Amazon Black Friday 2023: Your Complete Guide to the Biggest Sale of the Year

Black Friday is the biggest shopping event of the year, and Amazon‘s Black Friday sale is arguably the most anticipated. With thousands of deep discounts across every product category, it‘s no wonder deal-hunters eagerly await Amazon‘s Black Friday promotions.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know to save big during Amazon Black Friday 2023.

When is Amazon Black Friday 2023?

Though Black Friday always falls on the day after Thanksgiving, Amazon typically kicks off their Black Friday sales a full week early.

In 2022, Amazon‘s Black Friday sale ran from November 18th through November 25th.

We expect Amazon to follow a similar schedule for 2024, with deals likely going live on Friday, November 17th, 2023 and running through Friday, November 24th.

Mark your calendars – and get ready to shop! The Amazon Black Friday sale gives you an entire week to score the lowest prices of the year.

How Long Does Amazon Black Friday Last?

As mentioned above, Amazon‘s Black Friday sale will likely last a full 8 days, spanning from Friday, November 17th through Friday, November 24th.

However, some Lightning Deals and limited-time promotions may only be available for a few hours. It‘s smart to check the site frequently, as new deals launch throughout the week.

Amazon also tends to extend select Black Friday discounts into the following week. So you may see remnants of the sale lingering through Cyber Monday and beyond.

What Time Does Amazon Black Friday Start?

In 2022, the first Amazon Black Friday deals went live at midnight PST on Friday, November 18th.

For 2023, you can expect a similar start time, with deals launching at 12:00am PST on Friday, November 17th.

However, there will be a steady stream of new deals and doorbusters launching all throughout Black Friday week. So even if you miss the initial midnight madness, there will be plenty more opportunities to save.

What Are the Best Deals on Amazon Black Friday?

Amazon slashes prices sitewide for Black Friday, with thousands of deals across every product category. Here are some of the best deals you can expect:

• Echo Devices: Echo smart speakers, Echo Show smart displays, Echo Dot, and more will be up to 50% off.

• Kindle E-Readers: Older generation Kindles will be marked down around 40%. Newest models around 20% off.

• Ring Video Doorbells and Security: Video doorbell bundles will be 35-40% off. Standalone video doorbells around 30% off.

• Fire TV Sticks and Fire TV Cubes: Models like Fire Stick 4K and Fire TV Cube will be up to 50% off. Older Fire TV devices even cheaper.

• Fire Tablets:markdowns up to 50% on Fire 7, Fire HD 8, Fire HD 10, and Fire Kids tablets.

• Amazon Brand Electronics: Computer monitors, computer accessories, home theater, headphones, and more will be 30-40% off.

• Toys: STEM toys, Legos, board games, and more will be up to 50% off leading up to the holidays.

• Kitchen & Home: Small kitchen appliances like Instant Pot and air fryers will be up to 40% off. Furniture and home decor will be 20-30% off.

• Clothing & Beauty: Amazon fashion brands will be 30-40% off. Designer watches 50%+ off. Makeup and skin care gifts sets 50% off.

• Smart Home Devices: Smart light bulbs, smart plugs, robot vacuums, and more will be 30-40% off. High-end brands like Roomba even more.

• Gaming Deals: Gaming computers, laptops, monitors, accessories, PlayStation games, Xbox games, and Nintendo Switch games will be up to 35% off.

In addition to these expected highlights, Amazon offers Black Friday deals on practically everything. So it‘s absolutely worth browsing the entire site and keeping an eye out for coupons and promotions. With a little deal hunting, you‘re bound to score on whatever‘s on your holiday wish list.

Are Amazon‘s Black Friday Deals Really Cheaper?

With Amazon‘s rock-bottom pricing and wide selection, it may seem their everyday low prices can‘t get much lower.

But each year Amazon proves skeptics wrong by offering even deeper discounts for Black Friday.

According to price tracking sites, about 30% of Amazon‘s Black Friday deals beat the prices offered on Prime Day. When you factor in the extended return window and free Prime shipping, Black Friday does provide an opportunity for monumental savings.

