The Next Amazon Prime Day Dates Are Confirmed!

Amazon has officially confirmed the dates for Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2024—and it's coming up quickly! The highly anticipated two-day shopping event from the global retail giant is chock full of bargain deals on home, kitchen, and beauty products, as well as electronics and pretty much everything else. Plus, there are early deals you can already take advantage of—check our our picks for the best Prime Day deals you can shop now!

For seasoned Prime shoppers, you know the day is coming when your brown Amazon packages start showing up at the door adorned with festive blue Prime Day tape. The uninitiated among us might be unaware that Prime Day is one of the biggest online shopping holidays on the calendar, rivaling Cyber Monday and Black Friday. You can save big on many big-name brands.

But there are also discounts on products from small- and medium-sized businesses, too. If you haven’t participated in Prime Day before, it can get a little overwhelming. But don’t worry, we have the rundown on the retail giant’s biggest event, along with a few tips to help you navigate the frenzy.

What is Prime Big Deal Days?

As the name suggests, Prime Day is Amazon’s deal event—much like Boxing Day or Cyber Monday—and one that is exclusively for Prime members.

Prime Day was born in 2015 on Amazon’s 20th anniversary as a way to celebrate its Prime members. Since then it has exponentially grown into the mammoth shopping holiday it is now.

Are there any lead-up deals I can shop now?

Yes! Check out Today's Deals, which will be updated frequently with different sales leading up to Big Deals Day.

Can I shop Prime Day deals if I don’t have Prime?

If you’re not a Prime member, don’t fret—you can sign up for a free 30-day trial and still get all the same deals, plus free, fast shipping, access to Prime Video and other perks. (After the free month, Prime costs $9.99 a month or $99 a year, but you can cancel anytime.) The Big Deal Days experience itself lasts 48 hours and features deals on top brands.

(Photo: iStock)

When is Amazon Prime Day 2024?

This exclusive Amazon retail event will run from Tuesday October 8 to Wednesday October 9. 

Tips for a smooth Prime Day

1. Make sure you have a working Prime account

As previously mentioned, you can sign up for the free 30-day trial if you don’t have a paid account. You can still enjoy all of the perks, including free two-day shipping, Prime Video, Amazon Music and more. If you don’t want to pay the Prime membership pricing (currently $9.99 per month), simply cancel before the 30 days are over.

This is one of the easiest ways to take advantage of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2024.

2. Make a list of what you want to buy—and keep tabs

Treat Prime Day as you would treat your holiday shopping. For maximum efficiency, add products to a Wish List (you’re able to create multiple lists under your profile). You can also visit the Prime Day page and keep tabs on products by selecting “Watch this Deal.”

3. Get the Amazon app

If you have the Amazon app, you can sign up for push notifications five minutes before a deal starts. Just visit the Prime Day event page on the app to create deal alerts. Amazon does a great job promoting its own devices like Alexa and Kindle on the Prime Day event page but it’s worth doing your own research to find more great deals.

4. Price check the items

Make sure you’re getting a good deal by checking the product’s price history. There are free websites and extensions like camelcamelcamel that will display a full price history of a specific product so you can be certain that you’re making the best choice. Set the “Price Type” section to Amazon only to avoid third-party scams. (Oh, and here are four more ways to shop smarter on Amazon.)

5. Place an order while the deal is live

There are typically two types of Prime Day deals: Deals of the Day and Lightning Deals. The former lasts 24 hours and features Amazon’s best-selling products. (Note: Deals may not be the same on both days.) Lightning Deals are faster and pop up every few minutes—these usually sell out in less than six hours. And WOW deals feature steep discounts on top brands, and may sell out even faster.

If you're shopping in a hurry, the good news is that you *can* return Prime Day items under the same terms as regular-priced items (in other words, you can return most items within 30 days, but read the fine print because there are always exceptions).

Stay tuned for our Prime Day coverage.