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In This Guide: Amazon Prime Day Dates | Amazon Prime Membership Details | Deals to Expect | How to Find Deals | Prime Day vs. Black Friday | Conclusion | FAQs
Amazon Prime Day is a 48-hour summer sales extravaganza with an extensive selection of discounted merchandise. During these two days, the retail giant offers some of its biggest deals outside of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Prime Members can score great prices on electronics, home and outdoor goods, lifestyle products, luxury goods, and nearly everything else on the site. Here’s what you need to know about the popular shopping event and how to find the best deals.
When is Amazon Prime Day 2022?
This year’s Prime Day dates are July 12 and 13, with the kickoff starting at 3 a.m. Eastern Time. Early Prime Day deals begin on June 21, just after Father’s Day weekend. The sale is open to Prime Members in the United States and the following countries:
Countries Participating in Amazon Prime Day
| Austria | China | Luxembourg | Singapore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | France | Mexico | Spain |
| Belgium | Germany | Netherlands | Sweden |
| Brazil | Italy | Poland | United Kingdom |
| Canada | Japan | Portugal | |
| Austria | China | Luxembourg | Singapore |
Amazon will host separate Prime Day events later in the summer for Egypt, India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
What is Amazon Prime Day?
The first Prime Day took place in 2015 as a one-day sale to celebrate Amazon’s 20th anniversary. The event grew to 30 hours in July 2017, eventually expanding to a two-day event. Most of Amazon’s retailers, including national brands and small businesses, participate in the sale. The company offers big discounts on items such as laptops, earbuds, robot vacuums, smart TVs, and Amazon devices such as the Kindle and Echo Dot.
Customers can also qualify for additional incentives with their purchases. Upcoming sweepstakes prizes include gift cards, tickets to Super Bowl LVII, and a meet-and-greet in New York City with the cast of the upcoming Prime TV series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Prime Day continues to be one of Amazon’s most profitable days. Last year, sales totaled more than $11 billion in revenue. In fact, Prime Day has gotten so popular that retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart, and Target have begun offering deals on the same day to compete with Amazon.
Is Prime Day Only for Prime Members?
Only Amazon Prime members are eligible for the sale. However, signing up for a Prime membership on Amazon.com is easy. You can also try the 30-day free trial if the Prime Day deals are your only objective.
Prime Membership
A subscription to Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year, though students can pay half price. In addition to Prime Day and regular Lightning Deals, you’ll gain access to perks such as Prime Video, Prime Music, and free one- or two-day shipping on many items.
Prime Free Trial
First-time subscribers are eligible for 30 free days. Since Prime Day is less than a month away, we recommend signing up soon. You can always cancel your membership before the trial ends.
What Kind of Deals Can I Expect During Prime Day?
Amazon doesn’t announce many specific deals in advance, but looking at previous years’ deals will give you a good idea of what to expect. Here are a few of the categories where you’ll be able to find low prices.
Electronics
In addition to their own electronics, Amazon typically offers deals on brands such as Sony, Samsung, Toshiba, Bose, and more. Prime Day discounts on laptops have historically not been as varied or big as sales during other times of the year, but this may change. Deals on headphones were popular in 2021, including Sony wireless headphones and Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro.
Substantive discounts on Apple devices such as Macbook, Apple Watch, or Apple Airpods Pro aren’t guaranteed. The timing of these deals depends on Apple’s schedule, which doesn’t always align with Prime Day. Experts think that the iPad Air, iPad Mini, and Macbook Air M1 are most likely to be discounted given the time they’ve been available.
Home and Kitchen
Some of the most-purchased deals in 2020 included the iRobot robot vacuums, BlueAir air purifiers, and Yosuda Indoor Stationary Bikes. Indoor and outdoor security cameras were also big purchases, as were Instant Pots, SodaStream sparkling water makers, and Dyson vacuums. Samsonite luggage got a big boost thanks to a 24% discount on its most popular suitcase sizes.
Tools and Outdoors
Last year included sales on Dewalt 20-Volt MAX tools and accessories including cordless tools, saws, grinders, and power hammers. Amazon also put the Z Grills wood pellet grill and smoker on sale. Additionally, they offered steep discounts on First Alert smoke detectors.
