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Here’s everything you need to know to prepare for Amazon’s biggest sale of the year.
Amazon; Insider
Prime Day is Amazon’s huge two-day annual sale event exclusive for Prime members.
Amazon Prime Day begins today, Tuesday, July 12 and runs through Wednesday, July 13.
See our liveblogs for real-time updates on the best Prime Day deals, the best Prime Day deals under $25, and the best Prime Day Lightning Deals.
When it comes to hunting for excellent deals, there are few sales bigger than Amazon Prime Day. What once started as a small event to celebrate Prime members has grown into a full-scale shopping holiday with sales updated constantly, ending quickly, and spread out across hundreds of categories.
Despite its name, Prime Day is held over two days with 48 hours worth of exclusive discounts and limited-time savings. With thousands of deals, you’re bound to find something worth buying —and that’s where we come in.
With Prime Day 2022 officially underway, here’s everything we know, along with tips so you don’t miss out on any deals.
Related: See Insider’s picks for the best credit cards to use on Amazon purchases.
When is Amazon Prime Day 2022?
Amazon Prime Day 2022 will take place on Tuesday, July 12 and Wednesday, July 13 in more than 20 countries. The big event officially will begin at 12 a.m. Pacific Time on July 12, and run for 48 hours.
Here’s a complete rundown of the history of Prime Day dates:
History of Prime Day dates
YearDate
Prime Day 2022
Tuesday and Wednesday, July 12-13
Prime Day 2021
Monday and Tuesday, June 21-22
Prime Day 2020
Tuesday and Wednesday, October 13-14 (delayed due to the pandemic)
Prime Day 2019
Monday and Tuesday, July 15-16
Prime Day 2018
Monday and Tuesday, July 16-17
Prime Day 2017
Monday and Tuesday, July 11-12
Prime Day 2016
Tuesday, July 12
Prime Day 2015
Wednesday, July 15
Is Prime Day only for Prime members?
Amazon’s Prime Day deals are exclusive to Amazon Prime members. In addition to access to Prime Day, Prime membership includes tons of other perks, most notably free two-day shipping and free access to streaming services like Prime Video, Prime Music, and more.
While Amazon Prime costs $15 a month or $139 a year, there is a free 30-day trial for new subscribers. The trial will grant you access to the sale — just remember to cancel your membership after the event.
For non-members, there are many competing sales from other retailers to consider. Major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy offer their own deals during Prime Day. Though these sales aren’t as splashy, but they deliver similarly low prices on tech and home goods and don’t require a Prime subscription.
Is Prime Day worth it?
During the two-day annual event, thousands of products are put on sale, and not all of them will pique your interest. Given the number of deals — many of which go up and sell out in an hour or even minutes, the sale can get overwhelming pretty quickly.
Prices for Amazon devices like Kindles, Fire TVs, and Echo devices are typically the lowest on Prime Day. Beyond that, you’ll find deals across categories like household essentials, beauty products, electronics, and more. We’ll be keeping tabs on all the very best deals from Prime Day 2022.
All that said, whether or not Prime Day is worth your time ultimately depends on what you’re shopping for. There are plenty of deals worth exploring, and the tips below will help you find them.
Prime Day is the best time to stock up on Alexa-enabled devices like the Echo Dot.
Amazon
7 tips for getting the best deals on Prime Day
Make no mistake: Amazon Prime Day is a big shopping holiday. And if you want to set yourself up for success, there are a few tips to keep in mind. First, you’ll want to bookmark the main Amazon Prime Day page. Here’s what else you should know to prepare for the two-day event.
1. Prepare a wish list
Between the big-ticket sales and limited-time Lightning Deals, Prime Day is chock-full of impulse buys. It’s smart to go into Prime Day with at least some idea of what you want to buy (and save on).
For making a shopping list, we like Amazon’s Wish List feature. You can add all the items you’re interested in, and keep track of what you actually want. As an added bonus, you can set up Alexa or the Amazon mobile app to alert you when a deal goes live for any of the items on your list.
2. Price-check everything
One of the most common Prime Day questions is “how do I know if I’m getting a good deal?” The answer is only if you research the product’s price history.
For understanding the real value of any deal, we recommend using the free tool CamelCamelCamel, which allows you to track the price history of everything on Amazon. We’re also big fans of Keepa, which has a browser extension that actually offers a price history chart directly on each Amazon product page.
3. Take advantage of the Amazon mobile app
Amazon’s mobile app is a great way to keep track items and set up notifications. The app can send you a push notification 5 minutes before the deals start, which is especially useful if you’ve set up a wish list (see above).
4. Get deal notifications from Alexa
A new feature for this year, Alexa can now alert you to deals and, even make the purchase for you. The smart voice assistant can now alert you when eligible products in your Wish List or shopping cart are on sale.
To turn on this feature, open the Alexa app, click More tab. Click on Settings, and then Notifications, and Amazon Shopping. From here, scroll down to find Shopping Recommendations and enable Deal Recommendations.
Once enabled, you’ll see a yellow ring light or a pop-up notification on your Echo device. From there, you can ask Alexa for more details or order the item for you.
5. Get free Amazon credits
Every year in the leadup to Prime Day, Amazon offers a few ways to get free credits, and this year is no different. Here are all the ways to get free credits to spend on Prime Day:
Get $10 by completing the Prime Stampcard: To receive $10, Prime members just need to complete a simple checklist of tasks, from making a Prime-eligible purchase to streaming a video on Prime Video. Get $10 for seeing “Lightyear” and buying merch: You’ll get $5 for purchasing a ticket for the newly released “Lightyear” movie, and additional $5 if you purchase any Lightyear merchandise. Get $5 for seeing “Elvis”: Similar to the promotion above, you’ll get $4 if you purchase a ticket to see the new “Elvis” movie. Get $2 for visiting the Amazon Affirm hub: It may be the smallest credit, but it’s the easiest to earn. Affirm allows you to break up your purchases into payments over time — all you need to do is visit the hub page and scroll down to the bottom. Get $200 Amazon gift card by signing up for the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card: You’ll receive a gift card instantly when your application is approved. While the card normally earns 5% back at Amazon and Whole Foods, it’ll be bumped up to 6% during Prime Day — an exceptionally high rate for any store credit card. Get $12.50 by spending $50 on Amazon gift cards on Prime Day: During Prime Day, members can get a $12.50 promotional credit when they buy a $50 Amazon gift card purchase.
6. Compare prices with other retailers
Other big retailers — like Best Buy, Target, Home Depot, and Walmart — typically have their own sales events to compete with Amazon Prime Day. For any purchase you’re about to make, you may want to double-check other competing sales to see whether they have it cheaper.
7. Bookmark Insider Reviews’ Prime Day coverage
The Insider Reviews team will be working around the clock to scour the Prime Day sale to help you find the best deals. We have up-to-the-minute coverage on the best Prime Day deals, the best Prime Day deals under $25, and the best Prime Day Lightning Deals.
We’ll be covering the big day, and highlighting the most worthwhile deals from not only Amazon, but across the internet.