Possibly planning ahead for another surprise October Prime Day (like during 2020), Target has announced a pre-November, Black Friday-style event that will kick off the retailer’s push into the holiday shopping season. Deals will be available on the store’s website, on the app and within physical Target locations.

As of publication, Target hasn’t released a significant number of details on what will be on sale during the Deal Days even beyond mentioning categories like TVs, video games, kitchen appliances and vacuums. There’s no cost to participate in Deal Days as it does not require a membership like Amazon & Prime Day.

October 10 is also the kick-off date for Target’s, limited-time, price matching event. Any Target purchases made between October 10 and December 24 can receive a price adjustment if Target offers a lower price later in the holiday season. In addition, Target offers competitor price matching for 14 days after the date of purchase.

Saving even more on Target Deal Days

As always, we advise setting up your Target account prior to Deal Days to make sure you have quick access to checkout options, in the case of hot, limited inventory deals.

• If you have a RedCard, you can receive an additional 5% off your Target purchases. In addition, there’s frequently a deal that offers a bonus $40 to $50 gift card for signing up for a card. (For example)
• If you have a Discover IT card, you can sign up for an additional 5% cashback from Target during Q4. In addition, that card offers 5% cashback on Amazon and Walmart.com.
• Be sure to check Target Circle and look for additional 10% coupons that bring the overall cost down even further. These coupons are usually targeted at specific accounts.
• Look for deals that offer additional gift cards as a bonus for purchasing. Target frequently uses this tactic during Black Friday in order to entice customers away from competitors like Walmart and Best Buy.

Target schedules “Deal Days” event during October 10 – 12, 2021

If you are interested in snagging Prime Day deals (or deals at all the other competing sales), here’s a guide that will help you be online at the right times.

Already Active: Best Buy

Best Buy has been relatively quiet this year. Last year, Best Buy announced a competing sale one week before Prime Day. This year, radio silence. On Sunday, they launched “The Bigger Deal Savings Event” which is expected to run through the end of Prime Day on June 22.

Our assumption is that more impressive deals will roll out from Best Buy as we get closer to Prime Day, likely on Sunday. We will be listing all the best deals in the Best Buy specific feed.

Live on June 20: Target

Starting on Sunday June 20 and running through Tuesday June 22, Target will continue their trend of competing with Prime Day sales with a digital sale event. Target will be pushing out sales on electronics, home items, essentials, toys and more. 

Unlike Prime Day deals, there’s no membership required to access the discounted pricing. Target is also offering the ability to visit a Target store to pick up your purchase, assuming you prefer to get it immediately rather than wait for a delivery.

As of publication, Target hasn’t announced what specific items will be on sale. It’s possible Target will release that information as we get closer to the launch of the sale. You will be able to find all the best Target deals in our Target-specific store feed here.

Live at 7 p.m. ET on June 20: Walmart

Starting on Sunday June 20 (at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT) and running through Tuesday June 23, Walmart is calling their sale “Deals for Days”. Walmart is claiming to offer “Black Friday savings” on categories like electronics, home, toys, beauty, and fashion. This will include online only deals as well as specific in-store savings.

Some of the announced sales include a 40″ Hisense Roku LED TV for $178, a Straight Talk A32 5G Phone for $199, a Pioneer Woman 14-pc. Forged Cutlery Knife Block Set for $40 and a HP 11.6” Chromebook 4GB RAM for $159. There will also be apparel discounts on Reebok, Champion, Skechers, Levi’s, and Michael Kors products ranging from 20% to 70%.

Of course, you can find all the best sales here in our Walmart-specific deal feed.

Live at 12 a.m. PT June 21: Amazon, Newegg & Kohl’s

There have been a handful of early deals released by Amazon already. Here’s a link detailing all the sales:

• Early Prime Day Offers at Amazon
• Amazon Prime Select Streaming Channels for $0.99
• $10 Prime Day Shopping Credit w/ Select Purchases $10+

When the sale kicks off, you will find all deals listed on the main Amazon Prime Day page. In addition, we will be featuring the best deals and discounts in our Amazon-specific feed.

Calling this promotion the Fantastech Sale, Newegg currently has a presale going that will end at when the Fantastech Sale starts. There’s zero information on the deals Newegg will be offering during the main Fantastech Sale, but you will be able to see the absolute best offers in our Newegg-specific deal feed.