However, as with any major shopping holiday, Amazon has been known to use various retail tricks like inflated list prices to make deals appear better than they are.

To make sure you‘re getting a legitimate bargain, use price tracking browser extensions like CamelCamelCamel or Keepa. This allows you to view a price history chart and confirm Black Friday prices are actually at historic lows.

You can also add items to your Amazon Wish List or Cart and enable deal notifications. That way, Amazon will alert you when your desired items receive Black Friday markdowns.

As long as you verify the discounts and do a little comparison shopping, Amazon‘s Black Friday deals stack up to the true blue bargains they‘re made out to be.

What Should You Buy on Amazon Black Friday?

With thousands of deals spanning every interest and product type, you‘re sure to find great buys for everyone on your gift list (and a little something special for yourself!).

Here are some of the best things to buy on Amazon Black Friday weekend:

• Amazon Devices: This is the time to buy Echo speakers, Fire tablets, Kindle e-readers, Blink cameras, and Ring doorbells. Discounts up to 50% off make it the cheapest time of the year to invest in Alexa.

• TVs: Amazon has outstanding deals on quality smart TVs like TCL Roku, Insignia Fire TVs, Sony, LG, and Samsung. Look for 4K models 40-inches and larger at the steepest discounts.

• Toys: Get the hot toy gifts of the 2023 holiday season for less. STEM toys, Lego sets, L.O.L Surprise!, and more will all be marked down.

• Gaming: Consoles, games, gaming laptops, gaming chairs, and accessories see steep markdowns to delight gamers of all ages. Look for discounts on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S.

• Clothing: Need to fill out your winter wardrobe? Take advantage of discounts up to 50% off or more on Amazon fashion brands, designer watches, Ugg boots, and outerwear from The North Face, Columbia and more.

• Beauty & Wellness: Give the gift of relaxation with markdowns on at-home massage tools, skincare devices, and more. Or pamper yourself with luxury beauty gift sets at a fraction of the usual cost.

• Smart Home: Upgrade to smart home tech and save big on app-enabled lightbulbs, plugs, speakers, security systems, appliances, and more. Popular brands like Philips Hue seeing rare discounts.

• Home Furnishings: Give your home a refresh with deals on furniture, area rugs, bedding, home decor, kitchen essentials like air fryers and stand mixers, and so much more.

• Vacuums: Now‘s the time to invest in your own personal cleaning crew! Get all-time low prices on robot vacuums like Roomba, uprights, handhelds and more.

How to Find the Best Amazon Black Friday Deals

With an overwhelming amount of deals launching throughout Black Friday week, here are some tips to find the cream of the crop:

• Check the Gold Box for Amazon‘s limited time Lightning Deals. But act fast – the best ones sell out quickly!

• Follow deal sites like Slickdeals that curate the hottest deals in real-time. Turn on deal alerts so you never miss price drops on items you want.

• Download the Amazon app and turn on notifications so you‘re alerted to new deals. App-only deals are common too!

• Follow Amazon on social media and look out for sponsored posts promoting big savings.

• Use a price tracking browser extension like CamelCamelCamel to verify Black Friday prices are truly the lowest they‘ve been.

• Sign up for text alerts on Amazon‘s Black Friday page so the best deals are sent right to your phone as they go live.

• Check Amazon Warehouse for open-box items at 20% off or more. Items with minor cosmetic imperfections still work great!

• Look for extra coupons that can be clipped for an additional 5-30% off select sale items.

• Shop Early Access deals if you have an Amazon Prime membership. Prime members get 30 minutes exclusive early access to Lightning Deals.

• Don‘t forget Whole Foods! Amazon-owned Whole Foods will run parallel discounts, especially on grocery items.

Being proactive by following these tips will ensure you can conveniently catch the fleeting doorbusters and limited-time steals throughout Amazon‘s Black Friday sale.

Can You Pay with an Amazon Gift Card on Black Friday?

Yes, you can absolutely use an Amazon gift card to pay for Black Friday purchases on Amazon‘s site.

