【Updated 2025.12】The Monday after Black Friday is Cyber Monday, and there are also plenty of great deals, usually available directly online. Amazon in particular is worth checking out:

Some Black Friday deals continue into December, so I’m listing them here as well:

Those Amazon sitewide offers above are also very solid. No matter what you buy, you can still save more with them, but you do need to click to activate first.

I recommend getting Amazon Prime. It can save you a lot on shipping, and it also gives you access to many extra discounts. If you are 18-24 years old, you can sign up for Amazon Young Prime. Not only is the membership half price, but your purchases also earn an extra 5% back.

Black Friday deal roundup

Amazon deals

Those Amazon sitewide offers above are quite good, and they can save you money no matter what you buy, but you need to click to activate them.

We recommend getting Amazon Prime during Black Friday. It can save you a lot on shipping, and there are also many extra discounts. If you are age 18-24, you can sign up for Amazon Young Prime. Not only is the membership 50% off, but purchases also earn an extra 5% back.

Best Buy Deals

Walmart Deals

LemFi remittance: get $50 + giveaway

Black Friday Overview

Black Friday refers to the day after Thanksgiving, which falls on Friday. This year it is on November 28. Starting on that day, people begin preparing Christmas gifts. Merchants launch some of their strongest deals of the year on this day, and some of those deals continue through Christmas. Many products are basically at their lowest prices of the year, and before next year's Black Friday it is often hard to find a lower price. If you need to buy something, especially big-ticket items like electronics, do not miss this period. In recent years, many merchants have moved Black Friday deals up by one day to Thanksgiving itself, also called Black Thursday. Online deals usually go live Wednesday night into early Thursday morning, while in-store doorbusters often start Thursday evening on Thanksgiving. This is important, so we will say it three times!

  • Online: late night on November 27 In-store: evening of November 28
  • Online: late night on November 27 In-store: evening of November 28
  • Online: late night on November 27 In-store: evening of November 28

That said, most merchants now release various good deals early and in batches so they can bring cash in sooner. So you can also start tracking deals early and place orders ahead of time.

Below are some common Black Friday merchant ads and links.

Amazon

Some promotions are already live. This year's Black Friday event lasts one week, starting on November 20. The biggest Black Friday discounts are usually on electronics, Amazon devices, and Apple products. On Black Friday itself, there are often especially cheap TVs and similar products. In addition, Amazon often matches deals on the same items from other stores, so it is worth watching those too.

We recommend getting Amazon Prime during Black Friday. It can save you a lot on shipping, and there are also many extra discounts.

If you are age 18-24, you can sign up for Amazon Young Prime. Not only is the membership 50% off, but purchases also earn an extra 5% back.

In addition, there is currently a subscription promo and a giveaway for a $50 Amazon gift card. If you are interested, take a look.

Those sitewide Amazon offers are still pretty solid, since you can save no matter what you buy.

More details

Also, the Amazon credit card signup bonus has been increased to $250. If you spend a lot on Amazon, it may be worth applying.

Apply now

Full review

Chase Amazon Rewards Credit Card

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Apple

This year, Apple’s Black Friday event runs from November 28 to December 1. As usual, you get an Apple gift card with eligible purchases, up to $250. However, this offer cannot be stacked with the Apple education discount. One nice thing is that you can often buy discounted Apple gift cards elsewhere, load them to your account, and then use them during Black Friday on eligible promo items.

If you have not stocked up on enough Apple gift cards yet, my personal suggestion is to buy things like headphones on platforms such as Amazon, where you may be able to stack more discounts.

Best Buy

Best Buy’s Black Friday deals are finally out, including $89 TVs, cheap laptops, discounted Apple products, and more. The very best deals usually still require lining up in store every year. For most people, it is better to just buy online; going to the store is usually not worth it. This year, Best Buy has also released many deals early, and a lot of them are already available now.

If you are a Plus or Total member, there is also a decent offer where spending $50 earns $5 in rewards.

Costco

Costco has a good return policy and after-sales service, which is one reason people like shopping there. It is also usually a bit easier to score deals there. If you cannot get what you want on other sites, you can also keep an eye on Costco or Amazon.

Kohl's

Kohl’s is pretty similar every year. During Black Friday, you can usually stack the offer of $15 in Kohl’s Cash for every $50 spent. There will probably also be various small kitchen appliances that are effectively free after rebate, and those pair well with the Kohl’s Cash promotion. Just be sure to watch the expiration date on Kohl’s Cash.

Walmart/SamsClub

Walmart started its Black Friday sale early this time, so a lot of items are already available to buy. Walmart’s Black Friday deals are still stronger in stores, especially things like $199 gaming consoles. Toys, small kitchen appliances, and a few TV models also tend to be heavily discounted in store. Usually they hand out flyers at the entrance, and for some products, if they are out of stock, they may offer a rain check so you can come back a few days later and still get the Black Friday price, which is pretty customer-friendly.

