More than 21,000 small businesses can add same-day delivery through Postmates

For delivery startup Postmates to be effective long-term, its courier network needs to be busy all day, not just during peak meal times. A new partnership with e-commerce software company Shopify may help.

Shopify announced today that businesses that use its software to run their online shops can now give their customers a same-day delivery option through Postmates. The delivery option will be available to the more than 21,000 Shopify businesses based in the 40 metro areas where Postmates couriers are currently operating.

The move underscores the growing appeal of express delivery options among businesses and shoppers in urban centers. It also highlights Postmates’ attempt to add delivery volume to its network and be known for more than food and beverage delivery. The highly funded startup has delivery partnerships with Starbucks, Chipotle and McDonald’s, among others.

But, on average, online shops that use Shopify software only do about 10 percent of their business locally. So this delivery option will only be available for those transactions.

Customers shopping on these small business websites will pay anywhere from $5 to $20 for the same-day delivery option. Postmates keeps all of that fee.