Kohl’s is calling their sale the WOW Deals event. Their customers will earn $10 in Kohl’s Cash for every $50 spent on purchases, potentially offering better deals than Amazon if there’s significant pricematching.

Some of the early announced deals include the Google Nest Hello Video Doorbell for $150 (with $30 in Kohl’s Cash), the Shark ION Wi-Fi Connected Robotic Vacuum for $200 (with $30 Kohl’s Cash), and the  PowerXL Vortex 10-qt Air Fryer Pro for $100 (with $10 Kohl’s Cash). You will be able to see the best offers in our Kohl’s specific deal feed.

Here are the times when Prime Day 2021 & other competing sales start

If you are spending money at Best Buy, there are plenty of ways to save your money (and time) when shopping. We’ve put together a list of thirty Best Buy-specific shopping tips to take advantage of when online at BestBuy.com or in a Best Buy store. Check it out:

1. Check during the week for aggressive, 4-Hour Flash Sales

These online sales typically occur on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at BestBuy.com. Timing is always the same, a four hour period between 9 a.m. PT (12 p.m. ET) and 1 p.m. PT (4 p.m. ET). Best Buy likes to theme these flash sales around events like the Super Bowl, thus the product selection will be geared toward that event. (Ben’s 4-Hour Flash Sale Listings)

2. Check Best Buy’s Deal of the Day section for 24-Hour discounts

These online sales are often hit-or-miss (according to the Deal Editors on Ben’s Bargains), but you can occasionally find a deal that’s better than other online retailers. These four to five deals are typically refreshed at 10 p.m. PT (1 a.m. ET) each night. (Best Buy’s Daily Deals Section)

3. Check Best Buy’s eBay store for sales not listed on BestBuy.com

On occasion, Best Buy will aggressively discount products on eBay, usually in order to move a significant amount of product. These sales are often good enough to pop up in eBay’s Daily Deal section, In addition, you can ship to a Best Buy store for free in-store pickup, even if you purchase the item through eBay. (Best Buy’s eBay Store)

4. Check the Best Buy Online Outlet for discounts on items that aren’t new

There are four types of classifications for products that end up in the Best Buy Outlet store:

• Clearance: Items are usually brand new, just not being sold by the manufacturer anymore.
• Open box: Items are nearly brand new, but recently returned by a customer.
• Refurbished: Items that were broken in some fashion, but have been repaired to work correctly.
• Pre-owned: Items are in working order, but will show signs of use from previous owner.

Just be sure to check the warranties that come along with each product as well as the return policy. Of course, you will see a hefty discount off the MSRP in the Outlet store. While more risky than purchasing a brand new item, money saved will be significant. Just FYI, Cowboom has recently been integrated into the Best Buy online outlet, opening up the potential for even more discounts. (Best Buy’s Online Outlet)

5. If you are in college, take advantage of the Student Discounts section

Assuming you are currently enrolled at a college and have a .edu email address, you should be able to qualify for additional student discounts. Products typically discounted for students include laptops and tablets as well as anything that would be used in a dorm room like small appliances or audio gear. (Best Buy’s Student Discount Section)

6. If you play video games, consider Best Buy’s Gamers Club

There are two levels of the Gamers Club, free membership and and a 2-year membership for $30. The free level lets you earn points on purchases and game trade-ins that can be used on future purchases. The premium level adds a 20 percent discount on new games, a 10 percent discount on pre-owned games, a 10 percent bonus on trade-in credit and a couple exclusive coupons. (Best Buy’s Gamers Club page)

However, if you already have Amazon Prime, you may want to skip the premium level of the Gamers Club. Amazon already offers a 20 percent discount on pre-ordered games for all Prime members.

7. Look for free shipping promotions during the holidays

For the past couple years, Best Buy has run a free shipping promotion around the holiday shopping period. Recently, it ran between October 25, 2015 and January 2, 2016. Of course, when free shipping isn’t available, consider free in-store pickup instead. You won’t have to pay a dime for shipping, just for the gas to get you to the store.

8. Avoid purchasing overpriced accessories at Best Buy

This basically goes for any item that Best Buy marks up considerably. Products like HDMI cables (this $1.095 cable for instance), smartphone cases, power strips and power adapters. Margins on these items are huge for Best Buy, thus they attempt to push these items when you purchase electronics. Avoid this at all costs and pick up these accessories for a fraction of the cost on eBay.

