Prime Day 2021: Everything you need to know

Sian Babish, BestReviews Staff

3 years ago

If you’ve been eyeing a product, add it to your Amazon Cart before Prime Day. If it goes on sale, you’ll be able to finalize your purchase before stock runs out.

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How to prepare for Prime Day 2021

With chatter of Prime Day falling earlier than expected this year, many people have begun preparing for the biggest shopping event since the 2020 holiday season.

Prime Day features impressive deals across all product categories, with tech, toys and appliances boasting some of the deepest discounts. It’s no surprise that some consumers wait for it all year to cash in on the significant savings.

According to Amazon, Prime shoppers saved a whopping $1.4 billion during Prime Day 2020. For reference, the online retailer states that’s equivalent to one trillion waffles, 700 million socks or 233 pirate ships.

We’ve been following Prime Day since its inception in 2015. While we don’t know the exact date yet, we’re sharing this rundown to keep you in the loop so you can be prepared when it arrives.

When is Prime Day 2021?

Prime Day, which launched in 2015, typically falls in July to celebrate Amazon’s anniversary. Last year, due to the pandemic, it was rescheduled for mid-October.

This year, Prime Day will be over Monday and Tuesday, June 21-22.

In the meantime, being prepared is the best way to snag deals.

What is Prime Day?

Prime Day is a two-day mega online shopping event when Amazon slashes prices on thousands of products. The deep discounts on hot-selling items and Amazon house brands range from 10-80 percent off.

Prime Day offers the lowest prices of the year for many products. Some of these items are even cheaper than they are during other major retail shopping events, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

How big is Prime Day?

If you’re wondering exactly how big Prime Day is, take a look at how well the event performed during a pandemic. According to Amazon’s post-event press release, 2020 Prime Day sales were up 60 percent from 2019 — surpassing $3.5 billion in sales inside 48 hours.

In the weeks leading up to Prime Day 2020, Amazon funded a high-profile campaign to support small businesses selling on the platform. The “Spend $10, Get $10” promotion generated $900 million in sales for these merchants.

Other retailers are keenly aware of Prime Day’s impact on e-commerce, too. Macy’s, Kohl’s, Bed Bath & Beyond and Best Buy are just some of the retailers expected to host their own shopping events to compete with Prime Day.

How do I get Prime Day deals?

To be eligible for the epic deals of Prime Day, shoppers need an Amazon Prime membership. Here’s how much it costs, along with a rundown of the top Prime benefits.

How much is Prime membership?

An Amazon Prime membership costs $119 annually. For college students, the annual Prime Student membership is $59.
A monthly Amazon Prime membership costs $12.99. Prime Student memberships are only $6.49.
Qualifying government assistance recipients pay only $5.99 per month for an Amazon Prime membership.
Individuals interested in shopping Prime Day who don’t want to commit to a monthly or annual Prime membership can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

Amazon Prime shipping

Free two-day delivery on millions of items is the most notable benefit of Prime membership.

There are also more than 10 million items available for free one-day delivery. Free same-day delivery is available for 3 million items with a $35 minimum order. Gamers, as well as media and book enthusiasts, enjoy free release-date delivery for qualified items.

Best Amazon Prime benefits for Prime Day

Besides fast shipping, these are the best Amazon Prime benefits you’ll enjoy for Prime Day:

There are thousands of Prime-exclusive deals daily, with even more available during Prime Day.
Prime Early Access grants members 30-minute early access to Lightning Deals.
Prime members can view some deals up to a day in advance. They can track deals in the Amazon app by selecting “Watch this deal.”
Prime members can add the Amazon Prime Insider skill to Alexa. Users can ask, “Alexa, what’s my news?” to hear flash briefings on Prime-exclusive deals.
Prime members enjoy a 30-day free-returns policy on most purchases. Members may drop off returns at select Kohl’s, Whole Foods or UPS Store locations.

Other Amazon Prime benefits

While you might not use these specific Amazon Prime benefits on Prime Day, here are a few more perks of membership:

Amazon Video lets members watch exclusive Amazon Originals and thousands of movies and TV shows on any device.
Amazon Music gives members access to 2 million songs and millions of podcasts.
Members can share Prime benefits with their entire household, including one other adult and up to four teens and four kids.
At Whole Foods, Amazon Prime members get an additional 10 percent off sale items (excluding alcohol). Prime members in select areas are eligible for free pickup or delivery for orders $35 and over.

Why is Prime Day worth it?

Besides the big sales, there are a few more reasons to shop during Prime Day this year. With many schools around the country returning to in-person instruction, there’s going to be a big back to school push late this summer. Prime Day, expected to occur much earlier than that, is an excellent time to stock up on kids’ clothing and school supplies.

As many professionals continue to adapt to work-from-home, we expect Prime Day to offer more sales on home office equipment, furniture and tech. Educators preparing to return to the classroom this fall can leverage Prime Day to stock up on affordable classroom supplies, including manipulatives and STEM activities.

Amazon now offers flexible payment plans for eligible Prime shoppers on select items. Shoppers pay the same price with no additional interest or fees.

Do’s and don’ts of Amazon Prime Day

Whether you’re a Prime Day rookie or veteran, here are a few pointers that will improve your Prime Day experience this year.

Do’s of Prime Day

Do your research on prices before and during Prime Day to determine whether you’re getting a great deal. Visit CamelCamelCamel, a free Amazon price tracker, to view price fluctuations. If you use Mozilla Firefox, you can download a browser extension.
Do create a budget before Prime Day. It may help reign in spending, especially with impulse buys.
Do check to make sure your shipping and billing information is current to streamline orders and avoid mishaps.
Do take a look at Amazon Wish Lists. Many high-ticket items on these registries may be available at much lower prices on Prime Day.

Don’ts of Prime Day

Don’t forget to read the small print regarding shipping and returns. While most products follow the same Amazon Prime policies, there are occasional exceptions.
Don’t be fooled by unknown brands or bogus reviews. If your gut tells you there’s something sketchy about an item, steer clear.
Don’t enable notifications on Alexa and shared devices if you’re ordering gifts for members of your household. It may spoil the surprise by sharing product and shipping information.
Don’t overspend on unnecessary purchases, such as tech bundles that include accessories you won’t need or use.

What will be on sale on Prime Day?

Amazon products on sale for Prime Day

It’s no secret that Amazon always promotes Amazon-owned products on Prime Day. Here are the ones we expect to see on sale.

Amazon Kindles: We’ve seen the lowest prices of the year on Amazon Kindles during Prime Day sales.