Amazon just confirmed that Prime Big Deal Days (unofficially dubbed October Prime Day 2026) is happening from October 6 to 7. The Prime member-exclusive sale gives shoppers 48 hours to stock up on household essentials and fall and winter staples, as well as get a head start on holiday shopping before popular items sell out.
To help you plan for Prime Big Deal Days, I answered the most important questions below — I’ve been covering Amazon’s mega sales for seven years, so I know all the ins and outs, and I’ve been talking to experts for weeks about their expectations. Read on for everything you need to know and bookmark this article: I’ll share frequent updates as I learn more about October Prime Day.
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When is October Prime Day?
October Prime Day 2026 is from October 6 to 7. Amazon previously hosted Prime Big Deal Days around these dates, so this timing is typical for the retailer.
What time does October Prime Day start?
October Prime Day starts at 12 a.m. PT on October 6 — that’s 3 a.m. ET, 2 a.m. CT and 1 a.m. MT.
When does October Prime Day end?
October Prime Day ends on October 7 at 11:59 p.m. PT — that’s October 8 at 2:59 a.m. ET, 1:59 a.m. CT and 12:59 a.m. MT.
How long is October Prime Day?
October Prime Day is 48 hours long. It’s shorter than Prime Day, which has been four days long since 2025 and typically happens in July (but took place in June in 2026).
Do you need to be a Prime member to shop October Prime Day deals?
Yes, only Prime members can take advantage of the deals during Prime Big Deal Days. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial Prime membership on Amazon’s website or app (learn about the three different types here). Amazon automatically charges you for your Prime membership once the free trial ends.
What are the best deals on October Prime Day?
Products across all shopping categories are on sale during Prime Big Deal Days, but you won’t know exactly what’s available until the event starts. In my experience covering October Prime Day, the best deals are very similar to those you see during Prime Day in the summer: They center around Amazon-owned technology like Echo, Fire, Blink and Ring devices, small home and kitchen appliances, beauty products, household basics and groceries.
Additionally, because Prime Big Deal Days is in the fall, it unofficially kicks off the holiday shopping season, so brands discount popular gifts like gift cards and toys, as well as Advent calendars and themed decor. You’ll also be able to shop Amazon’s Lightning Deals during the event: They’re flash sales that give shoppers a short window to purchase limited quantities of specific products.
I recommend browsing through Amazon’s early October Prime Day deals to get a sense of what’s going to be discounted, and looking at bestsellers from previous years. In 2025, for example, NBC Selected readers saved a lot of money on the household essentials below, plus other favorites.
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What is Prime Big Deal Days?
Prime Big Deal Days is Amazon’s second Prime Day-level sale of the year. The first one was in October 2022, and ever since, the retailer has hosted it around the same time each year. That’s why many people refer to Prime Big Deal Days as October Prime Day.
Like Prime Day, Prime Big Deal Days is exclusive to Prime members and offers some of Amazon’s lowest prices of the year across all product categories. But since the sale is in October rather than June or July, there’s an emphasis on early holiday shopping, so brands intentionally discount popular gifts like toys, gift cards, beauty sets and personal tech, as well as themed decor.
What is Amazon Prime?
Amazon Prime is the retailer’s loyalty membership program. You can get a free 30-day free trial, and after that, a standard membership costs $139 a year or $14.99 a month. Amazon also offers two types of discounted accounts: Prime for Young Adults, which is $7.49 a month for those 18 to 24 years old, and Prime Access, which is $3.50 for the first three months, and then $6.99 a month for those who qualify for certain government assistance programs.
Benefits of a Prime membership include exclusive savings during Prime Day and Prime Big Deal Days, as well as free two-day, one-day and same-day delivery. Prime members also get a handful of streaming and entertainment perks, plus they can order groceries online through Whole Foods or Amazon Fresh and sign up for a free Grubhub+ membership.
Is Prime Day twice a year?
Amazon has hosted two Prime Day-level events every year since 2022: Amazon Prime Day during the summer (typically July, but it was in June this year) and Prime Big Deal Days during the fall (typically in October, often referred to by shoppers as fall or October Prime Day). The retailer is following this schedule in 2026.
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Why trust NBC Selected?
I’m a reporter at NBC Selected who has covered Amazon since 2020. In addition to numerous sales stories, I wrote NBC Selected’s history of Amazon Prime Day and Prime membership guide, both of which I frequently update. I also regularly appear in related NBC News NOW and TODAY segments. For this article, I researched Prime Big Deal Days 2026 and reviewed information from Amazon press releases.
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