The 40+ best Amazon holiday deals: Save on Apple, Kindle, robot vacuums, and more

2 weeks ago 4

Do you need to be an Amazon Prime member to get deals?

For the most part, no, you do not need to be a Prime member to shop holiday savings. Unlike Prime Day events, Cyber Week and the lingering sale events are not members-only sale events and are open to non-Prime members. However, keep in mind that there may be some exclusive Prime-member-only offers and perks you won't have access to without a membership, but the vast majority of Amazon's sale is open to all.

How much is an Amazon Prime membership?

Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month, or you can purchase an annual membership for $139, which will save you a few dollars.

Also: These 5 new Amazon features make finding the products you need even easier

College students and those aged 18-24 can get a discount and pay $7.49 per month or $69 per year. In addition, those with qualified government assistance (which may include select seniors) can receive a Prime membership for just $6.99 after their free trial.

When was Cyber Monday?

Cyber Monday was the Monday following Thanksgiving weekend and the end of the "Cyber 5" savings week. This year, Cyber Monday was on Dec. 2, 2024.

Are deals really better on Cyber Monday?

Black Friday certainly brings seasonal savings and, of course, some artificial deals you need to be aware of. But for the most part, it is a good time to score savings on a majority of products across tons of categories, from tech to home, to name a few. Perhaps the best part about Black Friday is the enormous amount of sales occurring at nearly every major retailer, both in-store and online, giving you the best opportunity to find savings at basically everywhere you like to shop. And while Amazon has great deals year-round, just like any other retailer, they're looking to maximize their sale traffic, too, meaning you can definitely expect savings.

What's the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

Semantics, mostly. Black Friday traditionally refers to the day of savings that follows Thanksgiving, which at one point was an in-stores-only event. Over the years, Black Friday sales have expanded and lengthened to include online retailers, hence "Cyber Week" and "Cyber Monday." Cyber Monday refers to the Monday following Thanksgiving weekend, and originally referred to online savings on lots of products. These days, both Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer similar savings in-store and online.

Is Amazon the best retailer to get Cyber Monday deals?

While Amazon has some excellent deals live now, it isn't necessarily the "best" place to shop on Cyber Monday. For many individuals (myself included), Amazon is just the most convenient retailer, especially if you already have a Prime membership and receive free shipping, since the retailer tends to drop their prices to match any other retailers offers.

There's lots of great offers at other retailers like Walmart, Costco, Best Buy, Target, and more, and often they're all the same deals being offered, especially on top products like Apple Watches, laptops, tablets, and more. So really, where you purchase from is really up to you -- most of the time the deals are the same anyway.

Does Amazon price match Cyber Monday deals?

Amazon does not price match for individual customers, not even during Cyber Monday. You can submit a lower price to the retailer in hopes that they reflect that offer, but they will not honor another stores price after you've purchased elsewhere. However, while the retail giant doesn't price match for customers, it does tend to blanket price match other retailers, especially during peak sale periods. Right now during Cyber Week, Amazon pretty much always drops their prices on top products to match deals offered at other retailers in an effort to compete for customers. So while you may not be able to purchase an item at once price and have Amazon refund the difference, a lot of the time Amazon is already doing the price matching for you.

How did we choose these holiday deals?

Each holiday season, we carefully select the range of products we focus our coverage on, so we can be sure we're bringing you the best deals and the most information on products we're experts on. ZDNET also only writes about deals we want to buy -- devices and products we desire, need, or would recommend. Our experts looked for deals that were at least 20% off (or are hardly ever on sale), using established price comparison tools and trackers to determine whether the deal is actually on sale and how frequently it drops.

We also looked over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we're recommending. Our recommendations may also be based on our own testing -- in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter.

Where can you shop the best holiday deals?

You can find holiday deals pretty much anywhere (that means in store and online). Popular retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Macy's, and more will all be offering holiday savings online and in their brick-and-mortar stores.

Are there any gift cards you can get on Amazon?

Yes, Amazon sells tons of different gift cards of different monetary amounts for a plethora of stores and places. They sometimes will offer select gift cards on sale during Prime Day or Black Friday, usually for about 10% less than the value of the card. We'll be sure to include any top gift card offers in our holiday coverage, but you can also check out Amazon's dedicated gift card tab.

What are the best Cyber Monday 2024 deals?

ZDNET's experts have been searching through Cyber Monday sales live now to find the best discounts by category. These are the best Cyber Monday deals so far, by category: