One of the most hyped summer sales, Amazon Prime Day — going on Tuesday, October 8 and Wednesday, October 9 — gives Prime members access to exclusive deals across the site. Tired of inflation and the high cost of living? Then shop Amazon Prime Day and reap huge bargains on thousands of items in tech, beauty and home, clothing and electronics.
The event officially started at 12:01 a.m. PDT on Tuesday, Oct. 8 and runs through Wednesday, Oct. 9. But with only two days of bargains, it's important to know how to bag the best deals, and whether (or not) Prime Day is really worth all the hype.
What is Amazon Prime Day?
Amazon Prime Day was created as a way to celebrate Prime members by offering exclusive member-only deals and discounts on thousands of items across the site, from tech and home goods, to clothing and beauty products. The first Prime Day event was on Amazon’s 20th birthday, July 15, 2015.
The only catch is that you must be an Amazon Prime member to participate. If you're not a member, but want to sign up before the sales event, you can try Prime free for 30 days. After that, you'll pay $14.99 per month, or if paid annually, Prime will set you back $139. Cancel anytime.
During Prime Day, Amazon offers new deals about every five minutes in select time periods, so Prime members don't miss any of the many deals available during the sale. Amazon also offers suggestions based on your prior purchases and items saved to your Lists, making it easy and convenient to shop and save.
How to find the best Prime Day deals?
If you’re thinking of taking part in Amazon Prime Day, here's the lowdown on how to snag the best deals.
Amazon Invitations
Amazon has an "invite-only deals" program where members can request an invitation to some of the most popular deals that are likely to sell out quickly. It’s a good way to prepare beforehand. But not all invite requests will be granted. If you do get an invite, you'll be contacted on Prime Deal Day, so keep checking your email or your phone for notifications.
Deal Alerts
Alternatively, you can set up personalized deal alerts based on your recent searches and recently viewed items. During Prime Day you will receive notifications of any offers available on those items, which will save you from searching through long lists of offers.
Alexa
If you use Amazon Alexa, you can get your item notifications on the day. Alexa can notify you of deals you've set up alerts for, or you can even set up a reminder for Prime Day itself.
Amazon has already announced Prime members can sign up for invite-only deals on select products expected to sell out, which includes the Amazon Fire TV 50" 4-Series 4K UHD smart TV. Now only $279.99. You save 38%. Or, JBL Tune Flex - True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds. Now $49.95 Save 50%.
Deals of Amazon products
Prime members can also save up to 68% on select devices, including: Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen), save 43%; the Fire TV 2-Series, save 20%; Fire HD 10 tablet, save 46%; Fire HD 8 Kids, save 50%; and Amazon Smart Plugs, save 48%.
Amazon.com Pre-sale offers
Kindle Unlimited. On October 8 and 9, eligible Prime members can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for $0.00. Renews at $11.99/month afterwards until cancelled.
Groceries from Amazon. Prime members can take advantage of a 30-day free trial. Only available in certain areas.
Amazon Travel. During Prime Day, October 8 & 9, Prime members can save up to 40% off on select sailings with Carnival Cruise Line and when booking through the Amazon Travel Deals page. Get 30% off, plus 10% back in an Amazon.com Gift Card on Avis rentals and 35%, plus 10% back on Budget rental car, and 40% off Princess cruises.
Buy with Prime. Prime members can shop additional deals directly from participating brands’ websites like bareMinerals, Briogeo, Buxom Cosmetics, Carbone, ZOA Energy, Sherpani, PopSockets and Casely
Amazon Prime VISA. Prime members can get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval for Prime Visa.
Audible Premium Plus. Prime members pay just $0.99 for the first three months. Auto renews at $14.95/month. Cancel anytime.
Prime Video. New members, try Prime free for 30 days.
Prime Music and Prime Music Unlimited. For a limited time, Amazon is offering four months free of Amazon Music Unlimited to eligible subscribers. Non-Prime members get three months free.
Is it worth the wait?
During Prime Day, Amazon offers discounts on thousands of products. Some of these deals are worth the membership, while others will not.
When you're notified of a deal, always double-check to confirm it’s a good one. Google the item you're looking to buy and see if it's the same price or cheaper elsewhere. Right now, Walmart, Best Buy, Home Depot and other stores are having sales also worth checking out. Remember to factor in the delivery costs. Free delivery is a famous Amazon Prime benefit, but many other sites also offer free delivery, sometimes after you spend a set amount.
As with any sale, set a budget and stick with it — it’s easy to get carried away and spend more than you should because something looks like a bargain. Deals experts note that making hasty decisions can lead to bad choices.
Nathan Burrows of The New York Times’ Wirecutter points out that “things like countdown clocks [and] flash sales drive a sense of urgency that can lead us to buy before asking ourselves how this item fits into our lives, or even whether the product in question is worth our time or money at all.”
Alternatives to Amazon Prime Deal Days
Retailers including Walmart and Best Buy have stepped up their game against Amazon in recent years during Amazon Prime Day. Here are just a few to check out before adding items to your cart on Amazon.
Walmart: Walmart Holidays Deals event is happening October 8 - 13. Customers on the app, website and in-store can save up to 50% on thousands of items in almost every department. Like the HP 15.6 inch Windows Laptop. Now $249. Save $50. Or, get a Philips 50" Class 4K Ultra HD (2160p) Google Smart LED TV for only $248, and save $30.
Costco: Right now, starting October 7 - October 11, join Costco for their Members Savings Event. Find deals like the MacBook Air laptop (13-inch) - Apple M2 chip, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB memory, 256GB SSD storage for only $749.99 - save $200. Or, get a Samsung 85" Class - QN85D Series - 4K UHD Neo QLED LCD TV for $2299.99.
Best Buy: Right now, Best Buy is offering a HP - 14" Laptop - Intel Celeron - 4GB Memory - 128GB for only $169.99. Save $30. Or, get a Apple - 10.9-Inch iPad - Latest Model - (10th Generation) with Wi-Fi - 64GB for only $299. Save $50.
Apple: Apple offers students and educators special pricing on dozens of Apple products when you show your ID, through the Educator store. There's a sale on AirPods 2 and other Apple products happening during Prime Day.
Ikea: Outfit your college dorm with affordable furniture and storage solutions and get free shipping on orders over $50 at IKEA.
“While comparing prices between sites is easier," Burrows adds, "you can make this even more seamless by downloading a tool like PriceBlink to your browser which will automatically scan competitor sites to see if you can find the same product for less elsewhere.”
