Black Friday and Cyber Monday: 10 Rules for Finding the Real Deals

Write down what you actually need or have been waiting to buy, and a target price for each. Our price history guide shows how to set one.

A list protects you from the most expensive Black Friday purchase: the thing you didn’t want until it was 40% off.

A “save 35%” badge is calculated from whatever reference price the store chose. Pull up the item’s price chart instead. If today’s price matches the low it hit during a summer or October sale, it’s a fair price but not a reason to rush. If it’s a new low for that exact model, that’s your signal.

Some products are made for the season: a TV or laptop with a model number you won’t find anywhere else, built to hit a headline price. These derivative models can look almost identical to well-known ones while using cheaper parts, such as fewer HDMI 2.1 ports or a dimmer panel on a TV, or less memory and slower storage on a laptop.

Warning signs include a model number that differs from the main lineup by a letter or a suffix, a model sold by only one retailer, a product missing from the manufacturer’s main website, and a spec sheet that’s vague about things like refresh rate, HDMI version or panel type.

Doorbusters are steep discounts on very limited quantities, meant to bring you to the store, or the website, at a set time. A few people get them. Most end up buying the store’s second-best offer, which is where the store makes its money.

Go for a doorbuster only if you’d be happy walking away without it.

Retailers now launch “Black Friday prices” in early November or even October, and the price on Black Friday itself is often identical. If an early price hits your target, buying early is usually reasonable, especially from a store that offers price adjustments: some retailers refund the difference if the price drops within a set period. Many exclude doorbusters and limited-time offers, though, so read the current policy before you count on it.

Many big retailers extend return windows for holiday purchases, often into January, so gifts can be returned after the holidays. Policies vary a lot, though. Third-party marketplace sellers may follow their own rules, some categories can carry restocking fees, and “final sale” means final.

For anything expensive, take a screenshot of the return policy on the day you buy. If it’s a gift, ask for a gift receipt so the recipient can exchange it without seeing the price.

For online shopping, credit cards offer the strongest protection when something goes wrong. Under the federal Fair Credit Billing Act, you can dispute charges for things like goods that never arrived or weren’t delivered as agreed, and you can withhold payment of the disputed amount while the card issuer investigates. Act quickly: you generally need to send a written dispute within 60 days of the statement that first showed the charge.

Debit cards offer weaker protection in disputes with sellers, and payments by wire transfer, gift card, payment app or cryptocurrency are very hard to reverse. Some credit cards also add perks such as purchase protection or extended warranties; your card’s benefits guide lists them.

Scam stores advertise heavily during the holidays, often through social media ads, with prices that look impossible because they are. Type store addresses yourself instead of clicking ads, be suspicious of brand-new websites selling famous brands at huge discounts, and read our guide to spotting fake online stores before buying from a shop you’ve never heard of.

Extended warranties, accessory bundles and protection plans are offered at checkout because that’s when you’re least likely to compare. Many can be bought later, and some aren’t worth buying at all. Our ten questions about extended warranties will help you decide calmly, after the sale.

Offers like “Spend $100, get a $20 gift card” are worth something only if you’ll spend that card at that store. Promotional cards like these often come with tighter rules than gift cards you buy: they can expire much sooner and may be usable only during a set window, such as a few weeks in January.

Federal rules that stop purchased gift cards from expiring within five years don’t apply to promotional cards given away for free, as long as the terms are disclosed. Treat the bonus as a coupon, not as cash.