Amazon's Prime Day is coming up fast on July 15-16.
While this shopping holiday offers many great deals, in past years some shoppers have missed out on a planned purchase due to technical issues or a product selling out. But with the right credit card, you can buy the exact same item ahead of time and get back part of the purchase price if it drops on Prime Day. You'll want one of these credit cards to make it work.
Amazon's website and app show that Prime Day is coming on July 15 for a two-day sale. The frenzy starts at midnight Pacific time on June 15. Navigating through the Prime Day page, you can set up alerts and get a head start planning your purchases.
Some deals have already started, while others will only be available during a short purchase window. Amazon allows you to set an alert for items you want so you won't miss it when it goes on sale. Just make sure to always stay within your budget!
Read more: Here's what you should buy on Amazon Prime Day 2019 based on the best deals we've seen in past years
Consider buying now to avoid sold-out products
If other shoppers beat you to the punch, you could find yourself disappointed with a sold-out product. You may be better off buying before Prime Day, even for a higher price.
If you have a credit card with price protection, you can get a refund if the price of an item falls within a certain number of days after purchase. That includes sales and advertised prices listed online and in print for most cards.
If you buy an item before Prime Day and have one of these cards, you can print out or take a screenshot of the sale price on Amazon and submit a claim with your card to get the difference refunded to your account. I've done this once myself and it worked out well.
Here are some cards with the price protection benefit.
Read more: How to shop on Amazon Prime Day 2019 - all the tips and tricks you need to save the most money possible
Credit cards with price protection benefits
Amazon's Prime Visa credit card gives you 5% cash back on purchases at Amazon, which is a great earning rate. Unfortunately, and likely by design, the card does not carry price protection. Here are some cards that do:
- Chase United TravelBank Card - This no-annual-fee card will refund the difference for a lower price within 90 days for up to $500 per item, $2,500 per year.
- IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card - This hotel card charges an $89 annual fee and includes an annual free night among other benefits. Price protection is worth up to $500 per item, $2,500 per year for lower prices found within 90 days of purchase.
- United Club Card - This card charges a bigger $450 annual fee but also includes membership to United's premium airport lounges. It offers the same price protection benefit worth up to $500 per item, $2,500 per year on purchases made within the last 90 days.
Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images
- PayPal Cashback Mastercard - This card has no annual fee and includes a 60-day time frame for price protection.
- Wells Fargo Visa Signature® Card - This card has no annual fee and includes price protection for 60 days on new purchases.
- U.S. Bank® Cash 365™ American Express® Card - This card, which has no annual fee, includes a 30-day price protection window.
Most cards from Citi currently include price protection, but that is scheduled to be removed later this year. Because those benefits are going away, those cards are not included on this list.
It is so frustrating to make any purchase and find out you didn't get the best price. On Prime Day and any other day, this excellent benefit can be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. If you have price protection, you can buy right now and make a claim when the price goes down on Amazon. That's a budget-friendly benefit anyone can enjoy.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Personal Finance Insider team. We occasionally highlight financial products and services that can help you make smarter decisions with your money. We do not give investment advice or encourage you to adopt a certain investment strategy. What you decide to do with your money is up to you. If you take action based on one of our recommendations, we get a small share of the revenue from our commerce partners. This does not influence whether we feature a financial product or service. We operate independently from our advertising sales team.
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