We know it might seem too early to be prepping for Black Friday, but you'd be surprised how many deals we see cropping up weeks in advance. If you're someone who loves a bargain and the opportunity to really get your money's worth, then it might be a good idea to consider signing up for a Best Buy membership ahead of Black Friday this year. Why, you ask?
If nearly a decade of covering Black Friday deals has taught us anything, it's that not all of the best Black Friday deals are at Amazon, and Best Buy is one of the top retailers for tech enthusiasts. Not only does Best Buy price match Amazon a lot of the time, but it also offers exclusive benefits, perks, and extra discounts for its Best Buy Plus and Total members.
Everything you need to know about Best Buy memberships will be covered in the sections below. Or if you're looking for something more specific – we have dedicated hubs rounding up the best Black Friday iPad deals as well as deals on laptops, plus the best 3D printer Black Friday deals, and we're also seeing some big savings on drawing tablets this year too.
What are the Best Buy membership options?
(Image credit: Best Buy)
If you're a regular customer of Best Buy, either in-store or online, then you could be rewarded with exclusive perks and member-only pricing if you sign up for a My Best Buy membership. There are 3 tiers in total, starting with a free basic membership that offers the option to create wishlists of products, speedy checkout, and free standard shipping on all orders.
Next up is the Best Buy Plus membership for $49.99 per year, which comes with a whole host of perks and benefits including member-only deals and exclusive prices, free 2-day shipping, and an extended return window on most (but not all) products. We've noticed plenty of opportunities where a Best Buy Plus membership could pay for itself pretty quickly in savings, so if you know that you're going to spend big this Black Friday then definitely consider signing up.
For an extra $130, you can level up your Plus membership to a Best Buy Total membership for $179.99 per year. We have to admit, this is quite a leap in price from the other memberships, but you do get a lot for your money with access to 24/7 tech support (even if you didn't buy the product from Best Buy) plus protections like AppleCare+ and VIP member support. You also get 20% off repairs, so if you're someone who invests heavily in tech such as smartphones, laptops, cameras, consoles – you name it – then it might be a good idea to see a Best Buy Total membership as a kind of insurance investment for your devices.
There is an additional way to save money with Best Buy for members who use a My Best Buy Credit Card on eligible transactions. According to the company, My Best Buy Credit Card members receive 5% back in rewards (2.5 points for every $1 spent) made on qualifying purchases which can then be redeemed for rewards. For every 250 My Best Buy points, you can get a $5 coupon for discounts on future purchases
My Best Buy (100% free)
Gives customers access to free standard shippingwith no minimum spend required. You also unlock quick checkout and the ability to add items to your wishlist.
My Best Buy Plus ($49.99 per year)
Get early access to exclusive member-only deals and lower prices on products, plus discounts on select services, benefit from an extended 60-day return window on products, and free 2-day shipping with no minimum spend.
My Best Buy Total ($179.99 per year)
With this membership tier, you get all of the same perks as the Plus membership above, but with the added bonus of 24/7 tech support from Geek Squad, 20% off repairs, VIP member support, and access to protection plans like AppleCare+.
If you're planning to spend a fair amount of money this Black Friday, then it's worth picking wisely which retailer you shop with to ensure not only that you're getting the best deal on a product, but that you can also personally benefit from the purchase in some way. Whether that's with free delivery, extra points to be converted into future rewards, or ensuring that you have some kind of warranty in place should anything go wrong with your latest purchases.
With a Best Buy Plus or Total membership, you also get access to member-only deals all year round, not just when it's Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day. This means you don't necessarily need to wait until payday to make a big purchase, and can shop at a time convenient to you.
We've also noticed that Apple products tend to get big discounts at Best Buy, and you can sometimes save up to $100 on a purchase just by being a Best Buy member, which means that the Plus membership can essentially pay for itself depending on what you purchase.
Sure, you can get super-fast next-day delivery with Amazon Prime, but there's no reward system or loyalty scheme in place that offers any real benefit to you as a customer, or any potential discounts on future Amazon purchases. So think about this carefully when you're choosing between Amazon or Best buy as a retailer this Black Friday, but ultimately – it's about whichever can offer you the best deal on whatever you're buying.
That depends entirely on how much you think you'll benefit from it or if you regularly find yourself needing tech support. You could be the most careful person in the world when it comes to looking after your tech, but all it takes is one accident or a stumble and you could find yourself needing a speedy screen repair.
Similarly, any laptop can get a virus or malware if you don't have the correct software to keep tabs on it, and households with children and pets can sometimes be riskier environments when leaving your expensive new headphones or tablet unprotected. Mistakes and accidents can happen to anyone, but it's about assessing how much of a risk you might face, especially if you've made a big purchase.
If you're not someone who purchases a lot of tech and tends to keep things simple, then you could probably do without Best Buy's more premium membership plan, but that's your call to make.
What if I decide to cancel my Best Buy membership?
We've done a little digging, and it seems that you can cancel your Best Buy membership at any time. However, you're more likely to get your money back if it's within 60 days of when you first signed up. After this point, Best Buy will most likely offer you a prorated refund based on how far along into the membership year you are and the number of days remaining in the billing year, minus the value of any membership discounts, services or benefits you've received.
Beth is Creative Bloq’s Ecommerce Writer and has the fun job of finding you the very best prices and deals on creative tech. Beth kicked off her journalistic career writing for Digital Camera World, and has since earned bylines on TechRadar too. With a Masters degree in Photography, Beth loves getting to tinker with new cameras, especially camera phones, as the resident Samsung fan on the team. Her background working as a tester for CeX let her play around with all kinds of weird and wonderful products, including robots, and she’s recently gotten into 3D printing too. Outside of CB, you’ll find her gaming on her PS5, photographing local shows under the alias Bethshootsbands, and making TikToks of her dog, Tilly.
