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Amazon's Lightning Deals are aptly named — they're available for a limited time and have limited stock. Once the timer ends or the deal is 100% claimed, you'll have to add yourself to the waitlist in case more items become available — we've seen it happen.
Tons of great Lightning Deals pop up as part of Amazon Prime Day. To help ensure you don't miss any big discounts, we've answered some common questions about Lightning Deals.
What is an Amazon Lightning Deal?
Lightning deals are short-lived, limited-stock deals from Amazon. Not only are these deals set on a timer (usually anywhere from two to six hours), but they also end after they've been 100% claimed. If you manage to add one to cart, a timer starts during which you must check out, or lose the deal.
If the item runs out of stock before you can snag one, there's still hope. You can hop on a waitlist afterward to snag the discount in case any shoppers change their minds, though it's not guaranteed you'll get one.
How to 'watch' a Lightning Deal
To stay on top of deal availability, you can visit the Upcoming Dealssection on your desktop or in the free Amazon app (iOS, Android) to view all deals 24 hours before they go live.
Click "Watch this Deal" and you'll receive push notifications on your phone when a deal is starting. This will be the best way to ensure you successfully grab a deal during the frenzy that is Amazon Prime Day.
What happens if the deal I want is 100% claimed?
The deals can get snatched up pretty quickly, but there's still hope even if a Lightning Deal has been 100% claimed.
You can click "Join the Waitlist" in order to potentially get the deal anyway. Lightning Deal purchases must be made within 15 minutes of adding an item to your cart. If the purchase isn't completed within that time frame, then the deal will be made available to the next customer on the wait list. Joining the wait list won't guarantee you'll be able to purchase the deal, but it's certainly worth a shot.
If you want to shop Amazon Prime Day Lightning Deals, remember that you have to be an Amazon Prime member first. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Prime here.
Are Amazon's Lightning Deals worth buying?
Lightning deals are some of the lowest prices we see for items and, therefore, absolutely worth buying.
What kinds of products are Lightning Deals?
Typically, Amazon Lightning Deals run the gamut from cleaning supplies to smart home gear. The product categories you'll want to keep an eye out for are tech accessories, smart home tech, kitchen tools, and small home appliances. Items like USB-C hubs, indoor security cameras, Echo smart speakers, kitchen scales, and robot vacuums tend to see some of their best all-time prices in the form of lightning deals, but they go very fast.
Do I need to be an Amazon Prime Member to get a Lightning Deal?
Most times of the year, Lighting Deals are free game for Prime members and non-members alike. During Amazon Prime Day and the Prime Early Access Sale, however, they are Prime-member exclusive.
A Prime membership is $139 per year or $15 per month. Along with Amazon Prime Day access, members get tons of other Amazon Prime benefitslike two-day and same-day shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music, and much more. If you'd like to sample the offerings before making the commitment, you can try Prime free for 30 days.
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When is Amazon Prime Day 2023?
The next Amazon Prime Day 2023 event is running today, October 10 and tomorrow, October 11 under the new event name of Prime Big Deal Days. This followed the original summer version of Prime Day, which happened on July 11 and 12. So expect a fresh wave of members-only lightning deals.
As a Tech Deals and Streaming Reporter for Insider's Reviews team, Sarah covers the latest movie and series releases along with the best sales on products we recommend. Prior to joining Insider Inc., she was a Deals Writer at Wirecutter, a New York Times company. After graduating from California State University, Fullerton with a degree in Marketing, Sarah started out as a Freelance Deals Writer at Wirecutter; there she focused on newsletter creation, social media promotion, and syndication in addition to deals writing before stepping into a full-time role. Her accomplishments from this position, in addition to the countless deals she's written, include implementing multiple social media marketing campaigns and launching a Deals Facebook group for the company. Say hi (or send a picture of your pet) to Sarah at ssaril@businessinsider.com, or reach her on Twitter at @sarahhahr or on Instagram at @lord_ponty. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Learn more about how we research deals.
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