Amazon’s legendary sale is returning this summer with its inaugural four-day stint, guaranteeing an all-time record 96 hours of deals to American shoppers. Prime Day 2025 runs from Tuesday, July 8 to Friday, July 11, with fresh deals every few minutes. Below is all you need to know, including the exact launch schedule, as well as battle-hardened advice on how to get ahead of the crowds.
Key dates & times
| Sale opens | July 8, 12:01 a.m | July 8, 3:01 a.m. | Full sitewide discounts go live for Prime members |
| Daily “Today’s Big Deals” drop | Midnight each day, July 8–11 | 3:00 a.m. each day | Limited-quantity themed bundles from top brands |
| Lightning-deal refresh frequency | As often as every 5 minutes | As often as every 5 minutes | Short-lived price cuts that vanish when stock depletes |
| Final checkout deadline | July 11, 11:59 p.m. | July 12, 2:59 a.m. | Last chance before prices revert |
Why Amazon added two extra days
After a decade of 48-hour events, Amazon is extending the length of time to four days so that members can “shop millions of deals with less FOMO,” the company says in its official announcement. Adobe Analytics projects the extended event will drive total U.S. e-commerce sales of $23.8 billion, about equivalent to two Black Fridays within seven days.
Early access and “Today’s Big Deals”
Prime members do not have to wait until July 8. Hundreds of “pre-Prime” markdowns—ranging from Dell laptops at 73% off to Samsonite luggage—are already live. Starting at midnight PT on launch day, a new feature called “Today’s Big Deals” will unveil curated, one-day themes with heavy cuts on brands like Samsung, Kiehl’s, and Levi’s. Because quantities are finite, the deepest discounts often disappear in under an hour.
What departments will see the biggest discounts?
Amazon’s teaser mentions up to 50% off fashion brands, beauty essentials, and home staples. Adobe predicts the steepest average price cuts in:
- Fashion apparel: 24% off (up from 20% last year)
- Electronics: All electronics are 22% off, still one of the biggest attractors despite possible tariff headaches
- House & garden: up to 30% on summer goods such as lawn mowers, pool floats, and patio furniture
- Amazon-branded products: Echo speakers, Fire tablets, Kindles, and Ring cameras—are Prime Day doorbusters every year, traditionally receiving the year’s lowest price on Prime Day.
Step-by-step guide to striking lightning deals
- Turn alerts on by midnight. Pre-load wish-list items in the Amazon app and turn on “Watch This Deal” alerts so you get a push notification when a price falls.
- Refresh at :00, :05, and :10. Lightning deals resupply in five-minute waves; a quick manual refresh will reveal inventory which has not yet been revealed by the algorithm.
- Use Alexa or Alexa+. “Alexa, what are my Prime Day deals?” to display personalized deals without launching the browser.
- Scan rival retailers mid-afternoon. Walmart, Target, and Best Buy traditionally launch counter-sales within hours; comparison shopping can shave an extra 5%-10% from list prices.
- Complete shopping right away. Products aren’t held for you until payment—cart camping doesn’t pay because lightning deals end in 15 minutes or less.
Proven strategies to maximize every buck
- Stack credits and coupons. Check paperless coupons hidden under the price tag, use remaining no-rush shipping credits on previous orders, and trigger eligible cash-back rewards on credit cards all at once—these discounts can overlap with Prime Day savings.
- Leverage Buy Now Pay Later. BNPL will account for 8% of total spend this year, with interest-free breathing space on expensive tech.
- Add on external benefits. Prime members can get 50% off a one-time Grubhub+ order (code “PRIME50”), get Avis rental-car discounts, and enjoy travel credits through Carnival Cruise Line, effectively cutting summer vacation costs.
- Make use of Amazon Business if eligible. Business customers can access a second four-day sale with volume discounts on office supplies and electronics.
Prime Day 2025 will provide the broadest assortment, longest duration, and fastest refresh rate in the 10-year-old event’s history. If you’re hunting for a pre-Kindle sale, ready to pounce on a Samsung midnight drop, or just need half-price staples for the kitchen, keeping July 8-11 circled on your calendar is still the one and only sure thing for landing Amazon’s lowest prices of the year. Clear your alarms, set up your watch lists, and get ready for 96 hours of calculated clicking—the countdown has already begun.
