Free price trackers can show whether a Black Friday deal is really a deal
Google, Chrome and CamelCamelCamel chart past prices and send alerts. California law also limits fake "was" prices.
Black Friday is Nov. 27, and stores are already advertising early deals. A sale tag only tells you what a store says the price used to be. Price trackers show what it actually was, so shoppers can see whether a deal is real before buying.
How they work: A tracker records a product's price over time, draws a chart of that history and emails or texts you when the price falls below a number you choose. Three free options:
Google price tracking: Search for a product on Google while signed in, open its product card and tap Track price. You can set a target price and get an email and phone notification when it drops. Google says the feature works in the U.S. and several other countries.
Chrome shopping insights: On a product page in Google's Chrome browser, a "Price is low" or similar label in the address bar opens a chart of the item's price history across the web. It requires signing in to Chrome and turning on history syncing, which shares your browsing with Google.
CamelCamelCamel: A free site that tracks prices of products sold on Amazon. Paste an Amazon link to see its price history chart and set a drop alert, the site says.
California law backs shoppers up. Under Business and Professions Code section 17501, a store may not advertise a former price unless it was the prevailing market price within the past three months, or the ad clearly states when that price was in effect.
This is a guide to free tools, not an endorsement. The Daily News has no business relationship with any company named.
Source: Google Shopping help and Chrome help pages; CamelCamelCamel and its about page; California Business and Professions Code 17501, checked Nov. 2, 2026.