We all want the lowest prices, but not all stores are created equal. To save as much cash as you can, take a look at this big list of your favorite stores’ price-matching policies and plan your shopping accordingly. Just remember, policies can change, so always check the websites to be sure you have the latest information.
Walmart
Walmart no longer accepts price matching from competitors. However, if you are in store and find a lower advertised price on the identical product at Walmart’s online website, then discount department store giant will match the price at the register.
Target
Target is somewhat specific about which retailers’ prices it will match. If you find an identical item for less in the store’s current or following week’s Target circular or within seven days at Target.com, Amazon.com, Walmart.com, BestBuy.com, or in a local competitors current ad, Target will match the price. You’ll have to go to the guest services desk for the adjustment, and unlike Walmart, Target requires proof of the lower price.
The Home Depot
If you find a lower price on an identical, in-stock item from any local retailer, The Home Dept will not only match it but beat it by 10%. There are a few exclusions — like special orders, bid pricing, volume discounts, and more — but it’s certainly one of the more generous price-matching policies out there.
Lowes
Not to be outdone by The Home Depot, Lowes has a similar price-matching policy: The same 10% off discount applies, and if a competitor is offering a percent-off discount, Lowes will match the final net price of the competitor. A few exclusions apply, including discontinued clearance, liquidation, and damaged items.
Best Buy
Best Buy says it will price match all local retail competitors, including their online prices, and it will price match products shipped from and sold by Amazon.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, HP.com, Newegg.com, and TigerDirect.com. BestBuy will also match in-store prices to those that are on BestBuy.com, so be sure to check the website on your in-store purchases before checkout. If the electronics retailer lowers its price during the return and exchange period, it will match the lower price upon request. It’s important to note, however, that Best Buy will not price-match items for sale Thanksgiving Day through the Monday after Thanksgiving, whether offered by Best Buy or a competitor.
Nordstrom
Nordstrom will match items — same color, same size — that are available at similar retailers, but it sounds like that may apply only to online orders because the policy provides a number to call to place the order. Otherwise, the department store will make sales adjustments within two weeks of a purchased item, but designer goods originally purchased on sale are usually excluded.
Advance Auto Parts
Like most retailers’ price-matching policies, Advance Auto Parts requires that the items in question be identical — size, weight, color, quantity, part and manufacturer number, and warranty. If the advertised price appears in a print ad, the ad is required at the time of the adjustment. If it’s an online price, the customer much show their mobile device or a printout from the qualifying competitor’s website. The sale price must be valid on the day of the price-match request.
Staples
Staples will match prices at its brick-and-mortars and its website on identical items, and it will price match prices at select competitors, including Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Quill, Medical Arts Press, Reliable, Sam’s Club, Walmart, WB Mason, and Xerox. For wireless phones and other items with a service — a biggie at holiday time — only in-store purchases will qualify for a price match.
Dick’s Sporting Goods
This sporting goods behemoth will match identical items priced lower at a local retailer store when you bring in the opposing retailer’s ad at the time of purchase. Price matching excludes competitor’s rebates, coupons, bonus offers, clearance, limited-quantity or out-of-stock items, prices advertised as only a percent off or dollar off, or another retailer’s pricing error.
Sports Authority
Sports Authority will price match identical items at the time of purchase when the opposing advertisement with valid dates is presented. If online items are in question, customers should present their mobile device or a printout from the competitor’s website.
PetSmart
PetSmart will match the prices of its competitors’ retail stores on identical products in stock at its brick-and-mortars with proof of the lower price;online and catalogs are excluded from the policy. Price matching excludes items advertised as clearance, liquidation, or other special events, like Black Friday. Price-matching also is not available on pets, because that’s just weird.
Photo Credit: public domain
Many thanks for sharing!
I thought Walmart did away with price matching. Maybe it’s a regional thing now?
You are correct, Belinda. Thank you.
The only price matching they do now is match Walmart in-store prices vs. the Walmart online price.
The text has been updated to reflect that. I will also be firing, Mikey. Just kidding! 😉
I beat Lowes like a drum once on cattle panels. (54″ x 16′ heavy wire ‘sheets’ used for cattle corral). I need a bunch of them for my garden, we attach them to metal T posts to let things like peas/bean have something to climb, and re-use them year after year.
Lowes everyday price was something ridiculous like $28 when you could buy them a mile down the road at Tractor Supply every day for $19. TS put them on sale one spring for 16.99, so I took the ad to Lowes and they had to sell them to me for 15.29 with their 10% less policy.
They were kinda mad, (especially when I said “gimme 25 of them”…ahahaaaa) but as I pointed out to them, I was doing them a favor taking them off their hands…..BECAUSE NOBODY was buying them anyway at 28 bucks when a mile down the road they were 9 bucks less.
Wow … that is quite a difference, Andy — great catch. You’d think Lowe’s price surveyors who would have caught that. (At least I assume they use price surveyors. When I worked at a supermarket many moons ago, we had an office admin whose job it was to visit competing markets down the street every month and survey select items.
My credit card account at Capital One always tells me they can beat the Amazon price on most items. If I download an app. We are looking for 800 thread Queen sheets and pillow cases. Amazon beats everyone so far. Is it worth it to download the app?
What do you have to lose, Chuck? If the app doesn’t prove to be as good as advertised, then get rid of it.