【Updated 2022.11】As Black Friday gets closer, quite a few good deals have started to pop up. Here’s a roundup of some of the better ones. Other deal updates are listed under each merchant.

Amazon

Some of the better deals are below. If you click through and don’t see this price, it may be oos.

Other

Amazon

Right now we’re still in the early Black Friday phase, and the official Black Friday ad hasn’t come out yet. Based on past years, the biggest discounts are usually on electronics, Amazon devices, and Apple products. Also, Amazon often matches deals on the same items from other stores, so it’s worth keeping an eye on those as well.

Those sitewide pay with Points discounts on Amazon are still pretty good.

Apple

Apple’s Black Friday event this year runs from November 25-28. It’s similar to past years: you get an Apple Gift Card with eligible purchases. The discount itself is only so-so, but many people still prefer buying directly from the Apple website because returns and exchanges are usually easier.

Details are below:

  • $50 Apple Gift Card: buy iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12, or iPhone SE; Apple Watch SE; iPad Air, iPad, or iPad mini;
  • Up to a $75 Apple Gift Card: buy AirPods Pro (2nd generation), AirPods (2nd generation), AirPods (3rd generation) with Lightning Charging Case, or AirPods Max.*
  • Up to a $250 Gift Card: buy MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, or iMac

Best Buy

Best Buy’s promotion is finally out, with $99 TVs, discounted computers, discounted Apple products, and more. In general, the really hot deals still require lining up in store every year.

Costco

Costco started its Black Friday sale on November 22. Its return policy and customer service are pretty good, so it remains a popular place to shop.

Kohl's

Kohl's is pretty similar every year. During Black Friday, you can stack the promotion with $50 in Kohl's Cash. There are also various small kitchen appliances that are free after rebate, and stacking those with the Kohl's Cash promotion can work out well. Just be careful about the expiration date on Kohl's Cash.

Walmart/SamsClub

Walmart’s Black Friday deals are still concentrated more heavily in stores, especially things like $199 game consoles. Toys and small kitchen appliances can also see deep discounts in store. There are usually also a few especially cheap TVs. In general, flyers are handed out at the entrance, and if some items are out of stock, customers may get rain checks so they can come back a few days later and buy at the Black Friday price, which is pretty consumer-friendly.

Sam's Club is basically Walmart’s wholesale store version, so the deal types are broadly similar. However, it also tends to add some gift card deals, which are worth watching. In addition, its gift cards and Walmart gift cards can be used interchangeably. If you have a Freedom card, you can buy gift cards at Walmart for 5x and then use them at Sam's Club.

If you plan to shop online, take note: Sam's Club’s website is pretty bad, so it’s best to save your payment method and address in advance, and check out as quickly as possible once the item is in your cart.

Other

  • Sephora: starts Black Friday deals on the 21st; beauty discounts are decent
  • Microsoft: mainly game console bundles; everything else is fairly average

What Is Black Friday?

Black Friday refers to the day after Thanksgiving, which falls on Friday. This year it is November 25, and from this point people begin preparing Christmas gifts. Retailers release some of their strongest deals of the year on this day, and some deals continue through Christmas. Many products hit or come close to their lowest prices of the year, and you often won’t see lower prices again until next Black Friday. If you need to buy something, especially big-ticket items like electronics, this is a period you do not want to miss. In recent years, many retailers have moved Black Friday deals up to Thanksgiving Day itself, sometimes called Black Thursday. Usually the online rush starts late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, while stores open for deal hunting on Thanksgiving evening. This is important enough to say three times:

  • Online: late night November 24; in store: evening of November 25
  • Online: late night November 24; in store: evening of November 25
  • Online: late night November 24; in store: evening of November 25

That said, most retailers now roll out attractive deals earlier and in batches to capture spending sooner. So it makes sense to research deals in advance and place orders early. Still, I generally don’t recommend going to stores just for the excitement or to save a bit of money; getting COVID wouldn’t be worth it. It’s also a good idea to sanitize delivered items before using them.

How to Prepare for Black Friday

Know yourself and know your enemy

“Know yourself” means knowing what you actually need and what you want to buy. “Know your enemy” means knowing which retailers will discount what, and when those discounts will go live. Of course, if you don’t know what you need, browsing retailer ads may help you create some demand. Every year, major retailers release their Black Friday ads in early to mid-November (see links above). These ads include key information: which products will be discounted, what the sale prices will be, and exactly when the discounts start, both online and in store. This information is worth studying carefully. Every year I read through these ads multiple times, compare offers across stores, and plan my shopping strategy. I recommend tracking the following:

  • Online sale start times: generally 12:00 a.m. on the 25th, meaning late night on the 24th. Different stores use different time zones for their launch times (Eastern Time midnight: Walmart, Microsoft, Sam's Club; Central Time midnight: Kohl's, Best Buy; Pacific Time midnight: Target, Amazon).
  • Physical store opening times: generally the afternoon of the 25th, with openings starting around 5-6 p.m. local time.

