Prime Day primer: What you need to know about Amazon Prime Day 2020

Editor’s note: This post originally appeared on The Drive

With Prime Day being so close to Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year, it’s tough to know what to expect as far as great deals on tactical and outdoor gear, tools, and automotive accessories. While you aren’t likely to find that elusive part for your classic car restoration, you can be sure that Amazon will be offering savings on all kinds of items from tactical and outdoor gear to automotive equipment. You can also expect unbeatable deals on thousands of Amazon-branded products.

In fact, Amazon already has loads of pre-Prime Day deals that you can take advantage of right now, if you’re too eager to wait. The retailer is already offering discounts on:

• Automotive
• Amazon Fire TVs & Echo Devices
• Tools and Garage
• Lawn and garden equipment
• Outdoor and Tactical gear
• Clothing and shoes

Being a Prime member is about far more than shopping. Prime members get a ton of perks that go way beyond Amazon’s famous free two-day shipping. If you’re a Prime member, you also get access to Prime Video, with thousands of free and on-demand movies and TV shows plus loads of exclusive Amazon shows you can’t see anywhere else: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Boys, and Jack Ryan, just to name a few.

Prime members also get access to Prime Music, Amazon’s streaming service with millions of songs and albums you can listen to anytime. And we haven’t even touched on the perks of Prime Now, Amazon’s instant on-demand delivery service where you can get virtually anything from local stores and markets, including Whole Foods, brought to your door in a matter of hours.

If you’re undecided about becoming an Amazon Prime member, try it out free for 30 days. If you don’t like it, just cancel it—after you take advantage of Prime Day.

To help you get the most out of Amazon Prime Day, we’ve got some tips designed to help you sift through the mountain of deals.

Tips for scoring great deals on Amazon Prime Day

1. Sign up for a Prime membership

This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s really the first step. If you don’t already have an Amazon Prime membership, you’re missing out on fast and free delivery; special discounts on groceries and household items; free access to thousands of TV shows, movies, songs, and books; and exclusive 30-minute advance access to Lightning Deals on Amazon Prime Day. You can try Amazon Prime for 30 days risk-free, so you’ve got nothing to lose. If you cancel your trial membership before the 30 days are up, you won’t be charged—but you will miss out on a ton of great membership benefits.

2. Get organized

It’s easy to get distracted by the plethora of products and great deals at Amazon. For Prime Day, it’s prudent to decide what products or items you’re most interested in, and stick to your guns. You can even set up notifications on the Amazon app to get a heads-up on the deals that interest you. With the sheer number of unbeatable deals coming your way for 48 hours straight, it’s best to know what you’re most interested in before you start clicking away and get lost in a sea of discounted items.

3. Don’t just assume Amazon has the best deal

Naturally, other major retailers aren’t just going to let Amazon have all the fun. Online retailers like Walmart, Target, Wayfair, and more will likely be running concurrent sales in order to stay competitive. Be sure to check with some other big players before you buy from Amazon. Better still, download a deal-finding add-on for your web browser like Honey, WikiBuy, or CamelCamelCamel that will instantly tell you if the item you’re viewing is available for less elsewhere.

4. Get notified when something you want goes on sale

You can sign up to get special alerts when something you’ve been eyeing goes on sale by clicking on the “Deals” option in your Amazon app. This will let you see special Lightning Deals, deals on items you’ve been “watching,” and even upcoming deals so you can make the most out of your shopping time without having to constantly check Amazon. Since Amazon releases new deals continually throughout the 48-hour period, getting notifications helps make sure you don’t miss out on the things you really want.

5. Get the best deal possible by taking advantage of cashback deals and bonus gift cards

• Amazon always offers ways to save additional cash with offers like the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card, which gives you 5 percent cash back. As an added incentive, Amazon is also offering a $100 gift card for any new enrollments until Oct. 31. Using this card on Prime Day will give you up to an additional 25 percent off on other select items.
• Amazon is also running its Prime Day Photo Sweepstakes this year, which gives you the chance to win a $1,000 Amazon gift card when you tag @AmazonPhotos and use the hashtag #PrimeDayPhotos on social media.
• Amazon is also offering a host of $10 credits off certain purchases in select small business stores prior to Oct. 12, at Amazon Books, Amazon 4-Star, Amazon Pop-Up, and Whole Foods.

Amazon Prime Day is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated shopping events of the year, and the best part is that you don’t even have to get out of your pajamas or leave your house to take advantage of it. Sign up for your 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime today and see what it’s all about.

Even better, with the holidays coming up, the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card offers you more ways to save so that you can truly get the biggest bang for your buck, like an additional 25 percent cash back on select items during the Prime Day sale.

If you want to score the best deals without wading through a million bargains that don’t interest you, keep an eye on our Facebook page for the latest auto-centric deals throughout Prime Day 2020. Happy shopping.