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Tech Matters: How to get ready for Prime Day

By Leslie Meredith - Special to the Standard-Examiner | Jun 29, 2022

Photo supplied

Leslie Meredith

Prime Day has been touted as the Black Friday of summer, and it falls on July 12-13 this year. Amazon with its millions of products and rows of specials on its homepage can be tough to navigate at any time, but Prime Day poses extra challenges. Here is a guide to preparing for the event to get the best deals without overspending.

While you don’t have to be an Amazon Prime member to shop on Prime Day, membership does open exclusive deals to members. If you want to see it all, you’ll want to be a member. Membership costs $139 per year or you can opt to pay $14.99 a month; paying in one lump sum will save you $40 a year. There are big savings available for students ($69 a year/$7.49 a month) and for those on specific government assistance programs ($6.99 month). Check eligibility at www.amazon.com/qualify. You can take advantage of Amazon’s 30-day free trial, but don’t forget to cancel it if that’s your intention.

Membership automatically renews each year, so you don’t have to worry about an expired account unless you’ve changed payment methods and not updated your account. If a big purchase is on your list, make sure that the card you want to use for the item is active on your account. Take a moment to delete any unused or expired cards to help minimize the personal data stored about you.

Similar to many other online retailers, Amazon offers an interest-free payment plan on certain products. The pool of qualifying products has grown over the past year, and the time period correlates to the price, varying from five months for items under $50 and up to 18 months for those over $500. The payment plans are available only with the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card. When you select the payment plan at check-out, the full amount will be charged against your card. The card offers 5% cash back on Amazon purchases and can be linked to ride-sharing app Lyft to earn extra points. Currently, Amazon if offering a $100 Amazon gift card upon approval of the card.

In advance of Prime Day, Amazon is also offering a $20 Prime Day credit for trying its Photos app. All you have to do is upload at least one photo to the app through July 8 to earn the credit. You’ll then receive an email confirming your credit and instructions on how to apply it to a Prime Day purchase of $40 or more.

You can earn another $10 by enrolling in Amazon’s Stampcard program and earning four stamps. To earn the stamps, you’ll need to stream a show on Prime Video, listen to a song on Prime Music, borrow an ebook on Prime Reading and make a Prime shipping-eligible purchase of $5 or more. The idea behind this promotion is to introduce Prime members to other perks of membership beyond the free shipping.

There are several ways to shop on Prime Day — use one or combine them to fit your needs. In addition to sitting down at your computer, you can also use the Amazon Shopping app on your phone. When installing, say yes to notifications so you’ll see the hourly or so Lightning Deals. You can also use an Alexa-enabled device to make your shopping more efficient by asking for the deals of the day. Last year, Amazon launched Prime Day early on Alexa devices such as the Echo and Dot smart speakers.

The very best way to get the best deals is to start with a shopping list. While it may be hard to think about your holiday gift list in July, this is a great time to buy great gifts at a discount. Making a list for both gift-giving and for yourself will be the most effective way to avoid impulse buying, which may leave you wondering, “What on earth am I going to do with this?”

While Amazon sells 12 million products (350 million if you include independent sellers in Amazon Marketplace), the best deals will be in these categories: home, electronics and technology. Huge Prime Day savings are expected on brands including Beats, Casper, iRobot and SharkNinja, as well as some of the lowest prices ever on products from Sony, Bose and GE. Refine your shopping list, allow alerts and have fun. When this year’s Prime Day kicks off, smart shopper.

Leslie Meredith has been writing about technology for more than a decade. As a mom of four, value, usefulness, and online safety take priority. Have a question? Email Leslie at asklesliemeredith@gmail.com.

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