A new Amazon service is poised to turn residential garages into at-home package lockers. The retail giant has joined forces with the Chamberlain Group (CGI), corporate parent company of Chamberlain and LiftMaster garage door opener brands, to offer in-garage package delivery.
With Key for Garage, eligible Amazon Prime members can choose to have their packages delivered securely inside their garages by utilizing CGI’s myQ-connected technology.
By purchasing one of the two Key for Garage kits, homeowners can monitor garage activity from the Key app on their smart phones. One option adds connectivity to an existing garage door opener with the myQ Smart Garage Hub and the second includes purchasing a myQ-connected Chamberlain or LiftMaster Wi-Fi garage door opener. Homeowners with an existing myQ-connected opener can enable the new program by linking their Amazon and myQ accounts in the app.
Once the technology is installed, customers can download the app and follow the steps to sync it with the myQ Hub or opener. In addition to package delivery, the opener also enables users to control their garage door from anywhere and get real-time notifications if it is opened or closed.
“A self-contained extension of the home, the garage offers a convenient destination for packages that solves current delivery hurdles such as potential theft and missed deliveries,” says Jeff Meredith, CGI president and chief operating officer, in a press release. “We are proud to collaborate with Amazon on this game-changing in-garage delivery initiative.”
Amazon reports the in-garage service will be available in 37 cities and their surrounding areas in the second quarter of 2019, but anyone can use Key for Garage to let friends or family into a home, set a schedule for a dog sitter, or assign a pin to a cleaner or technician.
If a consumer chooses the in-garage delivery option at checkout on Amazon.com, the user will receive notifications via the Key app during every step of the delivery process. The new initiative highlights the growing importance of garages for more than just storing cars. (Click here for a related story.)
When the driver arrives at a correct home, Amazon verifies the details through an encrypted authentication process. Once the process is successfully completed, the garage door will open and the driver will not leave until the door closes.
“Launching with Chamberlain Group ensures that our customers will have the best possible experience whether they are checking to see if the kids reached home safely, making sure the that the garage door is closed while at work or on the road, or choosing the most convenient and secure way to have their Prime packages delivered at home,” adds Rohit Shrivastava, general manager of Key by Amazon.
