Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. Guides

What is Google Express? Everything you need to know

By

what is google express 1920x1080 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Just a decade ago, the idea of ordering groceries with a tap of your smartphone and having them show up on your doorstep a day later seemed wildly futuristic. But with the advent of modern grocery delivery services like Google Express, that notion has since become a reality. Just give your phone or tablet a few taps on the app, and you can order groceries from a variety of stores. Just a couple days later, they’ll arrive at your front door, ready to be used in cooking all your favorite dishes. Never tried it before, but curious to know more? We’ve broken down everything you need to know about the Google Express grocery delivery service.

What is Google Express?

Recommended Videos

Google Express is a delivery service powered by Google where you can shop from stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Walgreens, PetSmart, and more — all from the Google Express app. Select what you want in the app and where you want to buy it from, pay for the items, then wait for your purchases to show up on your doorstep within one to three days. It takes the hassle, line-waiting, and driving out of your weekly grocery store runs. This service lets you shop while you’re waiting your turn at the DMV, while you’re taking a break at the office cooler, or while you’re on hold with customer service.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

How do I place an order?

Related

Unlike grocery delivery services such as Amazon, no membership fee or long-term commitment is required from you. All you have to do is visit the Google Express website or the Google Express app to start browsing products and make your first purchase. Got a Google Home, Mini, or Max device? You can even order via voice command with the help of Google Assistant, Google’s virtual assistant that is awakened with “Hey Google” or “Ok, Google.” Shopping is really as straightforward as the tap of a button or the saying of a word. Forgot to get dish detergent or green onions at the grocery store this weekend? Hop onto the Google Express app or tell your Google Assistant to buy it, and it’s like you didn’t forget at all.

How much does shipping cost?

Shipping is free if you order above the store minimum. Different stores have different minimum purchase requirements to be eligible for free shipping, but they tend to be between $25 and $35. Depending on which city you live in, you can expect most of your purchases to arrive to your home within one to three days.

If you don’t have enough items to meet the minimum amount that qualifies for free shipping, you’ll have to pay a small-order service fee of $4.99.

Does Google Express deliver to me?

Google Express can deliver to all states in the continental United States, so unfortunately, residents of Alaska and Hawaii won’t get to try out the service just yet.

What stores can I shop from?

There’s a long list of national, local, and online companies from which you can make purchases on Google Express. The list includes drugstores like Walgreens, beauty stores like Ulta Beauty, electronics stores like Fry’s Electronics, and even online discount websites like Overstock.com. Always wanted to check out Costco but don’t have a membership? You can even purchase items from Costco on Google Express. However, you will have to pay for a Costco membership first, which you’re able to do via the Google Express app. Spend some time browsing to learn more about which stores are at your disposal.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

What If I Want to Return Something?

Changed your mind about a product after you received it? Received a faulty or defective item? Most stores offer free returns, as long as you send the item back within 30 days. If you have questions about your order, you can always email, call, or live chat with Google Express’s customer support team.

Editors’ Recommendations

Gia Liu
Gia Liu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
These Linkind smart bulbs are 37% off, and have one of the best apps I’ve used
Linkind A19 E26 color smart bulbs matter support -- smart bulb deal

I know some people think that a lot of smart home tech is frivolous, and some of it is, I'll agree, but there are certain things that make daily life a little better. For example, I have security cameras, a video doorbell, smart lights, a smart garage door, and all of these things make living in my home convenient. With my lights, for example, I can create on-off schedules and I don't have to get up to use them. After a long day, that's a welcome feature, believe me. It's especially helpful with Christmas lights and decorative lights -- like the ones I have set up to automatically turn on at sunset on my patio.

With a smart video doorbell, I can answer my door, converse with parcel delivery teams, and shoo off solicitors -- we get a lot of them where I live. But among all of those experiences and devices, one of my biggest qualms is with the apps you use to interact with this tech.

Read more
This smart display alternative can now use AI to plan all your meals
The Skylight Cal Max installed on a wall.

Skylight is a smart home company that produces a variety of smart display alternatives, such as the Skylight Cal Max. These serve as a central hub for all your daily planning -- they’re primarily used as a digital calendar, but you can also use them to track chores, make lists, or meal prep. That last aspect just became much more exciting, as Skylight is officially introducing Sidekick, an AI-powered assistant that can plan all your meals in just a few minutes.

Sidekick is a new AI feature for Skylight devices. It’s capable of generating personalized recipes based on your budget, family size, and dietary restrictions, and it’ll even create a shopping list and load up step-by-step cooking instructions. Skylight hopes the new feature will save families 10 hours every month, as they’ll no longer need to worry about the logistics surrounding meal prep.

Read more
Get cleaner air for less with the Dyson Purifier Humidity+Cool for $200 off
The Dyson Purifier Humidity+Cool on a white background.

It’s easy to not think about the air around you. After all, it’s invisible, right? But good air quality makes a huge difference to your quality of life. Right now, you can buy the Dyson Purifier Humidity+Cool for $200 off at Walmart. Normally costing $1,000, it’s down to $800 today and it’s ideal for keeping your living space cool, as well as providing purified air. Here’s all you need to know.

Why you should buy the Dyson Purifier Humidity+Cool
Responsible for some of the best humidifiers out there, Dyson knows how to provide everything you want. With the Dyson Purifier Humidity+Cool, it automatically senses, captures, and traps pollutants so you gain cleaner air with no hassle or requirement to do a thing. It’s able to detect and destroy formaldehyde as well as many other pollutants so you’re in safe hands.

Read more