9. Don’t get talked into buying the Extended Warranty

In general, the odds of you needing the extended warranty are really low. Brand name electronics usually have a very low failure rate, thus spending more money on a Best Buy warranty is silly. Best Buy also has very low consumer ratings for their warranties, ranging from people complaining about repairs not being covered to repairs that take forever to complete.

FYI, you can extend your warranty with a good credit card. For instance, American Express extends manufacturer warranties by an additional year on all of their credit cards. Other cards from Visa and Mastercard offer a similar extension.

10. Check for Online Coupons, but be Wary of the Limitations

When Best Buy releases an online coupon, it’s usually limited to a specific product category and includes limitations to products that aren’t on sale. This can be frustrating when shopping online as most coupon sites don’t include those details with the coupon. Of course, you can also sign up for Best Buy’s mailing list, only because they occasionally mail out paper coupons.

Price Matching

Price matching at Best Buy is fairly straightforward. It has to be the identical item and is limited to one match per customer. All you need to do is speak with a store associate to show them the price difference and get the adjusted price. Here are several tips for getting your price match every time.

11. When price matching Amazon, be sure it’s sold by Amazon

One point of contention that you may run into when getting a price match is that the price listed on Amazon is from a third party seller, not Amazon itself. While it can be somewhat YMMV on the manager’s decision at your location, most Best Buy’s require the actual Amazon price, not a price from “Joe Sixpack’s Amazon Store.”

12. Besides Amazon, check the six other online sites Best Buy allows

Those sites include B&H Photo Video, Crutchfield, Dell, HP, Newegg and Tigerdirect. Be aware that the price has to be readily listed in the details section of the page. If the price is hidden by the retailer you want to price match, Best Buy may not honor that. Also, any product that’s being sold by a re-seller on one of those sites will not be honored for price matching.

13. Use a price checking app to save time

One of our favorite apps for price matching in the store is ShopSavvy, specifically because it allows you to scan the barcode to get competitor prices in the area.

Of course, there are mulitple options for price matching. Here’s a list of 9 price comparison apps to help you find the lowest price before you talk to a Best Buy associate.

14. Check local warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club

Outside of the usual suspects like Walmart and Target, don’t forget to check the prices at your nearby Costco, Sam’s Club or other warehouse clubs. Warehouse clubs often have discounts that are more aggressive than other retailers, only because savings are exclusive to people that pay for memberships. Of course, the product has to be in stock at your local warehouse club to get the price match.

15. Double check all model numbers and SKUs

This has popped up as more of a problem in the last ten years. Electronics manufacturers are building specific models for a single retailer, thus making it impossible to price match at a different retailer. This occurs often at warehouse clubs as well as the major retailers. Make sure the model numbers are identical before requesting the price match, otherwise it will be denied.

16. Make sure local competitors are within 25 miles of your Best Buy

This is a specific rule in the terms and conditions of the price match. If the store you want to price match isn’t within 25 miles, Best Buy won’t honor it. Of course, you can always drive to a different Best Buy store that’s within the 25 mile limit.

17. Don’t expect additional discounts on top of the price match

If you have a 10 percent off coupon and expect to get that discount on top of your price match, you will be sorely disappointed. When a price match is approved, that’s the only discount that you will get. The same goes for financing options and any other service that Best Buy offers.

18. Keep your receipt as Best Buy will match up to 15 days after purchase

Ideal for saving money after your purchase, be sure to check competitor prices for the next couple weeks. If a competitor’s price drops before the Best Buy price, you can go back to the store for a price adjustment. Just bring your receipt to the customer service counter and show an associate the retailer that you want to price match.

Negotiating for a Better Price

While Best Buy certainly isn’t a flea market, it is possible to negotiate discounts on products depending on certain conditions. Here are some tips for getting the best price possible during negotiation.

19. Shop at the end of the month for increased negotiation power

Usually during the last few days of the month, store managers will be more lenient with discounts. This is due to the monthly sales metrics that those managers have to report back to their district managers. The greater the sales volume, the happier the district manager is going to be. This could translate into an additional 5 to 10 percent off the price you would have negotiated at the start of the month.

20. Ask for more aggressive discounts when bundling items

Let’s say you are purchasing a new Ultra HD, 4K television. Perhaps you also need a 4K capable receiver as well as a 4K media player to go along with it? If so, this is a great time to negotiate a discount on the entire bundle of items.

