Forgot a friend's birthday or have an event you need to make a purchase for at the last minute? Normally you'd be out of luck with online shopping and forced to pay full price and go to an actual store for what you need. Now, though, as long as you make your purchase that day, you can have it the same day with eBay Now.
The new service guarantees same-day shipping for San Francisco residents. For an extra $5, users can make purchases of more than $25 from local stores on the iOS app and receive their item in as little as an hour. The only catch on this is that the store must be open at least half an hour before your place your order. Although you can't expect a 2 a.m. shipment, the service is open during normal business hours and even on weekends: eBay Now will work Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
eBay invited some San Francisco users to the exclusive beta service on Sunday, and those invited will get prioritized access before general signups. Anyone can register though, and once admitted will receive a download link. Beta testers will receive $15 off their first order and free shipping on their first three orders. As of now, partnerships between Macy's, Toys'R'Us, Target and Best Buy have been announced.
Get a daily look at what’s developing in science and technology throughout the world.