There's a big deal happening at Amazon.com – Prime Big Deal Days, that is.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 10-11, the online retail giant is celebrating Prime Big Deal Days, two days when Amazon offers its members new deals every few minutes on a variety of products across the shopping giant's website.

Another way Amazon is helping customers get a head start on their holiday shopping: the launch of the Holiday Shop, which offers deals on holiday gifts, picks from celebrities and influencers, gift cards from participating retailers and fast, free delivery in the U.S.

According to Amazon, its 2023 Prime Day on July 11 was the single largest sales day in the company's history, and Prime members purchased more than 375 million items worldwide over July 11-12. It did not disclose sales numbers from July's Prime Day event, but Digital Commerce 360 estimated that consumers spent a record-breaking nearly $13 billion.

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When was the first Amazon Prime Day?

The first-ever Amazon Prime Day was on July 15, 2015, a 24-hour sale as a way to celebrate Prime members on Amazon's 20th birthday. Since then, it has grown into a multi-day event where millions of items are bought and shipped to customers in more than 20 countries.

Why are there multiple Prime Days?

In 2023, Amazon introduced the Prime Big Deal Days, the two-day shopping event beginning Oct. 10 and ending Oct. 11, ahead of the holiday season. This was in addition to the regular Prime Day event, which ran July 11-12. Last year, Amazon held a Prime Early Access sale on Oct. 11-12.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon moved its 2020 Prime Day from the usual July date to October, then moved it again in 2021 to its earliest date yet, in June. By 2022, the sale had returned to its regular July date.

The October 2023 sale is here:What to know about Amazon Prime Big Deal Days

How much does Amazon Prime membership cost?

For people who haven't been Prime members over the last 12 months, Amazon Prime is offering a free 30-day trial. Regular Prime membership fees are $14.99 a month, or $139 a year.

Students are eligible for special Prime Student monthly plans at $7.49 per month, which comes with a free 6-month trial, and consumers who are on a qualifying government assistance program like Medicaid or SNAP can get Prime Access membership for $6.99 a month.

Benefits of the Prime membership include free same-day, one-day or two-day delivery, discounts at Amazon Fresh stores, books on Prime Reading, access to shows and movies on the Amazon Prime streaming app and ad-free music and podcasts on Amazon Music.