The best ways to save at Best Buy
Best Buy's open-box pricing, aggressive price matching, and member perks make electronics far cheaper than the sticker.
- Open-box units are graded by condition, discounted, and keep the full manufacturer warranty.
- Best Buy price matches major competitors and its own online price, even during launches.
- My Best Buy membership tiers add member pricing, extended returns, and free shipping.
- Certified refurbished and the outlet clear near-new units at steeper discounts.
- Time tech buys to launch cycles — last-gen models drop hard when a new one ships.
Buy open-box
Best Buy grades open-box items on a clear scale — Excellent, Excellent-Certified, Satisfactory — and discounts them while keeping the original manufacturer warranty and return window. An 'Excellent' unit has usually just been opened or briefly displayed.
For TVs, laptops, headphones, and appliances, an Excellent open-box unit is typically indistinguishable from new at a real saving. Inventory is location-specific, so check nearby stores online before assuming a model isn't available open-box.
Use the price match
Best Buy matches the current price of major competitors and its own online price, including during product launches when many retailers freeze matching. Bring a lower advertised price to any register or live chat and they'll adjust it on the spot.
It also honors a price match if an item drops at Best Buy within the return window — buy now, and claim the difference later if it falls. Grab a verified Best Buy code first and see our price-matching guide.
Shop refurbished and outlet
Beyond open-box, Best Buy sells certified refurbished electronics that have been tested and restored, and runs outlet locations and an online outlet for clearance, floor models, and heavily discounted appliances.
These carry steeper discounts than open-box for shoppers who don't need factory-sealed packaging — see our refurbished buying guide for how to check the warranty and condition grade first.
Weigh My Best Buy membership
Best Buy's paid membership tiers add member-exclusive pricing, extended return and exchange windows, free shipping with no minimum, and free two-year protection or installation on some purchases.
For anyone making a single large tech purchase — a TV, laptop, or appliance — the longer return window and member price can pay for the fee in one trip. Skip it if you buy electronics only occasionally.
Time the launch cycles
Electronics follow predictable release cycles, and last-generation models drop sharply the moment a successor ships. If you don't need the newest chip or panel, buying the outgoing flagship right after a launch is often the best value in the store.
For seasonal lows, TVs bottom out around the Super Bowl and Black Friday, and laptops around back-to-school and the holidays — our electronics timing guide maps the calendar.