Sam's Club is basically Walmart’s wholesale-store version, so the types of discounts are fairly similar. However, it also adds some gift card promotions that are worth watching. In addition, Sam’s Club gift cards and Walmart gift cards can be used interchangeably.

If you plan to buy online, be aware that Sam’s Club’s website is not great. It is best to set up your payment method and address in advance, then check out as quickly as possible once items are in your cart.

Saks

Saks runs this promotion every Black Friday. Last year, spending $150 earned a $75 gift card. It is especially good when paired with the Platinum credit for Saks purchases. However, the specific details have not been released yet.

For now, there is a $250-$50 promotion.

Black Friday Prep Work

Know yourself and know your enemy

“Know yourself” means understanding your own needs and deciding what you want to buy. “Know your enemy” means understanding which merchants are discounting what, and when those discounts will go live. Of course, if you do not know what you need, browsing merchants’ ads can also help you create some new “needs.” Every year, major retailers release their Black Friday ads in early to mid-November. These ads contain important information, including which items will be discounted, what the sale prices will be, and exactly when those prices go live, both in store and online. You really should study this information carefully. Every year I read through these ads several times in advance, compare prices across stores, and map out a shopping strategy. I recommend keeping track of the following:

  • Online sale start time: generally 12:00 a.m. on the 28th, which effectively means late night on the 27th. Different stores use different time zones for their midnight launch times (Eastern Time starts: Walmart, Microsoft, Sam's Club; Central Time starts: Kohl's, Best Buy; Pacific Time starts: Target, Amazon).
  • Store opening time: generally the afternoon of the 28th, with stores opening one after another around 5-6 p.m. local time.

You should also note the product name, SKU, and price for anything you plan to buy, so you can add it to cart right when the sale starts and check out immediately once the price updates.

Credit Cards

For household items you actually plan to use, I recommend paying with a credit card. The benefits can include price protection, purchase protection, and extended warranty coverage. If you run into disputes with Amazon merchants, it can also be easier to file a claim. Some credit cards, including AMEX, also offer purchase protection, so if an item is lost or damaged within 90 days, you may be able to file a claim.

Next, prepare which cards you plan to use. Keep a note of the cards that earn the highest cash back at specific merchants, and use the best one when shopping at each store. For example:

  • Discover it: Amazon.com and drugstores earn 5% cash back, on up to $1,500 in purchases. Great for the holiday shopping season!
  • Chase Freedom cards: Old Navy and department stores. Unfortunately, PayPal is only available in December.
  • BofA Customized Cash Rewards: you can choose online shopping for 3% cash back; remember to switch your spending category to online shopping.

There are also extra cash-back opportunities from card-specific offers such as AmEx Offers, Chase Offers, and BofA offers at Best Buy and elsewhere. Besides using cards you already have, opening a new card for a welcome bonus or a large-spend bonus can also be a good option.
Best Buy

Card-linked offers

Besides credit cards, there are also many card-linked offers that can save you money. These rewards can stack perfectly with your credit card rewards and shopping portal cashback. So before you shop, remember to link the credit card you plan to use, and you may save even more without realizing it.

  • Rakuten In Store Cashback (after linking your credit card, you can get extra cashback at many popular stores such as Sephora, major department stores, baby stores, and more)

Shopping portals

If you are placing orders online, don’t forget to use shopping portals. During Black Friday, major portals often increase cashback rates for merchants. Using a portal for an extra 5%-20% back can be quite substantial, and it may even save you more than waiting in line at the store.

Discounted gift cards

It can be a great idea to stock up on discounted gift cards for stores where you plan to shop. Right now, Snaplii is excellent for buying gift cards. During Black Friday, they offer new discounted gift cards every week, so it’s worth checking out.

Practical strategies

Online shopping

Late at night on November 27 is when most stores start their online deals. Open each store’s website in advance and save your payment information and address ahead of time. Then open the major shopping portals, compare cashback rates, and choose the best one. Follow the sale timeline you prepared earlier and grab the deals right when they go live.

In-store shopping

In general, online shopping can cover most of your needs, but going to the store to enjoy the excitement is also part of the Kohl's experience. On the afternoon of the 27th, 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 wait, store employees may hand out store maps, and at Kohl's you can head straight to the items you need once you get in. For hot items (such as certain Kohl's toys), employees may hand out tickets with numbers on them, which means that item has been reserved for you. If you can get a ticket while waiting in line, you can go line up at the next store and then come back to pay before the store closes that night. Be sure to ask 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 items bought between Black Friday and Christmas can usually be returned through January 31 of the following year. If you are not satisfied, or if the price drops and the store will not do a price match, you can choose to return the item.