The wait is over. Amazon has announced the official dates for this year’s annual Prime Day event with a little help from Megan Thee Stallion.
The rapper unveiled a new original song called “It’s Prime Day,” which was released overnight with an accompanying music video.
First introduced in 2015 to celebrate Amazon’s 20 years in business, Amazon Prime Day has become a highly anticipated annual shopping event. It now lasts two days and offers huge discounts on thousands of products on the Amazon marketplace.
When is Amazon Prime Day 2024?
Amazon Prime Day is officially celebrated on July 16 and 17, but the online marketplace usually launches some early deals a few days before the main event. Prime Day will last 48 hours, starting on Tuesday, July 16 at midnight Pacific Time (3 a.m. ET) and ending on Wednesday, July 17.
Do I need to be a Prime member for Amazon Prime Day?
The answer is yes. You must be an Amazon Prime member to participate in the sale. The subscription cost is $139 per year.
The subscription includes free one- or two-day delivery, and customers in some locations can also access same-day delivery. In addition to free Prime delivery, the subscription gives customers access to Amazon video, music, games, photo storage and more, including a free one-year subscription to Grubhub’s “Plus” premium delivery service and discounts on prescription medications.
You can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, after which you’ll pay $14.99 per month or the full annual amount of $139 for the year (plus tax in some states). Prime accounts can be shared within a household, which includes up to two adults, four teens, and four children.
Students with a valid email account at their school can benefit from discounts of $69 per year.
How to buy on Prime Day
Amazon said this year’s Prime Day will offer deep discounts on Amazon-branded products like Alexa, Fire Sticks, Kindles and Ring Doorbells. The company is also leaning into back-to-school and college items to save.
Prime members can also take advantage of early access discounts, which is available starting Tuesday, June 25.
Compare prices
If you’ve really set your sights on a particular item, search for it online to compare prices. You can also use The Camelizer, an Amazon price tracking extension for your web browser, to make sure you’re really getting the best deal.
Search for offers
One way to find the best deals on Amazon Prime Day is to take advantage of “Lightning Deals,” which are short-term discounts that last a short time and expire when the item is sold out or the timer runs out.
Amazon said shoppers can expect new deals every five minutes during select periods throughout this year’s Prim Day. Invitational offers are also returning this year, meaning Prime members can request an invite for exclusive offers that are expected to sell out.
You can see the flash deals on the Amazon Prime Day page and it will be easy for you to spot them as they show a countdown next to the item.
Ask Alexa
Amazon’s Alexa device can be used to alert you of deals on items on your wish list or products you have “saved for later” in your cart.
Tips to avoid scams during Amazon Prime Day
Amazon sells many of its own products and those from name-brand companies, but most of its listings are from “third-party sellers.”
Although many of these sellers are very reputable, some sell fake products or advertise incredible deals on something you may want or need, but that will end up being a scam.
So, if you’re planning to take advantage of Prime Day deals, here are some tips to avoid getting scammed:
- First, only click on the Amazon Prime box to limit your online exposure to fake or fraudulent ads.
- Avoid clicking on products that do not have reviews. Virtually all items for sale have good or bad reviews; If there isn’t one, consider it a warning.
- Don’t just research the product, also research the seller. Google their name along with the word “scam” and see what the search can reveal about previous complaints about the product and the company that sells it.
- If there are misspellings, poor descriptions, or bad grammar, it’s another warning sign that you could be dealing with a foreign scammer.
- Lastly, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Compare prices for the same item and if there is a big difference, you could be dealing with a seller that is not legitimate.
