Amazon Prime Day shopping tips for the best deals: How to shop like a pro

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Prime Day is no longer a one-day sales event at Amazon; it is a full online shopping game. In 2026, Prime Day is not only four days longer, but it has also shifted to an earlier summer location. The official sale runs from June 23 to 26, however, deals have been popping up for weeks before the event.

BTW, Amazon isn’t the only one selling at the end of June, either. The Prime Day hype spurred competitive sales from other major retailers, including Walmart’s Summer Deals event, Target Circle Deal Days, and Best Buy’s Tech Fest. Needless to say, shopping this season can be very difficult.

With a hunger for savings among consumers affected by inflation, shopping for deals is more profitable than ever. And lucky for you, Mashable’s shopping team knows a thing or two about finding the best deals. We’ve got all the hacks and tips you need to know to get the best deals on Prime Day 2026 and beyond. You’ll buy like a well-oiled machine in no time.

It should go without saying, but going to any shopping event without some sort of game plan is a big risk. And it’s a quick ticket to buyer’s remorse.

Unlike Black Friday, when it’s common to have a list of gifts you want, Big Day can be a tempting day to splurge on things you don’t really need. With tons of instant discounts at your fingertips, it’s easy to click-happy. Budgeting can go a long way in preventing overspending. TL; DR: Just because something is for sale doesn’t mean you should buy it. We recommend making a list of what you really want or need in the days leading up to the sale and sticking to it (and your budget) religiously.

2. Organize your wish list

Do yourself a favor and organize your wish list before you hit the Prime Day stores. It’s our favorite for Black Friday, but the same tip applies to the Amazon shopping holiday.

Every product page on the retail giant’s website has an “add to list” button. Do this with all the items (technology, everyday household items, books, kitchen items, etc.) on your shopping list this season to organize everything, take an overview, and weigh things based on what’s important. You will be able to see which products have sold out and easily collect them before they are gone.

3. Download the Amazon app (and any competitors you want to buy)

Shopping on your phone? It would be wise to download the Amazon mobile app if you haven’t already. Besides making it easy to shop on the go, the app gives you access to exclusive app-only benefits like wishlist notifications, personalized suggestions, and more. You’ll also be able to see deals on recent items you’ve searched for.

I also recommend downloading the apps of any competitors you want to shop for – Walmart, Target, Best Buy – so you can compare prices in real time, wherever you are.

Amazon has put a lot of effort into its Alexa Shopping feature, so don’t be afraid to use it. Available on the app, website, and Echo Show devices, Alexa for Shopping combines two of Amazon’s secret weapons, Rufus and Alexa+, to create a personalized AI assistant for your shopping needs. You can ask Alexa shopping questions directly from the main search bar, create personalized shopping guides for big purchases, find information on products and categories in search results, generate product comparisons when you’re having a hard time deciding, and view up to a full year of price history for certain items. You can also automate finding deals, creating a cart, and making general purchases if you like.

If you have a new Echo smart speaker, you can also turn on the special advanced alerts feature (you’ll find it under More > Settings > Notifications > Amazon Shopping) to get deals and shopping recommendations. If you’ve already created a wish list, you’ll get a pop-up alert or yellow ring light on your Echo speaker whenever Alexa finds out about an upcoming deal on one of the items on your list. Alexa will notify you when an item on your wishlist goes on sale up to 24 hours before the sale goes live, so you can plan accordingly.

5. Compare prices and check CamelCamelCamel like it’s your job

So technically, it actually is our work for the best deals, but we’ll let you in with a little privacy. When shopping for deals on Amazon, we always refer to CamelCamelCamel to see historical data on the sale prices of a particular item. At a glance, it lets you see how good (or bad) that contract is. Even if you shop elsewhere, you can get an idea of ​​the product’s price history before you buy. The creator of CamelCamelCamel has also released a price tracking tool for Walmart.

As I mentioned above, Alexa Shopping also provides a full year of price history for certain items if you ask. If a deal seems too good to be true, that’s usually because it is.

Mashable’s Prime Day page is the center he is beautiful more about everything you need to know about it, with links to everything we cover, such as a huge list of the best deals for Prime Day 2026, as well as highlights from outstanding deals, sales from competitors at Walmart, Best Buy, and Target, and categories such as TVs, robot vacuums, streaming services, or headphones. This will save you from wasting time trying to search websites on your own and getting frustrated. In fact, our job is to make your life easier.

We’ll be updating all of these lists regularly before, during, and after Prime Day games, so check back for all the latest and greatest stuff going down.

If you don’t want to be glued to your screen, but still want to stay informed and find the best deals, we’ve got you covered. In the days leading up to and around Prime Day, our regular newsletters will be filled with discounts you might want to take advantage of. Go to our newsletter page and check the Mashable Deals email box. You’ll be sent a quick list of deals we think you’ll care about, like the best deals on a MacBook or Kindle, what streaming services are on sale, or which robotic shutter is worth your money this Big Day.