Why You Can Trust CNET These 8 Tips Can Help You Grab the Best Amazon Deals
Here's how to keep your finger on the pulse of Amazon sale prices.
It's no secret that Amazon can be home to some excellent deals. Between seasonal savings events and discounts on popular items, Amazon has become the shopping destination for many looking to save a bit of money.
So, whether you're a pro at shopping Amazon savings events and sniffing out great deals, or if you're new to to Prime, these tips can help you stay on top of all of the savings up for grabs at Amazon.
For more tips for shopping at Amazon, get the full scoop on returning products to Amazon or check out some of the little-known Prime perks that come with a subscription.
You can't get in on all of these March deals without a Prime subscription, but you don't have to be a paying subscriber to shop the sale. One of the best parts about Prime Day events is that even those on a Prime free trial are eligible for Prime discounts and other benefits. That means you can sign up for Amazon's free 30-day trial of the service and participate without having to pay anything, as long as you remember to cancel before the trial ends and the paid subscription starts.
Consider the Prime Visa
If you're a frequent Amazon shopper, this is a no-brainer. The Prime Visa offers Prime members 5% cash back on purchases made at Amazon's website, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods. It also earns 5% for travel booked through Chase, as well as 2% cash back on restaurants, gas stations and local transit (like rideshares). There's no annual fee, but it does require a Prime membership. The card could put money back in your pocket with little effort if you shop at these places often. And when you sign up right now, you'll get an Amazon gift card upon approval.
CNET has an overview of the Prime Visa, too.
- Download the Amazon Photos app and upload your first photo, get a $20 credit on a purchase of $40 or more (now through March 31).
Set up deal alerts in the app
Since Amazon knows your recent searches and the types of purchases you make there, it's also very well placed to offer deal alerts you'll be interested in. Prime members can opt-in to receive deal notifications related to their recent searches and viewed items in the Amazon app.
Let Alexa keep you up to date
As you might imagine, Amazon's smart digital assistant comes in pretty handy around events like Prime Day. You can have your Alexa devices inform you notify about deals on products in their Wish List, Cart or Save for Later lists -- and even place an order on their behalf so they can shop the sale hands-free.
Keep an eye on other retailers
Amazon won't be the only one running deals during the spring shopping period. Other major retailers like Best Buy, Walmart and Target have offered their own competing anti-Prime Day sales in the past, with some deals starting earlier than Amazon's or lasting longer.
Is that Big Spring Sale "deal" really a deal? Instead of looking up prices on Amazon's retail competitors one by one, do it instantaneously with a price comparison extension for your web browser. There are several on the market, including CNET's own in-house extension, CNET Shopping (formerly known as PriceBlink). It works across a bunch of retailers and can show you the best current deal, price history for select items, retailer coupons that can help you add to your savings and more. The best part? Our extension is completely free. Give it a try right now on Google Chrome.
You probably don't remember to check out CNET Deals every day, because sometimes life happens and you've got other things to do. Instead of letting you miss out on a good deal, we've created a daily text service to deliver a special message every day with something you might like -- usually something under $50 that is worth knowing about. During major shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day, you can opt-in to a greater volume of deals texts regarding any retailer offering something unique or interesting. We'll send out a notice ahead of these events so you always have control over how many texts you get from us.
Follow us on X
The CNET Deals team will be covering the event from the minute it starts, right up until the last minute when the deals end. You can follow the main CNET account on X (formerly Twitter) for the best of the best deals, along with the CNET Deals account for a wider stream of deals.
Don't miss our other shopping tips, including how to stop porch pirates from nabbing your Amazon deals and all about the shopping perks returning to Target Circle.