In fact, buying Amazon gift cards at a discount is a smart way to save even more during the Black Friday sale.

For the November holiday shopping season, Amazon often offers bonus gift cards or credits when you purchase Amazon gift cards in certain amounts.

For example, buy a $50 gift card and get a $10 credit for yourself. Stack savings like this on top of already marked down Black Friday prices for maximum value.

You can also buy discounted Amazon gift cards year-round at grocery stores, warehouse clubs, and discount retailers like CardCash. Pay 20% less for gift cards and then use them at full value to shop Amazon‘s Black Friday deals.

Using Amazon gift cards is a hassle-free way to pay that also helps you stick to your Black Friday budget. Grab discounted gift cards in advance to score the absolute lowest prices on Amazon‘s huge selection of Black Friday deals.

Can You Finance Your Purchase During Black Friday?

Amazon offers customers the ability to split the cost of purchases over 2-24 months with zero interest using Amazon monthly payment plans.

This financing option is available year-round on thousands of items, including high-ticket electronics, furniture, kitchenware, and more.

According to the Amazon monthly payment terms, there are no exclusions for special sale events.

So you should be able to finance your Black Friday splurges and divide those costs into more manageable monthly payments. Just select "Monthly payments" at checkout on eligible items.

Using an Amazon monthly payment plan allows you to take advantage of Black Friday discounts without the financial hangover afterwards. Just be sure to select an affordable payment plan length that fits your budget.

When Does Amazon Black Friday End?

Amazon‘s Black Friday sale is likely to end at 11:59pm PST on Friday, November 24th. However, that doesn‘t necessarily mean the deals will disappear come midnight.

Historically, many Black Friday discounts extend into the weekend and Cyber Monday. Certain limited doorbuster deals may sell out, but Amazon usually leaves a majority of deals active through the weekend.

In some cases, remnants of Black Friday pricing was still available into the following week. So don‘t stress too much about the official end date – with a little luck, you may be able to continue scoring Black Friday bargains for several days afterwards.

Just keep in mind: the most in-demand deals could expire promptly at midnight on Black Friday. So make sure to grab those coveted items still in stock before time runs out!

Amazon Black Friday Price Adjustments, Returns and Exchanges

A huge perk of shopping Amazon during the holidays is their extended return window.

For most items purchased between November 1 – December 31, you have until January 31, 2024 to return or exchange items.

That takes the pressure off giving gifts – the recipient has months to decide if they want something different.

Even better, if an item you purchased on Black Friday gets marked down further before Christmas, you can contact Amazon to request a refund for the difference.

Reach out to customer service via live chat or phone and they will likely grant you a price match refund, especially if the difference is significant.

Having months to evaluate gifts and a price adjustment policy provides helpful peace of mind for shoppers.

Is a Prime Membership Worth It for Black Friday?

An Amazon Prime membership provides a free 2-day shipping, access to Prime-exclusive deals, and early access to Lightning Deals.

If you plan to take full advantage of these perks, the $139 annual membership fee easily pays for itself with the amount you‘ll save in shipping costs alone during the holiday season.

However, non-Prime members can shop many of the same Black Friday deals with no membership required. The only difference is you may not get free 2-day shipping.

Occasionally Amazon offers special promotions allowing non-members to sample Prime at a steep discount or for free over the holidays.

So before paying full price for a year of Prime, look out for any holiday-timed trials or introductory offers.

Overall, a Prime membership can take your Black Friday savings up a notch. But with strategic shopping, even non-Prime members can still save big.

Get Ready for Amazon‘s Black Friday 2023!

Black Friday is undoubtedly one of the best times to save all year round. With an entire week of epic deals on must-have products, Amazon‘s Black Friday sale has unbeatable opportunities for shoppers of all interests and budgets.

Use this guide to get prepped with important dates, early deal notifications, discounted gift cards, and more.

Being an informed shopper is the key to saving the most during the frenzy of Amazon Black Friday. Now go get ready to shop and enjoy the holiday deals!