We recommend starting at 15 percent for two items and 20 percent for three or more items. It’s likely that you will negotiate to a minimum of 10 percent off the price of the entire order.

21. Ask a salesperson which brands are more negotiable

While a good salesperson will subtly direct you to the products that Best Buy sales managers want moved off the shelves, you can also just flat out ask them. These products are usually getting ready to head to the clearance section or have been overstocked by the store. This means that discounts on those items will likely be approved (and usually at a higher percentage than other products).

22. Keep an eye out for those Open Box items

Similar to the Best Buy Online Outlet, open box items in the store will be discounted significantly. In addition, sales managers have been approved to offer higher discounts on open box items. This also goes for floor models that are being sold without the box. We recommend asking for a 20 percent discount on open box returns and a 30 percent discount on floor models. It’s likely you will end up with an additional 10 to 15 percent off.

24. Use Price Codes for an extra edge in negotiating

Like Walmart and Target, Best Buy uses pricing codes to identify items that are being discounted. Specifically, any price ending in a .99 is usually full price or just a slight sale. Prices that end in .96 are matching a local or online competitor price and prices that end in .92 are usually being phased out at a price that’s close to Best Buy’s cost. You can also look for the letter “C” on the tag, usually in the lower right corner. That identifies a clearance item. (See Price codes at other retailers)

Using My Best Buy Rewards

If you haven’t joined the My Best Buy rewards program, you should. It’s free and offers up a $5 gift card for every 250 points earned. (It was previously called Rewards Zone.) Here are some tips for getting the most out of the rewards program.

25. If you spend more, the bonuses will increase

At the regular level, a rewards member earns 1 point for ever dollar spent at Best Buy. This metric increases to 1.1 points for each dollar spent at the Elite level and 1.25 at the Elite plus level. Of course, you have to spend lots of money at Best Buy to reach these levels. Elite status kicks in when you spend at least $1,500 at Best Buy during a calendar year. That figure jumps to $3,500 for the Elite Plus level. (Details on Rewards Program)

26. Look for point bonuses / discounts on specific products

Best Buy frequently offers additional discounts or opportunities to earn more rewards points if you purchase specific products. Other offers include the ability to earn gift cards that can be used on future purchases. You can check out each month’s offers on this Best Buy page.

27. Take advantage of the Free Shipping perks

At the base level, all My Best Buy rewards members get free standard shipping (3 to 7 business days) on orders that meet a $35 minimum threshold. At the Elite level, the $35 minimum is removed and free shipping is applied to all orders. At the Elite Plus level, shipping continues to remain free and is upgraded to the expedited level (2 business days).

28. Return periods are extended for Elite members

While the standard return period is 15 days for any Best Buy customer, that period is doubled and tripled depending on your Elite member status. Elite members get 30 days to return items and Elite Plus members get 45 days to return an item to Best Buy. Both of these groups also get a dedicated customer service line, ideal for getting someone on the line quickly when a problem pops up.

29. Reviewing products can earn you additional bonus points

Rewarding up to eight reviews per calendar year, rewards members can earn 25 points for each review submitted to Best Buy’s site. That’s a total of 200 points per year if all eight reviews are submitted. It takes up to 20 days before those reward points will be credited towards your account.

30. Consider the My Best Buy credit card for an additional 5% off

Similar to the Amazon Prime store card or Target’s store card, Best Buy offers a 5% return in rewards when you spend money at Best Buy. This is a solid deal, assuming you pay off the credit card every month. If you do not, you will be financially punched in the gut by the ridiculous 25.24% APR that comes with the card.

Interestingly, Best Buy is currently offering 10 percent rewards on your first purchase on the card as well as a bump to 6 percent rewards indefinitely if you are a Elite Plus member. You can also choose no-interest financing if that’s preferable. Just be aware that store cards often add up all interest over the entire billing period of the no-interest period and hit you with a giant balloon payment at the end if you don’t pay it off in time. (Details about the My Best Buy Card)

30 Ways to Save Money at Best Buy, online and in-store

Looking for a way to rival Amazon’s popular Prime subscription model, Best Buy is launching a new membership service called Best Buy Beta. This service is going to provide access to exclusive sale pricing, zero shipping costs, and two year protection on some products.

It also includes a concierge service that will answer customer questions 24 hours a day, an extended return window (60-days), no restocking fees on returns and an additional 10% off on all subscriptions billed through Best Buy.

