipping cost.
In this article, we are going to learn everything there is to know about Amazon’s delivery to military bases, including how to enter the correct address, what can and cannot be sent to military bases, and even how long you can expect the delivery to take!
How Do I Put My Military Address on Amazon?
Now that you know that Amazon certainly does ship to military bases, the first thing you will want to understand is how to put your military address on Amazon.
The first set of directions you need is how to add an address to your Amazon account:
- Open Amazon.com and sign in with your Amazon account information.
- Click on the Accounts & Lists menu on the top right corner of the page.
- Select Your Accounts.
- Under the Ordering & Shopping Preferences menu, click Your Addresses.
- Select Add New Address.
- Enter your military address (specifics listed below.)
- Click Set As Default.
Now, there are certain aspects to adding a military base as an address that are necessary to ensure your order arrives at its destination.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Set the City to APO, FPO, or DPO.
- Set the State/Province/Region to AA, AE, or AP.
- Set the Country/Region to “The United States” or the country in which the base is located.
In order to do this correctly, you will need to know the address of the military base, including whether it’s an APO, FPO, or DPO, as well as if it’s an AA, AE, or AP.
Did Amazon Stop APO Shipping?
There are a lot of articles online asking the question: Does amazon ship to APO? And the answers vary drastically.
The reason why there is so much confusion is that Amazon did stop shipping to APO addresses for a period of time during the pandemic, as their warehouses were already completely overwhelmed with local orders and deliveries.
However, in [year], Amazon is back to shipping to APO addresses, so if you are trying to ship to a military base, you are good to go!
Is Amazon Prime Free for the Military?
At the moment, in [year], there are no discounts for military personnel on Amazon Prime.
Although Amazon does offer specials for students and those who receive government assistance, anyone currently in the military or a veteran still needs to pay full price for an Amazon Prime membership.
However, if you are a veteran and do pay for an Amazon Prime membership, there are several special deals specifically for veterans on Prime Day.
Does Amazon Ship to Military Bases in Afghanistan?
While, technically, Amazon does ship to military bases in Afghanistan, many users have reported that there are several items Amazon states are not available to be sent to Afghanistan.
When you select an item to order and select a military base in Afghanistan, Amazon will let you know before you confirm the order if it can be delivered to that address. This can be slightly annoying if you are shopping for hours and finally find the perfect product just to find out it can’t be sent to Afghanistan.
However, there is a way to combat this frustration: if you set the military base in Afghanistan as your default address, then Amazon will only show items that are eligible to be shipped there.
Does Amazon Ship to All Military Bases?
Although Amazon does not clearly state that there are some military bases they cannot ship to, the site does say that “there are some special considerations when shipping to APO, FPO, and DPO addresses.”
It’s important to understand that Amazon simply may not be able to ship to certain military bases at various times due to safety and travel restrictions.
Because you cannot find a list of available or unavailable military bases that Amazon can send to, you will need to enter the address of the military base and find out which items, if any, can currently be delivered there.
Does Amazon Ship All Products to Military Bases?
Amazon certainly does not ship all products to military bases. There is a specific list of items that are prohibited to be sent to military bases, which we will cover shortly, but there are also simply some products that cannot be sent due to the rules of the country where the base is located or various other reasons.
While you will need to set your address to the military base to ensure the item you want to purchase can be sent to that specific location, here are the products that can never be sent to a military base:
- Cell Phones & Services
- Computers
- Standalone Lithium Batteries
- Lithium Batteries Packed Separately With Equipment (Items with built-in lithium batteries may be allowed to some locations.)
- Furniture
- Outdoor Living Items
- Try Before You Buy Items
Amazon also states that “some apparel, baby, camera and photo, electronics, health and personal care, housewares, jewelry, software, sports, and tools and hardware items cannot be shipped to APO, FPO, or DPO addresses.”
Amazon APO Delivery Time
If you find an item that can be delivered to your APO address, you will certainly want to know how long it will take to get there.
Amazon’s APO delivery time can depend greatly on the country where the base is located, but you should assume that standard shipping deliveries may take up to 21 business days for these addresses.
Conclusion
Amazon delivers to most of the military bases in the United States and around the world. While not all items are available to be delivered to all military bases, once you have put in the address, Amazon will show you the products eligible to be delivered there.