AliExpress 618 Sale 2026: Is the Discount Real? How to Check Before You Buy

Quick answer: The AliExpress 618 Mid-Year Sale runs June 15–20, 2026. Before buying anything during 618, check the 90-day price history — many sellers inflate their listed prices 2–4 weeks before the event and then apply the discount badge to the inflated number. The free AliShopping Tools Chrome extension shows the full price chart on every AliExpress product page so you can verify each discount is genuine before you buy. Install AliShopping Tools on the Chrome Web Store →

The AliExpress 618 Mid-Year Sale (June 15–20, 2026) is the second-largest sale event of the year on AliExpress — after Singles' Day in November. Named after June 18, the founding date of JD.com (which popularised the event), 618 has grown into a platform-wide discount window that covers most major product categories.

The problem: not every "618 discount" is a real discount.

A common tactic among AliExpress sellers is to inflate the listed price 2–4 weeks before a sale window, then "discount" back to the normal price — making a 0% price change look like a 40% sale. This guide covers how to tell the difference before you buy, which categories are worth the 618 timing, and what to expect from the 618 promo codes.

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618 Sale Dates — 2026

The 618 promo codes are confirmed from the official AliExpress affiliate brief: a global AFMY* series plus dedicated per-country pools, all valid for the June 15–20 window (UK and US follow their own local windows above).

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How to Check If a 618 Discount Is Real

The fastest method: compare the 618 price to the price from 60–90 days ago.

Method 1 — AliShopping Tools (automatic, on every product page)

Install AliShopping Tools and open any AliExpress product page. The extension displays a 90-day price history chart directly on the page — no external tools, no tab-switching.

What to look for:

• ✅ Real discount: Price was $25 for 3 months, now $16 during 618 → genuine 36% off
• ❌ Fake discount: Price was $16 for 3 months, seller raised it to $25 two weeks before 618, now "discounting" back to $16 → 0% real saving

Method 2 — Manual check via AliExpress price history (slower)

1. Copy the product URL
2. Open a price tracking tool in a separate tab
3. Paste the URL and check the historical price graph
4. Compare to the current 618 price

Method 1 is faster because the history appears inline on the product page without leaving AliExpress.

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Which Categories Are Worth Buying During 618

Based on historical 618 patterns, these categories tend to offer the deepest genuine discounts:

Categories with less reliable 618 discounts (price inflation risk):

• Trending viral products — sellers inflate aggressively before 618
• Single-seller items — no competition pressure to discount genuinely
• New listings (< 3 months old) — no price history baseline to verify against

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618 vs. Waiting: When Not to Buy

Sometimes the best move during a sale is to not buy. Skip 618 if:

1. The product has no price history — new listing, can't verify the "before" price
2. The seller opened their store within 60 days — unestablished track record
3. The review count jumped suddenly — often signals fake review injection before a sale event
4. The product is not heavily discounted in prior years — some categories (electronics, branded items) don't actually move on 618

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618 Promo Codes by Country

The 618 codes are confirmed from the official affiliate brief. Most markets without a country pool (plus Japan) use the global AFMY* series; major markets have their own dedicated pools. Select yours for the full tier table, checkout steps, and payment methods:

Install AliShopping Tools to auto-detect the active 618 codes on every AliExpress product page so you always apply the right one for your market.

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How to Spot Fake AliExpress Reviews Before 618

Big sale windows attract fake review inflation. The four fastest signals:

1. All reviews posted in the same 1–2 week window Real reviews accumulate steadily over months. A listing with 200 reviews all from "May 15–30" is a red flag.

2. Photos all shot from identical angles Genuine buyers photograph what matters to them — different angles, different use contexts. Fake review photos are often identical stock images from the seller.

3. Generic text with no product specifics "Great product, fast shipping, 5 stars!" repeated across 50 reviews with no specific details about the item.

4. Review count / star average inconsistent with order volume A product with 3,000 reviews but only 200 orders is mathematically suspicious.

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FAQ

When does the AliExpress 618 sale start in 2026? The 618 Mid-Year Sale main window runs June 15–20, 2026. The UK follows its own window (June 14, 23:00 – June 20, 22:59 local) and the US runs June 15–24.

Are the 618 promo codes confirmed for 2026? Yes. The 618 codes are confirmed from the official AliExpress affiliate brief — a global AFMY* series plus dedicated per-country pools — all valid for the June 15–20 window.

How do I check if a 618 discount is real? Install AliShopping Tools — the extension shows 90-day price history on every AliExpress product page. If the "618 price" matches the price from 2–3 months ago, the discount is not genuine.

Which countries get 618-specific promo codes? The country guides above cover every market. The US (MYUSAFF*), UK (AEUKHS*), Australia (AFFAU*), Canada (AECA*), France (FRTP*), Germany (DETP*), Spain (ESMYS*), Italy (ITTP*), Netherlands (NLTP*), Poland (AEPL*), Ukraine (AEUA*), Korea (dedicated mixed-prefix codes), Mexico (VERANO*), and Brazil (MDA*) each have their own dedicated pool. Sweden and other EU markets (AT, BE, CH, CZ, DK, FI, HU, IE, PT, SE) share the VIOMYS pool. Markets without a country pool — India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria and others — use the global AFMY series. GCC countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar) share the GCC* series.

Can I use a 618 promo code on any product? Most 618 promo codes have a minimum spend threshold and apply to all eligible products. Some codes are category-restricted. Check the code terms before adding to your order. Codes cannot usually be stacked with seller coupons.