Here are 7 simple steps to get the best deals

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Amazon has officially announced that Prime Day will return next month to offer Prime members exclusive access to the best deals of the year.

Prime Day will take place on July 16-17 this year and will allow Prime members to purchase select products from a variety of brands at the lowest prices on the retailer.

Like in previous years, the shopping event will last 48 hours, giving consumers plenty of time to score big deals.

On the East Coast, Prime Day begins at 3:00 a.m. on July 16 and lasts until 2:59 a.m. on July 18 for Prime members in the United States.

The e-commerce giant has shared 7 simple steps to ensure you get the best deals during Prime Day 2024.

Become a Prime Member

To benefit from savings, consumers must be Prime members.

If you’re not already a Prime member, anyone can join and start a 30-day free trial at amazon.com/primeday to participate in Prime Day, gain access to fast and free shipping, and enjoy entertainment benefits like Prime Video, Prime Music and more.

Prime members pay an annual membership rate of $139 per year, or $14.99 per month. Prime student members pay $69 per year, or $7.49 per month. EBT and Medicaid recipients can get a monthly rate of $6.99.

Set up offer notifications

You don’t want to miss out on great deals, so Prime members should subscribe to receive promotional alerts related to their latest Amazon searches and recently viewed items. All members need to do is visit the Prime Day event page at amazon.com/primeday in the Amazon app between now and July 17 to create offer alerts.

Once Prime Day begins, you’ll start receiving push notifications about available deals you’ve signed up for.

Get help from Alexa

Keeping track of deals on your favorite products can be difficult – but Alexa can help. Alexa may notify you up to 24 hours before an offer is available on eligible products you have saved to your wishlist, cart or save for later list.

Once enabled, you’ll see a yellow ring light or pop-up notification on your Echo device when an offer is available.

Ask Alexa to remind you about a deal when it’s available, or ask Alexa to make a purchase when the deal is available by saying, “Alexa, buy this for me.”

Download the Amazon app

Using the Amazon shopping app will give you quick access to the latest deals. It’s also easy to check order status and get technical support.

Know your return options

Amazon offers customers free product support after purchasing a product, such as product setup, product use, or troubleshooting. But if something you bought is still not OK, you can make a return.

Amazon offers free and convenient returns on most products shipped within the US. Choose from a list of over 8,000 locations that accept returns.

Shop with Prime as part of the offer

There are more ways to save big during Prime Day — even outside of Amazon.com. You can use your Prime Buy With Prime benefit to shop exclusive Prime Day deals outside of Amazon.com on select brand websites. Visit the Buy with Prime page to discover offers.

Enjoy a personalized shopping experience

Amazon provides personalized recommendations to Prime members based on previous purchases, browsing history and items saved to their lists. They can help you find what you’re looking for when shopping on Prime Day.