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Understanding Price-Matching Policies of Major Retailers

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Nothing is more frustrating than buying a new pair of headphones, an OLED TV, or a laptop only to discover that you could have purchased it for a significantly lower price elsewhere. To keep customers satisfied and discourage them from shopping at competing stores, many retailers offer price-matching policies, which promise to match a lower price found at other retailers. This information is particularly useful during shopping events like Amazon Prime Day, which formally kicks off on July 8th.

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Below are the price-matching policies for various major retailers. It is important to note that all price-matching policies come with specific rules. We have summarized some of these rules, but we recommend visiting the provided links to read the policies in detail. Additionally, most retailers that operate as marketplaces for other sellers, such as Costco and Sam’s Club, typically do not have price-matching policies, and many traditional stores will not match their prices.

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There are always exceptions to the rules. If you find a product available at a lower price elsewhere (or previously offered at the same retailer), it may be worth contacting customer service to inquire about a price match. You have nothing to lose but time, and there’s a chance they may find a loophole or make a special exception.

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Amazon

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Amazon does not offer price matching. Even if you are an Amazon Prime customer, contacting customer support is unlikely to yield a favorable outcome.

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However, Amazon does have a generous return policy, allowing you to return an item purchased from Amazon if it is available for less elsewhere (or at Amazon itself). You can then repurchase the product from the retailer offering the lower price.

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Target

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Target will match the price of identical items purchased from Target, Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and a select group of other competitors if you request it at the time of purchase or within 14 days of your purchase. You must present the original ad or listing, whether digital or printed, along with your receipt. For online purchases, you can call 1-800-591-3869 or chat online via contactus.target.com.

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Be aware that Target’s policy excludes in-store price matches from other Target stores, doorbusters, and competitors’ lightning sales, including those offered by Amazon. It also does not apply to products sold via Target Plus, Target Circle bonuses, marketplace items sold by third-party sellers, clearance items, closeout items, used items, and products that come with or were initially bundled with a promotional Target gift card.

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Best Buy

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Best Buy’s Price Match Guarantee states that a product may be eligible for a price reduction if it is new, identical to the competitor’s product, immediately available at a qualifying competitor’s store or on its site, and not shown on Best Buy’s exclusion list. This includes items for sale from the Thursday before Thanksgiving Day through the Monday after Thanksgiving. Best Buy also does not price match discounts available only through a competing retailer’s membership or loyalty rewards program, which excludes member-only events like Amazon Prime Day.

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To receive the price difference, you must contact Best Buy via its on-site chat and provide evidence of the lower price. Alternatively, you can call 1-888-237-8289 or visit any Best Buy or Pacific Sales store.

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Best Buy will also, upon request, match an in-store or online price that was lowered during the return and exchange period, which typically lasts up to 15 days.

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Walmart

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Walmart does not price match the prices of its competitors. However, Walmart’s online store offers price matching on items purchased from Walmart stores if the item is in stock at Walmart.com.

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This policy does not apply to residents of Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico. Additionally, it does not apply to special event prices, such as those during Black Friday. Walmart also does not retroactively price match items bought from Walmart.com that have dropped in price after the time of purchase. Furthermore, the retailer does not price match items purchased from Walmart Marketplace retailers or third-party sellers.

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Apple

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While we’ve seen some claims that Apple will price match up to 10 percent for products bought at certain major retailers, there is no official policy on the company’s website.

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Apple states that if it reduces the price of an Apple-branded product within 14 days of when you receive your item, you can visit an Apple Store or contact the Apple Contact Center at 1-800-MY-APPLE to request a refund or credit for the price difference. However, this does not apply to special sales like Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

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B&H

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B&H states that it might be able to honor a current lower price or match the price of a competitor, but it does so on a case-by-case basis. You must contact its customer service team using the on-site chat, email, or by calling 1-800-606-6969 / 1-212-444-6615. If approved, B&H Photo will price match one identical item per customer.

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Costco

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Costco does not price match with competitors. However, according to its website, it will issue a credit for the difference between the price a member has paid and a promotional price if you bought the item online at Costco and requested the credit up to 30 days before the price change. If you purchased the product from a Costco warehouse location, visit the membership counter at the store where you made the purchase. Costco does not price match items bought from Costco warehouses with Costco.com purchases.

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Dell

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Dell will price match identical products from Dell, Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, HP, Apple, Lenovo, and several other retailers. You can call 1-877-275-3355 or chat online to run a price check, but you’ll need to provide a link to the competitor’s product.

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You can also contact the company about a price difference within 30 days of purchase. However, there is a long list of restrictions, and none of this is available between Thanksgiving Day and the Monday following Thanksgiving (or on Green Monday). Dell also does not match membership-only pricing or exclusive discounts available during Prime Big Deal Days or Best Buy’s Member Deals Days.

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eBay

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eBay does not offer price matching on purchases made during the week of Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, but it does provide a generous price guarantee on select items outside that window. If you buy an item marked with the “Best Price Guarantee” badge — or one featured in eBay Deals — and find a lower price from an approved competitor within 48 hours, eBay will give you 110 percent of the price difference in the form of a coupon. This means you’ll receive a coupon worth the full difference plus an extra 10 percent, which you can use toward your next eBay purchase.

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The products must be new, unopened, and identical to the competitor’s item. You must contact eBay Customer Service, and if they verify your claims are legitimate, you will receive the coupon to use toward your next eBay purchase.

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GameStop

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GameStop does not mention an official price-matching policy on its website. However, in 2022, GameStop tweeted that the store will

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