The Best Buy Beta service will be priced at $200 per year (or $180 if the customer has a Best Buy credit card). This new subscription service will replace Best Buy’s “Total Tech Support” membership, effectively adding additional features for roughly the same cost.

Best Buy Beta is already available at some locations in Iowa, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. New locations coming by the end of April will be located in Minnesota, North Carolina and Tennessee. If the pilot of the service is successful, Best Buy could roll out nationwide to many of the 900+ nationwide locations within the next 12 months.

Exclusive sale pricing could be interesting if Best Buy cuts pricing beyond the online discount added with a free My Best Buy membership. It’s unclear if the additional discounts will be available on the BestBuy.com site though. It’s possible that Best Buy will limit the additional discounts to in-store purchases only, thus increasing foot traffic to retail locations.

At the time of publication, Amazon is currently charging $119-per-year for Amazon Prime service and rival retailer Walmart is charging $98-per-year for the company’s Walmart+ subscription service.

Best Buy launches $200-a-year subscription service in 60 stores

Starting at the same time as Amazon Prime Day on October 13, Best Buy will be pushing a 2-day sale live that the company is promoting as “Early Black Friday deals.” Best Buy promises that there will be additional opportunities to score Black Friday deals later in October as well.

Best Buy released few details on what products will be on sale. The company did note a 70-inch Samsung 4K Smart TV will be on sale for $529.99 (MSRP $749.99). Based on that information, it’s likely that Best Buy is discounting one of these two sets: (or a model not listed on the site yet)

• Samsung – 70″ TU7 Series 4K Smart TV with HDR
• Samsung – 70″ Class 6 Series 4K Smart Tizen TV

Besides the Samsung TV deal, Best Buy mentioned that laptops will be discounted as low as $119.99 (likely a Chromebook at that price) as well as a $80 price reduction on the JBL Free True Wireless headphones ($69.99 sale price). There’s also reference to “dozens” of other deals.

As always, watch both Best Buy and Amazon for price matching throughout the 48-hour period. Both stores will attempt to compete on pricing and move quickly to match discounts.

Be aware that you may be able to use contactless curbside pickup at Best Buy, assuming the retailer has your item in stock locally. Those orders are typically ready within the hour. You can also use Store pickup, if you need to do shopping in the store or delivery if you prefer to stay home entirely.

Also in this announcement, Best Buy is extending holiday returns starting on October 13. Any item purchased between October 13 and January 2, 2021 can be returned by January 16, 2021.

If you are a My Best Buy member and you make a purchase on October 13 or 14 with a “Black Friday Price Guaranteed” on the product page, you will qualify for automatic price adjustments on said item if the price falls below what you paid on or prior to November 28 (Black Friday). Those adjustments will be applied to your payment method by December 14, 2020.

Best Buy announces sale to compete with Amazon Prime Day

Announced earlier today, electronics retailer Best Buy has announced all customers will be required to wear face masks when shopping inside retail locations. This new requirement starts on July 15 at all locations in the United States.

If a customer doesn’t have a mask, a Best Buy employee will offer a mask at the front door. Small children unable to wear a mask for health reasons will be exempt from wearing one. Any customer that refuses to wear a mask will be directed to shop on Best Buy’s website for either home delivery or curbside pickup.

The full list of retailers that have issued a mandatory mask order for customers include:

• Best Buy (starts July 15)
• Starbucks (starts July 15)
• Walmart / Sam’s Club (starts July 20)
• CVS (starts July 20)
• Kohl’s (starts July 20)
• Kroger Grocery Stores (starts July 22)
• Target (starts August 1)
• Costco (started May 4)
• Apple Stores (started May 17)
• H-E-B (started June 30)
• Verizon
• AT&T
• Menards

Some of the major retailers that have yet to make a decision on mandatory mask usage include Walgreens, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Albertsons.

If you need to purchase a face mask, check the deal feed on Ben’s for the latest sales on both reusable and disposable face masks. -> LINK

Best Buy, Starbucks, Walmart and other stores make face masks mandatory for customers

EDIT: Best Buy has shifted their policy again. All in-store shopping is cancelled, but you can still use free curbside pickup. (Or free shipping on $35+ orders)

Citing a spike in electronics purchases due to the increased number of Americans working from home, Best Buy will be launching a new way to interact with customers on Monday, March 23. (Best Buy also reduced store hours to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. as of today)

Similar to the way an Apple Store employee is assigned to a customer at an iPhone launch, a Best Buy employee will escort a customer (from a distance of 6 feet away) around the store to pick up an item. Roughly 10 to 15 customers will be allowed in a Best Buy location at any given time.

