Price Matching Can Save You Hundreds: Here’s What Stores Offer It
It’s disheartening to buy something one week and see the same item priced for considerably less money at another store a week later. Depending on where you made your purchase, however, you might not be out a dime.
See: 3 Easy Tips to Turn Your Credit Woes into Wows
Fortunately, there is something called price matching, and many major retailers offer that as a guarantee. Price matching allows you to pay another store’s price at a different retailer if you found the item cheaper somewhere else. In some cases, you might even be able to do so retroactively if you spot a better deal after you buy.
10 Best Price Matching Major Retailers
Here’s a guide to the price-matching policies of some of the biggest retailers so you can be sure to get the best price on everything.
Bed Bath & Beyond
Best Buy
Home Depot
Kohl’s
Lowe’s
Michael’s
Nordstrom
Office Max
Staples
Target
1. Bed Bath & Beyond Price Match
Bed Bath & Beyond price matches direct competitors as long as the items are identical. The policy also applies if the item is sold directly by Amazon.com and not a third party. The store will let you stack a manufacturer’s coupon on top of a price match, too. One warning: Be careful that your coupon is not from a retailer or brand that also has retail stores. It will not be considered a manufacturer’s coupon in that case.
Bed Bath & Beyond will not match pricing on items that competitors are selling in the following ways:
Clearance, closeout or liquidation
Limited Time Sales
While Supplies Last Sales
2. Best Buy Price Match
Best Buy lives up to its name by price matching with all local competitors, as well as these online sites: Amazon.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, HP.com and TigerDirect.com. Best Buy also will match its own online and in-store prices, if the two are different, and will refund the difference during the return and exchange period, which is one of the many ways to save money at the store.
Best Buy does not price match for these items:
Free items
Mispriced items
Coupon and clearance offers
Bundle deals
Those advertised as limited quantity, Black Friday pricing or special daily or hourly sales
Open-box or refurbished goods
3. Home Depot Price Match
Home Depot will match prices at local retail competitors on identical and in-stock items. For your price match, bring in the ad or a photo of the deal. That doesn’t include seasonal or clearance items, custom orders, volume or wholesale discount pricing, professional services such as labor or installation costs, or items sold via a third-party or discount site.
Additionally, don’t expect a price match on open-box merchandise or any item that has been reconditioned, refurbished or previously discounted.
4. Kohl’s Price Match
Kohl’s matches in-store competitor pricing, so you could save money on clothes and many other items. Bring in the competitor’s ad with the current date on it, item information and sale price. Online pricing does not qualify for this offer.
The price match does not apply during the week of Thanksgiving or the week after.
The retailer also gives you Kohl’s Cash and Yes2You Rewards on price-matched products. You can redeem them when price-matching, too, but coupons won’t apply.
5. Lowe’s Price Match
Lowe’s offers price matching for an in-stock, identical item sold from a local or online retailer. Simply present a Lowe’s employee with the ad showing the lower price when you visit your local store, or you can receive a price match on an online order by calling 877-465-6937 and talking to a customer care associate.
There are certain restrictions that apply. Customers cannot price match for the following items.
Installation or labor
Closeout sales
Special orders
Clearance items
Discontinued or damaged items
6. Michaels Price Match
Michaels will not only match a competitor’s price, but it will also beat it by 10% — as long as you bring the ad, photo or printout to the store with you when you make your purchase or within the next seven days.
That deal applies to any brick-and-mortar retailer, and it also extends to a select list of online sellers, which includes Amazon.com, Walmart.com and Target.com. The price match does not extend to professional services or custom order products, such as framing.
7. Nordstrom Price Match
Nordstrom will match the price of a “selected competitor” on an item, provided it’s the identical color and size as one offered at a Nordstrom location. Additionally, if an item is reduced in price, you can get an adjusted sale price for it, as long as it’s within 14 days of your original purchase.
Exclusions for price adjustments include items Nordstrom offers during the following sales.
Limited-Time Sale
Extra Savings
Anniversary Sale
Daily Deals or Beauty Daily Deals promotions
8. OfficeMax Price Match
The home office and business supply stores, along with their counterpart Office Depot, match pricing on identical items sold by competitors including Amazon.com, but not third-party sellers.
To receive your price match, bring in a printed ad, receipt, proof of in-store signage or online offer on a mobile device. Purchases made within 14 days also qualify for this offer.
Don’t expect a price match on items marked as the following.
Closeout, clearance or liquidation sales
Black Friday and other holiday sales
Special orders or gift card offers
9. Staples Price Match
Staples will price match virtually any of its products — as long as the items are identical. The office retailer will honor most competitors’ prices, including online sellers, such as Amazon.com. The items must be both sold and shipped by the competitor, however. In other words, no third-party sellers qualify. It is also one match, per customer, per item.
You can request a price match when you buy an item. If you discover a lower price within 14 days of your purchase, Staples will refund the difference. Staples doesn’t price match the following items.
Instant rebates, mail-in rebates or similar discounts
Competitors’ special events and timed sales
Staples tech services
Gift cards
10. Target Price Match
Target will price match most items in its stores if you bring proof of the lower price and the item is identical. Retroactive price matching is available for purchases made within 14 days. If you buy an item on Target.com and find a cheaper price for the same item elsewhere, you can get an in-store price match within the same number of days.
Target limits the online competitors it includes in its price-match policy to the following online sites.
Amazon.com
Best Buy
Bed Bath & Beyond
Staples
Final Take
The fear of missing out on a good deal is a real sensation, but you no longer have to sit on products you paid too much for — as long as you bought them from a retailer with a price match guarantee.
FAQ
Here are the answers to some common questions about price matching.
Does Target price match with anyone?
Yes, but Target limits the online competitors it includes in its price-match policy. Online sites you can use for price matching at Target include Amazon.com, Walmart, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond and Staples.
Does Walmart still do price match in 2023?
Walmart brick-and-mortar locations only price match with items from Walmart.com. Walmart.com, however, will price match with many online competitors, such as:
– Amazon.com
– Babiesrus.com
– Bedbathandbeyond.com
– Bestbuy.com
– Dickssportinggoods.com
– Dollargeneral.com
– Familydollar.com
– Homedepot.com
– Jcpenny.com
– Kmart.com
– Kohls.com
– Lowes.com
– Michaels.com
– Staples.com
– Target.com
– Walgreens.com
Does Target do price match with Walmart?
Yes, Target offers price matching with Walmart.com.
Terence Loose contributed to the reporting for this article.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Price Matching Can Save You Hundreds: Here’s What Stores Offer It