Also keep track of the product name, SKU, and price for anything you want to buy, so you can add it to your cart right on time and check out immediately once the price updates.

Credit cards

For things you actually plan to use at home, I recommend paying with a credit card. Benefits can include price protection, purchase protection, and extended warranty coverage, and credit cards can also make it easier to dispute issues with merchants.

Some credit cards (such as AMEX) also come with Purchase Protection, which lets you file a claim if an item is lost or damaged within 90 days. Next, decide which cards you plan to use. Make a note of the cards that earn the highest cash back at specific merchants, and use the best one when shopping there. For example:

  • Discover it: Amazon.com and Digital Wallets, which basically cover the main online and in-store spending categories during the holiday shopping season.
  • Chase Freedom Flex: Walmart and PayPal. For online shopping, using PayPal can cover purchases at many merchants. Walmart also has plenty of good deals in store, and you can buy many third-party gift cards there.
  • BofA Custom Cash Rewards: You can choose Online Shopping for 3% cash back; just remember to switch your category to online shopping.

Also keep an eye on extra cash back from card offers such as AMEX Offer, Chase Offer, and BofA Offer. In addition to the cards you already have, opening a new card for a welcome bonus or a large-spending bonus can also be a great option.

Card-Linked Offers

Besides saving money with credit cards, there are also plenty of card-linked offers. The cash back from these can stack perfectly with both your credit card rewards and shopping portal cash back. So before you shop, remember to link the credit card you want to use. That way, you can save even more without even noticing.

  • Drop APP (an extra 1%-2% cash back at merchants after linking your credit card)
  • Dosh App (offers 2% cash back at merchants such as Sam's Club after linking your credit card)
  • Rakuten In Store cash back (after linking your credit card, you can get extra cash back at many popular merchants such as Sephora, major department stores, baby and maternity stores, and more)

Shopping Portals

If you plan to place your order online, do not forget about shopping portals. During Black Friday, the major portals often increase their cash back rates for many merchants. Saving an extra 5%-20% through a portal can be very meaningful, and it may even beat waiting in line outside the store.

Comparison and Reviews of U.S. Cashback Sites

Cashback Site Sign-Up Bonus Quick Take
Rakuten $20-$40 sign-up bonus Great customer service, reliable tracking, and in-store cashback; payouts take longer
Rebatesme $20-$40 sign-up bonus Chinese interface available, many payout options, and high cashback rates on beauty purchases
Topcashback Up to $20 bonus Fast tracking, quick payouts, highest-rate guarantee, and frequent promotions; customer service is average
ShopBack $20 sign-up bonus Offers cashback at Amazon, easy browser extension cashback, and very high rates at some merchants
GoCashBack $5 sign-up bonus Chinese interface available, gift card payout option, and exclusive discounts
Extrabux $20 sign-up bonus Chinese interface available, WeChat withdrawal option, and students get a VIP card
Mr. Rebates $5 sign-up bonus Accurate tracking and good customer service
SimplyBestCoupons $5 sign-up bonus Good for niche stores and has strong promo codes
Befrugal $10-$20 sign-up bonus Good customer service and fast payouts

Stock Up on Gift Cards

It is a good idea to buy discounted gift cards in advance for the merchants you plan to shop, because secondhand gift cards often come with fairly strong discounts. However, once the holiday shopping days arrive, gift card prices tend to rise sharply. Recommended places to stock up:

Practical Strategies

Online Orders

Late at night on November 24 is when most merchants start their online sales. Open the websites for the stores you want ahead of time, and save your payment information and address in advance. Open the major shopping portals, compare their cash back rates, and choose the right one. Then, based on the sale-opening timeline you prepared earlier, be ready to place your orders right on time.

In-Store Shopping

Online orders can usually cover most of your needs, but going to the store and enjoying the lively atmosphere can also be a great experience. On the afternoon of the 25th, eat a good meal in advance, then head out around 4-5 pm to line up at the stores you want to visit. While you are in line, store employees may hand out a store map. Use it to head straight to the items you want once you get inside. For popular products (such as certain game consoles or toys), employees may hand out tickets with numbers on them, meaning you have already reserved that item. If you can get a ticket while waiting in line, you can go line up at another store and then come back before closing time that night to pay and buy it. Be sure to ask the employees about the exact checkout deadline, since at some stores you may still need to go in and pay right away. As for returns, most merchants extend the return deadline for items bought between Black Friday and Christmas to January 31 of the following year. If you are not satisfied, or if the price drops and the store cannot match it, you can choose to return the item.