Presumably, this means customers will be lined up outside the store if the location is particularly busy. Of course, curbside pickup will still be available if a customer wants to order something online and grab it without leaving their car.

This means Best Buy will have fewer employees in each store each day. The company has pledged to pay employees not working a full two weeks pay during the period with shorter hours. In addition, the company’s absence policy has been relaxed, in case anyone need to call out sick.

Best Buy announces Coronavirus plan to allow 15 customers in a store at a time

Starting today and running through December 25, 2019, Best Buy is offering free next day shipping on thousands of popular items. Best Buy believes that will cover 99 percent of orders made through the site. My Best Buy customers will see the free next day delivery option at checkout. If the order is made in time to ship the same day, customers will receive it the following day.

In addition, Best Buy is offering free shipping on all orders. even orders under the typical $35 minimum. Granted, it’s not next day shipping. But you won’t have to pay anything for delivery. A Blu-ray disc order we tested gave us a delivery date of October 30, roughly a week from or order.

If you simply can’t wait for a day to receive your item, you can also request same-day delivery for an additional fee or the store pickup option. Select Best Buy locations are offering Curbside pickup as well; ideal for snowy climates or for anyone that’s in a rush to grab a purchase.

If you are a My Best Buy member (free to sign up), you will also get early access to some of Best Buy’s Black Friday deals. In addition, be aware that next day shipping doesn’t apply to extremely large items like appliances or televisions larger than 50-inches in size.

Best Buy launches free next-day shipping for holiday orders

While plenty of retailers have their own credit cards to earn a percentage back on a purchase or 0% interest for 6 to 12 months (along with astronomical interest rates if you don’t pay it off each month), many third party cards offer expanded options for rewards at your favorite retailers during the holiday shopping season.

Here’s a collection of the top 5 cards you should be looking at before the onslaught of November sales

1. Chase Freedom

During the 2019 holiday shopping season, the Chase Freedom card offers 5% back (up to $75 back on $1,500 in purchases) on department stores, PayPal, and Chase Pay (using your smartphone).

There are 25 retailers on the department stores list; the largest being JC Penney, Kohl’s, Macy’s and Sears. Kohl’s strikes us as particularly good, if you don’t have a Kohl’s card. Specifically because you will be able to get Black Friday prices on popular items, but also 5% cashback and the promotional Kohl’s cash off (which is usually $15 on every $50 you spend).

PayPal also jumps out at us, specifically because of the landslide of eBay deals that pop up in November. Ideally, you should combine that with one of eBay’s promotional periods where they offer a 10% – 15% off coupon.

2. Discover it Cashback

During the 2019 holiday shopping season, the Discover it Cashback card offers 5% back (up to $75 back on $1,500 in purchases) at Amazon.com, Walmart.com and Target.

While Amazon & Target aren’t particularly exciting (both retailers offer 5% cash back cards with no limits), Walmart.com jumps out at us. It’s been particularly difficult to get 5% cashback at Walmart in previous years. Although, Walmart did just partner with Capital One last month to launch a 5% back Walmart Rewards Program.

The 5% discount at Walmart applies to purchases made online (shipped to your home) in addition to purchases made online (ship to store for pickup).

3. Citi Dividend Card

During the 2019 holiday shopping season, the Citi Dividend Card offers 5% back (up to $300 back on $6,000 in purchases) at Best Buy and (currently unnamed) department stores.

While you can definitely get 5% back with a Best Buy card, it’s in rewards that you have to spend at Best Buy, not cashback. Citi’s card could be a better option for someone that’s in the market for a large 4K HDTV on Black Friday, but also wants cashback instead of rewards.

Be aware that the $300 on $6,000 in purchases is specific to the calendar year. If you already earned $200 in rewards using the card during the first 9 months of the year, you would only be able to earn $100 back in the last 3 months.

4. AMEX Blue Cash Preferred Card

During the 2019 holiday shopping season, the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card offers 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $360 back on $6,000 in purchases) as well as 6% on streaming subscriptions & 3% on transit.

This card can be particularly useful for anyone that’s hosting huge family gatherings during Thanksgiving / Christmas and needs to drop some serious coin at the supermarket. It’s also good for the entire year (not specific to Q4), thus you can continue to save at the grocery store for 12 months.

