Price matching: how to make stores beat their own prices
Most big retailers will match a competitor's lower price — or refund you the difference after you buy. Here's exactly how to use both policies.
- Price matching gets you a competitor's lower price at checkout; a price adjustment refunds the difference after you buy.
- Most policies exclude third-party marketplace sellers and limited-time flash deals.
- Screenshot the lower price with the URL and date — that's all most stores need to honor it.
- You can stack a price match with a coupon code where the store allows it.
- Set a reminder to check prices during the adjustment window on big purchases.
Price match vs. price adjustment
These two policies sound alike but work at different moments. A price match happens before or during checkout: you show a store a competitor's lower advertised price and they sell it to you for that amount. A price adjustment happens after you've already bought — if the price drops within a set window (often 14–30 days), the store refunds the difference.
Knowing which one applies saves you the most. Match when you spot a lower price elsewhere; adjust when the item you already own goes on sale.
How to actually claim it
The process is nearly identical everywhere and takes about two minutes:
- Find the lower price on a qualifying competitor (or the same store's website). Screenshot it with the URL and date visible.
- Bring it to a cashier or start a chat for online orders. Reference the store's published policy by name.
- Confirm exclusions don't apply — marketplace sellers, clearance, and doorbusters are the usual disqualifiers.
What's usually excluded
Knowing the common carve-outs saves a wasted trip. Third-party marketplace listings, lightning and flash deals, clearance and open-box prices, bundle and financing offers, and out-of-stock items are the ones stores almost always refuse to match.
The price also generally has to be a current, advertised price for the identical model in stock at the competitor — not a coupon-derived or members-only price. Read the policy's fine print before you ask so the request is one they can actually honor.
Stores with the friendliest policies
Policies change, so always check the current terms, but historically the most reliable matchers include Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. Best Buy is especially aggressive during launch windows for electronics.
Stack a price match with a verified coupon code where allowed — see our stacking guide for the exact order to apply them.
Make it a routine
The adjustment refund is money most shoppers leave behind purely because they forget to check. After a big purchase, set a calendar reminder for a few days out to re-check the price before the adjustment window closes.
For online orders, a price-tracking tool that watches the item does this automatically — the same habit as our price-history guide, applied to money you can still claw back.