Prime Day shopping hacks: How to score the best deals

Prime Day is no longer a single-day sales event at Amazon; it's a full-blown online shopping extravaganza. In 2026, Prime Day is not only four days long, but has also shifted to an earlier summer time slot. The official sale runs from June 23 through 26, but of course, deals have been popping up for weeks in the lead-up to the event.

BTW, Amazon isn't the only one with a sale at the end of June, either. The hype of Prime Day has inspired competing 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 pretty overwhelming.

With an overall hunger for savings amidst inflation-concerned customers, deal shopping is of more interest than ever. And lucky for you, Mashable's shopping team knows a thing or two about finding the best deals. We've got you covered with all the shopping hacks and tips you should know for securing the best deals on Prime Day 2026 and beyond. You'll be shopping like a well-oiled machine in no time.

1. Plan your shopping wisely

It should go without saying, but going into any shopping event without some sort of game plan is risky as hell. It's also a quick ticket to buyer's remorse.

Unlike Black Friday, when it's common to have a list of gifts you're looking for, Prime Day can be a tempting day to splurge on stuff you don't actually need. With a bunch of sparkly discounts at your fingertips, it's easy to get click-happy. Setting a budget for yourself can go a long way in preventing overspending. TL;DR: Just because something is on sale doesn't mean you have to buy it. We recommend building out a list of things you actually want or need in the days leading up to the sale and abiding by it (and your budget) religiously.

2. Organize your wishlist

Do yourself a favor and get your wishlist in order before you jump into Prime Day shopping. It's our favorite Black Friday hack, but the same tip applies to Amazon's shopping holiday.

Every product page on the retail giant's website has an "add to list" button. Do this with all of the things (tech, everyday household supplies, books, kitchen gear, etc.) on your shopping list this season to organize everything, view it all at a glance, and even rank items based on priority. You'll be able to see which products have gone on sale and seamlessly scoop them up before they're gone.

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

Shopping from your phone? It'd be smart to download the Amazon mobile app if you haven't already. Beyond just making it easier to shop on the go, the app gives you access to exclusive app-only perks like wishlist alerts, personalized suggestions, and more. You'll even be able to see deals on recent items you've searched.

I also recommend downloading the apps of any competitors you want to shop — Walmart, Target, Best Buy — so you can compare prices in real time, no matter where you are.

4. Use Alexa for Shopping as your personal shopping expert

Amazon has put a lot of effort into its Alexa for Shopping feature, so don't be afraid to utilize 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 for Shopping questions directly in the main search bar, create personalized shopping guides for big purchases, get insight on products and categories in search results, generate product comparisons if you're having a tough time deciding, and even view up to a full year of price history for specific items. You can also automate deal-finding, cart-building, and routine purchases if you desire.

If you have a newer Echo smart speaker, you can also turn on the exclusive advanced deal alerts feature (you'll find it under More > Settings > Notifications > Amazon Shopping) for deal recommendations and shopping recommendations. If you already made a wishlist, you'll get a pop-up alert or a 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 even let you know if an item on your wishlist is going 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 job to find the best deals, but we'll let you in on a little secret. When shopping for deals at Amazon, we always reference CamelCamelCamel to see the historical data on the sale prices for a particular item. At a glance, it allows you to see just how good that deal is (or isn't). Even if you're shopping elsewhere, you can get an idea of a product's price history before purchasing. The creator of CamelCamelCamel also released a Walmart price tracking tool.

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

6. Bookmark Mashable's Prime Day hub

Mashable's Prime Day page is the hub for pretty much every deal you need to know about, with links to all of our coverage, like a massive master list of the best Prime Day 2026 deals, plus spotlights on standout deals, competitor sales at Walmart, Best Buy, and Target, as well as by categories like TVs, robot vacuums, streaming services, or headphones. This will save you from wasting time trying to skim websites on your own and getting overwhelmed. Literally, our job is to make your life easier.

We'll be updating all of these lists regularly before, during, and after the Prime Day shenanigans, so check back for all the latest and greatest deals that drop.

7. Sign up for Mashable Deals emails

If you don't want to be glued to your screen, but still want to stay in the loop and score the best deals, we've got you covered. In the days leading up to and surrounding Prime Day, our regular newsletters will be filled with discounts you may want to hop on. Head over to our newsletters page and tick the box for the Mashable Deals emails. You'll be sent a quick rundown of deals we think you'll care about, like the best MacBook or Kindle deals to shop, which streaming services are on sale, or which robot vacuum is worth your money this Prime Day.