Who doesn’t love a good sale? Whether you’re hoping to score some deals on dorm decor, textbooks for next year’s classes, or just those wants-that-are-actually-needs, mark your calendar for July 12 and 13, aka Amazon Prime Day 2022.
Prime Day is Amazon’s biggest sale of the year, and the purchases made each year make up about 1% to 2% of their annual sales, according to CNN. It’s been an annual event since its inception in 2015, but if this is the first time you’re hearing about it, don’t worry. Here’s everything you need to know about Prime Day, from when it’s taking place to how to make sure you’re getting the best deals.
What is Prime Day?
Think of Prime Day as the ultimate Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but only on Amazon. If you’ve had your eye on an Amazon device like a Kindle, Ring, Echo, or Fire TV, Prime Day is probably when you’re going to see them at their lowest prices. It’s not only Amazon products, however, that offer big discounts on Prime Day: You can get everything from home tech to beauty products to new clothes, shoes, and more at a discounted price on Prime Day.
According to IGN, the bestselling items from 2021’s Prime Day included games for PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, as well as Roomba vacuums, AirPods, and even Amazon Gift Cards (free money? Sign me up). So if you’ve been saving up for any big tech purchases, Prime Day is the time to cash in.
When is Prime Day 2022?
Amazon just announced the official dates of Prime Day 2022: July 12 and 13 (so, okay, it’s more like Prime Days). Make sure you’re checking your time zones, though, because the official starting time is at 12 a.m. Pacific. If you’re booked and busy both of those two days, however, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel: According to Business Insider, there might be another Prime Day happening this year, in the fall.
And if you just can’t wait to start spending and saving, Amazon is offering some early deals on podcast network Wondery+, IMDbPro, Amazon devices like the Echo and Fire TVs, Audible Premium, and more. You can see the full list of early perks on their website.
How to participate in Prime Day
First things first: Make sure you have an Amazon Prime membership. This sale is exclusive to Prime members. Luckily, college students can get a nice discount: Prime student memberships are half of the regular price, currently at $7.49 a month.
If you’re still not sure if it’s worth the investment, you may want to read up on the perks that come with a Prime student membership, such as free two-day shipping, access to Course Hero, Calm, and more, plus you can watch shows on Prime Video (is anyone else ready to watch all of The Summer I Turned Pretty in one sitting?).
To get the most bang for your buck on the actual day, Amazon recommends creating deal alerts so you can get personalized recommendations for items you might want to add to your cart. Some deals are likely to sell out in minutes, so having notifications set up can help you jump on them before everything’s gone. Make a wishlist of the products you want so you’re not going in blind and can make the most use of your time. If you’re less interested in Amazon products specifically and would rather help support small businesses on Prime Day, simply look for the small business badge, which helps differentiate them.
You can also get a $10 credit toward your Prime Day purchases with a Stampcard, which requires you to complete four tasks using Amazon platforms like Prime Video and Prime music.
It’s worth noting that Amazon is likely not the only company that will have major deals on Prime Day — competitors like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart have historically offered their own discounts on or around Prime Day to take advantage of the hype. So if you’re not seeing the prices you want on Amazon, it could be worth it to shop around elsewhere for a bit too.
So get your wishlist and wallet ready, because we’re only a few weeks shy of this year’s Prime Day. Happy saving!