Day-2 PCR Test Kits Launched By Amazon for £34.99

On Monday the 13th of December, the big corporation Amazon officially launched their day-2 PCR test kits for travellers entering the UK. These kits were approved by the government on Monday the 13th and currently sell for a minimum of £34.99. These are approved for day-2, day-8, and the optional test-to-release day-5 tests for travellers into the UK.

Amazon had already released these travel PCR tests in the US earlier this month and received a good response. They also already offered domestic tests to UK residents, but these were not suitable for travel purposes, leading to the introduction of these government-approved tests.

These are at-home tests and come with a pre-paid postage label so consumers can send them back to Amazon’s testing lab in Salford. These labs were originally introduced for processing employee tests, an endeavour that Amazon invested in near the beginning of the pandemic.

Amazon has stated a guaranteed result within 24 hours of the test arriving at the lab in response to the many consumers complaining about travel testing firms not getting results back in the time promised. Because it is all in house, Amazon are able to offer a short time frame, and inexpensive next-day delivery (or free delivery for Prime members). This could be a huge step for the testing market for travel, with a lot of tests higher in price having a more considerable delivery cost in addition to the testing kit.

Amazon now offers a single day-2 test at £34.99, day-2 and day-8 for £63.98, or days 2, 5 (test-to-release), and 8 for £95.97. As these are government-approved tests, this could boost consumer confidence for travel and make tests more accessible to more people, while being easy to book (if you’d like to find out the testing requirements specific to your destination, don’t forget to check the Foreign Travel Advice page or talk to your travel agent).

“Our lab in Manchester complemented the UK Government’s testing efforts and has now processed over 1.4 million tests from tens of thousands of front-line employees in the UK, making Amazon a leader in employer-driven COVID-19 testing,” Amazon said.

“We have learned a lot through that process, and earlier this year we launched at-home COVID-19 PCR test collection kits for our customers in the US. The feedback has been positive – customers have told us they appreciate access to a reliable, convenient, and affordable test – and we’re excited to extend this COVID-19 testing service to our customers through Amazon.co.uk.

“Our International Arrivals Service fulfils government entry testing requirements and can be used for travel into the UK.”

They intend to lean into a convenient and affordable test for travellers entering the UK, and Amazon Director, Antoine Dreyfus, said, “The Amazon test collection kit offers customers the convenience they’ve come to expect from Amazon.co.uk by providing access to highly accurate COVID-19 testing, at an affordable price.”

The introduction of these PCR tests is exciting news for travel consumers and could make booking travel during Covid seem less daunting for those who have been cautious of restrictions throughout the past couple of years.

So, if you’re looking forward to booking a hassle-free holiday soon, don’t forget to get in contact with a travel business registered with PTS and offering 100% financial protection through trust. Or, if you’d like assistance choosing a lovely PTS member to book with, you can contact PTS directly at 0207 190 9988.

And if you’d like to learn more about your consumer protection with PTS or how the Package Travel Regulations protect your holiday booking, check out our pages.