Ahead of Amazon’s big Prime Day sales event in July, here’s a primer on how to find the best deals, get faster deliveries, and even track prices over time.
At one time, shopping online seemed ridiculous—and also dangerous. People were afraid to enter their credit card numbers in a browser window, hidden fees were the norm, and scams and fraud issues were unnervingly common. These days, though, online shopping is a way of life, thanks in large part to one internet behemoth: Amazon.
Love it or hate it, the Seattle-based company has made online shopping mainstream. Amazon sells almost everything, delivers your goods quickly (even if it’s not as quick as it used to be), offers services such as streaming video and music, and makes an entire line of tablets, ebook readers, and smart speakers and displays. Its web and app options let you shop on any platform, while its AWS servers power at least a third of the web, according to Statista. Amazon also owns some brick-and-mortar stores, including Whole Foods. Much of the experience with Amazon is improved if you’re willing to pay the yearly fee to be a member of Amazon Prime.
We’re closing in on Amazon’s upcoming Prime Day shopping event. It’s coming this summer. The tips below can help you get the most out of your shopping experience on Prime Day or any other.1. Get Amazon Prime for Free (or Cheaper)
Amazon Prime comes with a free 30-day trial for first-time subscribers. You could theoretically use a Prime membership on Prime Day to get free shipping, then cancel before you’re charged. Amazon is pretty sure you’ll be so dazzled by all the extras a Prime membership offers that you won’t want to let it go, but that really depends on how much you shop.
Not everyone has to shell out $139, though. Prime Student offers a free Prime membership for six months and half-price thereafter ($69 per year or $7.49 per month). Students have to have an email account with a school to qualify.
Those on government assistance can get Prime Access for $6.99 a month after a 30-day free trial. It applies to programs including WIC and SNAP (here’s the full list). Subscribers need to re-up every 12 months.2. Prime With a Partner or Family
You can share the cost of an Amazon Prime subscription with one other adult and up to four kids who live under the same roof. This is a smart way to shop for holiday presents while keeping purchases a secret from your partner or kids. Everyone can enjoy the free shipping.
To set it up, go to the Amazon Household website and click Add Adult/Teen/Child. You’ll need their email addresses as used on Amazon, and adults must share credit or debit card information. Keep it organized at Manage Your Content and Devices > Preferences tab > Households and Family Library > Manage Your Household.
Amazon Prime Household sharing includes Prime Video (with ads; no ads costs $3/month more), Prime Early Access (which offers 30-minute early access to time-limited Lightning Deals), and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. All adults get access to Amazon Kids+ parental controls at $4.99 per month to make sure kids don’t get into anything they shouldn’t (it’s $7.99 a month for non-Prime members). Amazon Teen, a part of Amazon Household, gives kids aged 13 to 17 a little more freedom to shop, but it allows parents or guardians to approve these teens’ purchases before they’re charged.3. The Gift of Prime
The only way to give the gift of Prime is as an Amazon gift card. The recipient can use it to sign up. It works as a gift for people who already have Prime, too. Plus, it buys other stuff. 4. Finding the Right Product
Amazon has hundreds of thousands of products. Searching with a barebones term will quickly get you lost in the weeds, with far too many options. At the left of your screen, start clicking boxes to filter choices. Start, of course, with Prime, so you know that you’ll get the unit with, hopefully, the best shipping options and definitely the best return options (such as making a quick trip to Kohl’s or Staples; they’ll even pack it and ship it for you).
Keep narrowing things down, looking for daily deals but also by customer ratings (if you trust them), brands, and even more specific terms, depending on the product category. Searching « laptops, » I narrowed down the RAM capacity, graphics processor, type of display, weight, and even new versus used (you can get some good deals with a refurb). Filtering also lets you skip sponsored listings, which are just ads.5. Warehouse Deals Renewed
What happens to products that are returned to Amazon—the gems that are no longer « new » but are still good enough? They can typically be found on the Amazon Warehouse Deals site, from which you can find Amazon Renewed. It offers « deep discounts on open-box, like-new, and pre-owned products »—aka refurbished. Best of all, they are typically still eligible for Amazon Prime shipping and returns. Similarly, you can find deals at the almost-hidden Amazon Outlet store.6. Today’s Deals on Amazon
Amazon’s best deals for new products used to be easy to find, but now you have to dig a little or go direct to www.amazon.com/gp/goldbox/. The section offers several featured deals. Some may be time-limited Lightning Deals, where you have only hours or minutes to snag a product on sale.
