Make New York Post a Preferred Source Getty Images From the wheels turning on the Prime truck to free (and fast!) two-day shipping, there’s a lot to love about Amazon.
Whether you’re an avid shopper or visit the retail titan for the occasional odds and ends, considering a Prime membership is in your best interest.
Why Prime? Well, for starters, Amazon’s two-day October Prime Day 2026 sale — formally called Prime Big Deal Days — is on the horizon. Need a refresher? It’s one of the retailer’s biggest sales of the year! It’s a two-day shopping event (Oct. 6-7) that occurs annually and features thousands of deals on must-have items. Think smart TVs, cookware sets, top-rated tech, early gifting and more.
A Prime membership is $139 a year, but you’re not only unlocking two-day shipping. But if you’re a frequent shopper, you can dodge the standard $8 shipping and handling fee on every purchase, making it worth it even still.
Better still: if you love to crack open a new book or listen to podcasts and music often, you’ll be *extra* happy with your Prime membership. There are a slew of streaming benefits, which are all outlined below.
First things first — what is the much-talked-about service? Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service that, in our opinion, triumphs over all the others. Its shopping benefits are second to none, and having a Prime membership is most commonly associated with free two-day shipping.
A standard Amazon Prime membership is $139 per year or $14.99 a month. If you sign up for a free trial, Amazon will automatically charge your account for the next membership period.
If you’re a student at a two- or four-year college, you’ll qualify for Prime Student, which is $7.49 a month or $69 a year. You must sign up with your collegiate “.edu” email address.
If you don’t wish to use your collegiate email, you can provide an alternative proof of enrollment. This includes a photo of your current student ID, transcript or tuition bill.
Ahead, the New York Post Shopping team rounded up the benefits you’ll unlock as a Prime member:
In addition to the list of benefits, there are other convenience-driven factors to consider. You won’t have to wait weeks for household essentials like cleaning products or diapers. Instead, you’ll only have to go without them for two days.
You’ll have peace of mind that Amazon will offer the most affordable price as well, most of the time. Big-box retailers like Walmart and Target typically price-match Amazon, so you’ll have access to what we call the *prime* pricing for most of your purchases.
This year, Amazon’s famous October Prime Day event falls more than a month before Black Friday and Cyber Monday, giving you ample time to buy now and wrap later.
During October Prime Day 2026, you’ll find a super-sized sale offering thousands of doorbuster deals on everything from baby clothes to beauty products, Apple products to air fryers, and everything in between. You only have to look at the breadth of Amazon’s Early Deals section to get a taste of what October Prime Day 2026 has in store.
“Amazon Prime Day is an annual sales event, exclusively for members of Amazon Prime,” Chris Beer, data journalist at GWI, shared with the New York Post. “Usually spanning a period of two days, it features a wide range of discounts and deals on products across various categories. Tactically filling a gap in the retail calendar, competing retailers now often have their own equivalent events around the same time.”
Prime Big Deal Days — fondly known as October Prime Day — is Amazon’s biggest fall sale, offering massive discounts before the holiday rush of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. October Prime Day runs from Tuesday, Oct. 6 to Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026.
Prime Day and Prime Big Deal Days are both Prime member-exclusive seasonal sales with massive discounts on rotating bestsellers. Unlike July’s Prime Day, Prime Big Deal Days runs every October as a precursor to the busy holiday season, allowing shoppers to start saving on gift shopping early.
October Prime Day is exclusively available to Prime members. However interested shoppers can grab a 30-day free trial to try Prime, and its many benefits with no strings attached, and gain access to exclusive deals and the convenience of fast, free shipping.
From reporting on Amazon sales for years, we can tell you for certain that Amazon’s October Prime Day is the ideal time to save on big-ticket tech, Amazon devices, gift-worthy clothing and beauty and skincare staples, household essentials and many more Amazon best-sellers.
Every Prime Day sale is a great chance to score deals on thousands of best-sellers, top tech and appliances and every day essentials, but Amazon’s October event also has great pre-holiday discounts on gifts. Our team diligently sorts through all the offers to find the very best items to grab on sale.
Already wondering when Amazon’s next Prime Day is? We expect Prime Day to return in summer 2027, but anticipate just-as-good (if not better) deals coming this Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Follow Post Wanted’s around-the-clock coverage, and you’ll be the first to know about headline-worthy sales. Click here to find all of the best deals.
For over 200 years, the New York Post has been America’s go-to source for bold news, engaging stories, in-depth reporting, and now, insightful shopping guidance. We’re not just thorough reporters – we sift through mountains of information, test and compare products, and consult experts on any topics we aren’t already schooled specialists in to deliver useful, realistic product recommendations based on our extensive and hands-on analysis. Here at The Post, we’re known for being brutally honest – we clearly label partnership content, and whether we receive anything from affiliate links, so you always know where we stand. We routinely update content to reflect current research and expert advice, provide context (and wit) and ensure our links work. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
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