There's never been a better time to sign up for Amazon Prime.

That's because the US shopping giant is poised to launch a four-day bargain-a-thon that's only available to its paid subscribers. Known as , Amazon has extended this annual sale to 96 hours, with the price cuts available from , making this year the longest members-only sale yet.

Prime members will have twice as much time to browse the sale compared with previous years. We don't know exactly what to expect when the Black Friday-like prices are unleashed on July 8, but Amazon is promising "hundreds of thousands of deals" across all of its major categories, with discounts on much-loved brands like , and .

, but Amazon offers a 30-day free trial. With less than a month to go until the 96-hour Prime Day sale begins, you canand ensure you're covered by the benefits of membership across all four days of the sale.

Just make sure .

During the 30 day free trial window you'll enjoy every single Prime perk: next-day delivery on millions of items, unlimited Prime Video streaming, Prime Music, Prime Reading, and early Lightning Deal access — exactly the same goodies as paying subscribers.

Amazon Prime membership in the UK offers free one-day delivery, Prime Video, Prime Music, unlimited cloud storage for photos, and a handful of other perks. New users can enjoy a 30-day free trial. Membership is required to unlock access to the annual Prime Day sale, which features major discounts across "hundreds of thousands" or products in all categories on Amazon

Eligibility? Amazon says it will only allow one free trial per email address (and household). So, if you’ve dipped into a trial before — student or standard — you won’t qualify again unless you use a fresh account that’s never been Prime-enabled. In practice, that means a new email and payment method.

Anecdotally, the shopping behemoth seems a little more generous than that. If you've already tested-out Amazon Prime membership with , it's worth checking whether . Amazon sometimes makes a trial period available to all customers every few years, even if you've taken out a 30-day trial for previous Prime Day sales, there's a chance you'll be able to sign-up again.

Want to boost your chances of spotting a trial invite ahead of Prime Day? Keep an eye on Amazon’s homepage banners, sign up for their marketing emails, and install the site’s browser extension. Amazon often flashes trial prompts to non-Prime browsers, especially as sale day approaches.

The sale starts at and will end . However, not all of the price cuts will be available for the entire 96 hours. Amazon will withdraw some promotions if stock is running low.

Timing your Prime free trial right — starting your trial a maximum of two weeks before Prime Day — means you’ll breeze through the sale with no delivery fees and instant access to all those Prime-only deals. Happy shopping!

Amazon has started to tease some of the products and brands that'll be featured in its longest-ever Prime Day sale

The online superstore is introducing a new curated list called that'll feature a new bundle of products exclusive for Prime members, including a limited-time deal price crash on a specific products that'll launch at midnight every day during the Prime Day sales.

Without Prime membership, you'll be stuck paying the full RRP for items that've been discounted in the sale. You'll also lose out on next-day delivery at no extra cost on thousands of items.

But becoming an Amazon Prime member doesn't have to cost you anything.

That's because the US shopping giant offers . Sign up, then cancel immediately and you'll still be able to enjoy all of the perks of Prime membership for a month.

That includes access to all discounts in the Prime Day sale, exclusive boxsets and films to stream via Prime Video, unlimited cloud storage for photos in Amazon Photos, free video games to download to your PC, next-day delivery on thousands of items, , and more.

If you're not an Amazon Prime member, the products included in the sale will only be available at their regular price

If you're excited about the prospect of a site-wide Amazon sale, you can start preparing for the deals now. Amazon has shared several ways that Prime members can make the most of the 96-hour event