The only downside is the $95 annual fee, but that’s easily mitigated with the $250 back on $1000 of purchases for new customers. If you don’t want the annual fee, you can step down to the Blue Cash Everyday card (which offers 3% back at grocery stores, same cap on total purchases).

5. The Best Store Cards

As mentioned earlier, the best store cards are offered by Amazon and Target. Both retailers offer cards that offer 5% cashback without any cap on total purchases for the year. Other benefits include:

• Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card: 5% back on Whole Foods purchases, 2% back at restaurants / gas / drugstores, 1% back on everything else.
• Target RedCard: Free shipping on all Target.com purchases and additional 30 days for returning items.

Other popular Store Cards include:

• Lowe’s Advantage Card: Offers 5% cashback on all purchases. 6 months special financing on $299 or more purchases
• Old Navy Visa Credit Card: Offers a $5 reward for every $100 you spend in an Old Navy / GAP / Banana Republic Store.
• Costco Anywhere Visa Card: Offers 2% back on all Costco purchases, 4% back on gas, 3% back at resturants

Here’s the Top 5 Credit Card Rewards for the 2019 holiday shopping season

The 2018 Best Buy Black Friday ad is out and we’ve picked out our top ten deals from the ad. You can see the full ad here as well as more picks beyond our top ten by clicking here. Similar to last year, Best Buy is using a significantly discounted HDTV doorbuster to get people into the stores.

Some of these deals have started already, some will start on Wed night and others are in-store only. Check out our Top 10 Best Buy Black Friday Deals below:

1. 43-inch 4K Toshiba HDTV ($130)

This is the big doorbuster for Best Buy this year (In-Store Only), a 4K HDTV over 40 inches, but under $199. Toshiba is also a solid brand, more so than the Element doorbuster HDTV at Target. The TV comes with Fire TV built-in for smart apps as well as HDR.

Check Price at Best Buy

2. Ring Video Doorbell Pro + Chime + Echo Dot ($180)

If you are looking for a solid bundle on home security, this Ring bundle is pretty fantastic. You get the Ring Video Pro ($250) with the Chime Pro ($50) + a bonus Echo Dot 3rd Gen ($50) all for $180. Nearly a 50 percent discount off the MSRP for all hardware.

Check Price at Best Buy

3. Samsung 11.6″ Chromebook ($99)

If you are looking for an inexpensive laptop for a kid or perhaps just a second laptop for web browsing, this $99 Chromebook is a solid deal. While it’s definitely not as fast as a Surface, the speed is fine for basic use.

Check Price at Best Buy

4. 70-inch LG 4K HDTV ($700)

One of the best Black Friday prices for a television 70-inches or larger, this LG model will provide a stunning image at 30% off the MSRP. Beyond 4K resolution, the TV comes with HDR (HDR10 & HLG) and webOS for streaming Netflix / Hulu / Amazon Video.

Check Price at Best Buy

5. Sphero Star Wars BB-8 ($30)

While BB-8 did hit a price low at $25 last week at Bed, Bath & Beyond for first time customers, this $30 will be for all customers at Best Buy. This smartphone-controllable toy started at $150 a few years ago, thus this price drop is pretty impressive.

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6. 4K Movies for $8 and $10

If you want to expand your current library of 4K movies or are simply looking for some cheap titles for your new 4K player, Best Buy has some of the best sale prices on 4K titles.

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7. Apple MacBook Air 13.3″ ($800)

It’s tough to find a discount on a new Macbook unless it’s Black Friday. This 20% discount is probably the best price we will see on a new MacBook Air until Black Friday 2019. However, you can find MacBook deals throughout the year, typically on refurbished models.

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8. Sony Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones ($200)

Typically sold at $349 as an alternative option to the Bose QuietComfort 35 headphones, the $150 discount on these exceptionally well-reviewed headphones is pretty fantastic.

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9. Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1″ 16GB ($160)

If you are looking for an alternative option to an iPad, this Samsung tablet should so the trick. Comes with 16GB of memory, 10.1″ screen, octa-core processor and up to 13 hours of battery life.

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10. $200 off a Google Pixel 3 or 3XL

One of a few retailers that will be offering a discount on the Pixel 3 this year. (Most retailers focus on the iPhone or Samsung phones)

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Check for more Best Buy Deals in the Ben’s feed.

Top 10 Best Buy Black Friday Deals for 2018