How To Find the Best Deals on Amazon Prime Day
Most of Amazon’s best deals aren’t advertised until 24 hours before the event, so you’ll need to keep checking to see what’s on sale. Fortunately, plenty of tools help you stay ahead of the sales.
- Deal alerts: You can visit Amazon’s Prime Day webpage any time between now and the beginning of the sale. Amazon will send you push notifications based on your search history and recently viewed items.
- Prime stampcard credits: You can receive a $10 credit on Prime Day by activating your stampcard and completing these four activities by July 13:
- Purchase something that’s Prime-eligible
- Stream a show on Prime Video
- Listen to a song on Prime Music
- Borrow an e-book from Prime Reading
- Amazon wishlist: Amazon will alert you when sales begin for any items you’ve saved on your wishlist.
- Alexa reminders: You can ask any Alexa-enabled device to alert you when items in your wishlist, shopping cart, or save-for-later list go on sale. In the past, Amazon has given voice shoppers a seven-hour lead on sales when they ask, “Alexa, what are your deals?”
- Competitor websites: Check other retailers’ websites on July 12 and 13 to see what deals they’re offering. You don’t need any kind of membership to take advantage of this.
Early Prime Day Deals
While most deals aren’t live until the day of the event, there are a few that you can take advantage of right now.
Amazon Devices
You can save up to 55% on the following Amazon electronic devices on Prime Day, and early Prime Day deals are already live for some products:
- Blink Video Doorbell
- Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen) and Echo Dot (4th gen)
- Fire Tablets, including the Fire 7 (2019 version)
- Fire TV Stick 4K
- Kindle Paperwhite
- Ring Alarm Security Kit 8-Piece (2nd Gen)
Smart TVs
If you’re looking to upgrade your TV, you can purchase a new Fire TV smart TV at a deep discount. Prices start at just $89.99. Some available options are:
- Insignia 24-inch Class F20 Series Smart HD 720p
- Insignia 32-inch Class F20 Series Smart HD 720p Fire TV
- Toshiba 43-inch Class C350 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV
- Insignia 55-inch Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV
- Amazon Fire TV 75″ Omni Series 4K UHD Smart TV with Dolby Vision
Amazon Prime Day vs. Black Friday
With all the fuss around Prime Day, you may be wondering whether you should start your Christmas shopping in July or wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales. Consider that Prime Day only applies to a handful of retailers, so you may not find what you want on sale. Black Friday and Cyber Monday also include a broader range of products and discounts. You don’t need a Prime Membership for either sale.
On the other hand, Prime Day is a smaller event, so competition isn’t quite as ruthless and products don’t sell out as quickly. Amazon also makes its deals very easy to find, which means less leg work. If you need or want something sooner than November, you may be better off buying it now since there’s no guarantee it will go on sale later in the year.
Our Conclusion
With a little preparation and a few day-of tools, you can score big deals on Prime Day. Knowing what you’re looking for is good, but a little window shopping won’t hurt. The exact brand or model you want may not go on sale, but Amazon offers so many alternatives that you may find an equivalent item at a big discount. Don’t forget to check the site throughout the 48-hour window, since many deals are time-limited.
FAQs About Amazon Prime Day
What are the differences between Amazon Prime Day and Prime membership?
Amazon Prime Day is a 48-hour sale on many of Amazon’s most popular products. To take advantage of these deals, you’ll need a Prime membership, which gives you access to Amazon’s streaming service Prime Video plus expedited shipping on many products. You can get a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime and then continue paying $14.99 per month or $139 per year.
What are some of the benefits of Amazon Prime Day?
The main benefit of Amazon Prime Day is great deals on electronics and other popular home, office, and outdoor products. With an Amazon Prime membership, which is required to participate in the sale, you’ll also get perks such as free shipping and access to Prime Music and Prime Video.
What items can you buy on Amazon Prime Day?
Amazon doesn’t release specifics about what items you can buy on Prime Day until right before the event, but we know that the company’s electronic products will receive discounts of up to 55%. Items across all categories will also go on sale, so you’ll need to check back and use tools such as Deal Alerts and Alexa reminders to find the best deals.
What are the dates for Amazon Prime Day?
The Amazon Prime Day dates for 2022 are July 12 and 13.
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