Cyber Monday: what it is, when it is in 2026 and how to make the most of it with email marketing

Cyber Monday is the Monday after Black Friday, a day of discounts designed for online shopping. It started in the United States in 2005 and is now one of the biggest days of the year for online sales.

In Spanish, it is called lunes cibernético. Many stores use it to close the weekend of deals that starts with Black Friday.

When is Cyber Monday 2026?

In 2026 it falls on Monday, November 30. It is always the Monday after Thanksgiving, which in the United States is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

CyberMonday in Argentina

In Argentina, CyberMonday is a separate event, organized by the Argentine Chamber of E-commerce (CACE). In 2026 it runs from November 2 to 4, several weeks before the US one.

Other countries have their own online discount dates, such as El Buen Fin in Mexico. You can find them in the retail calendar at the end of this page.

What does Cyber Monday mean and where does it come from?

The term was coined by Ellen Davis and Scott Silverman, of the National Retail Federation (NRF) and its online retail division, Shop.org. It first appeared in a press release in November 2005.

They had noticed that many people shopped online on the Monday after Thanksgiving. They did it from the office, where the connection was faster than at home. “Cyber” refers to all things digital, and “Monday” is the day it takes place.

Cyber Monday in numbers

According to Adobe, online spending in the United States on that Monday hit a record in 2025: $14.25 billion. That beat Black Friday itself, which reached $11.8 billion.

The difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday

How to prepare your emails for Cyber Monday

This Monday comes after a weekend of inboxes full of deals. To stand out:

1. Plan it together with Black Friday. Decide which deals you launch on Friday and which you save for Monday, so you have something new to say.

2. Send a sneak peek on Sunday. A short email announcing Monday’s deals to those who already opened your weekend messages.

3. Launch first thing in the morning. Many purchases are made in the morning and on mobile. Schedule the send early in your audience’s time zone.

4. Segment by behavior. Don’t send the same thing to someone who already bought on Friday as to someone who only opened. Segmentation prevents unsubscribes and increases sales.

5. Remind them it’s ending. One last email in the afternoon with the hours left and the best-selling products.

6. Take care of your deliverability. It is one of the busiest sending weeks of the year: keep your list clean and your domain authenticated with SPF, DKIM and DMARC.

Subject line ideas

“Today only: online-exclusive deals”

“You missed it on Friday. Here’s another chance”

“Final hours: up to 30% off, online only”

Adjust the discounts to your actual offer. In the European Union, the previous price you show must be the lowest of the previous 30 days.

Mistakes to avoid

Repeating Friday’s email. If there’s nothing new, your subscribers have no reason to open it.

Sending too much. Several emails a day in the same week drive up unsubscribes and spam complaints.

Forgetting about mobile. Large buttons, a single column and few heavy images.

Not measuring. Compare Friday’s and Monday’s clicks and sales to plan next year.

How Mailrelay helps you

With Mailrelay, you create your emails with the editor and segment those who opened or bought on Black Friday. You can also schedule each send for the exact time and measure the results of every campaign.

The free account includes up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts, with human support by chat, ticket and phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the most common questions about this date.

When is Cyber Monday 2026?

Monday, November 30, 2026. In Argentina, CACE’s CyberMonday runs from November 2 to 4.

What does Cyber Monday mean in Spanish?

Lunes cibernético. It is the Monday of online discounts that follows Black Friday.

What is the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

Black Friday is on Friday and started in physical stores. Cyber Monday is the following Monday and focuses on online shopping.

Who invented Cyber Monday?

The US National Retail Federation, through its Shop.org division, in 2005.

What emails should you send on Cyber Monday?

A sneak peek on Sunday, the launch first thing on Monday and a last call in the afternoon, segmented by what each subscriber did on Black Friday.

Retail calendar

These are the year’s main retail dates covered in our glossary, in order. Prepare each campaign a few weeks in advance.

Related entries

• Black Friday
• Boxing Day
• Christmas
• Email marketing campaign
• Email subject line
• Segmentation in email marketing
• Personalization in email marketing
• Email promotions
• Landing page
• SMS marketing