Buzz
Price matching is often an overlooked opportunity for immediate discounts while shopping in department stores. These savings can be significant, and since you're already there, why not take advantage? Here's an overview of the price match policies at some of the top retailers.
Walmart
Walmart offers a limited in-store price matching policy, allowing you to request a price match at the checkout only for items that are priced lower on its own websites, such as Walmart.com and Jet.com. If you spot a better deal on Walmart.com or Jet.com while shopping in-store, simply show the associate at the register, either on paper or your mobile phone. Price matching is limited to one per customer, per item, per day, and is unavailable in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. You can find more details on their policy here.
Target
Target provides price matching on identical items that are offered for a lower price on Target.com, certain online competitors (including Amazon and Walmart), and in print ads from other retailers—coupons are excluded. You can request a price match either during the purchase or within 14 days of buying the item. Note that Target stores in Alaska and Hawaii do not match prices from online competitors. More details about their policy can be found here.
Kohl’s
Kohl's will match in-store prices from competitors, as well as pricing from Kohls.com, recognizing that brick-and-mortar stores may have different pricing. However, there is a long list of coupon-excluded items that aren't eligible for price matching, and Kohl’s reserves the right to limit quantities and apply discretion to this policy, though the exact meaning of this discretion is not clear (likely protecting against misuse or errors). Find more about their policy here.
Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond will match prices on identical products within 14 days of purchase from both local and major online retailers, including their own online store. However, they do not match prices on clearance items, closeouts, liquidation sales, pricing errors, or any products marked with terms like 'limited time,' 'limited quantity,' or 'while supplies last.' Purchases made during Black Friday and Cyber Monday are also excluded from price matching. More on their policy here.
Best Buy
A Best Buy customer specialist can match prices from local brick-and-mortar competitors, as well as from products sold and shipped by Amazon.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, HP.com, and TigerDirect.com. However, they won’t match prices for mispriced items, coupons, clearance deals, bundle offers, loyalty program discounts, or anything labeled as 'limited quantity.' The return period for most items is 15 days, though there are some exceptions. More details on their policy here.
JCPenney
JCPenney previously offered a 5% additional discount for price matching, but this appears to have been discontinued after their bankruptcy filing. Still, they maintain a comprehensive price match guarantee for in-store or online prices from any retailer, including Black Friday. Exclusions include online marketplaces and third-party sellers, such as deal websites and auction platforms. JCPenney will match prices on Amazon.com sold directly by Amazon, but not from third-party sellers. More on their policy here.
Home Depot provides a price matching service with local retailers for identical products, as long as the items are in stock. To take advantage, just present an ad, printout, or photo to a Home Depot associate for validation. However, price matching does not apply to third-party discount websites, wholesale prices, or special promotions like Black Friday. For more details, click here.
Home Depot will match prices from local competitors on identical items, provided they are in stock. Bring an ad, printout, or photo to a store associate to confirm the match. Unfortunately, discounts from third-party sites, wholesale pricing, and promotions like Black Friday do not qualify for price matching. For more information, see the policy here.
Lowe’s follows a price matching policy very similar to Home Depot’s: bring a printout or digital version of an ad to a store associate, who will confirm if it qualifies. The competing price must be from the same local market, and there are similar exclusions to those at Home Depot. Additionally, price matching is limited to “reasonable quantities.” For further details, visit here.
Lowe’s price matching policy closely mirrors Home Depot’s: simply bring a printed or digital ad to the store, and an associate will verify the eligibility for a price match. The competitor’s price must be from the same local market, and like Home Depot, there are exclusions. Price matching may also be restricted to “reasonable quantities.” Learn more about their policy here.
Staples provides a price matching guarantee, though specific terms may differ depending on the item and location. Price matching typically applies to local retailers, but certain conditions need to be met. Check with the store for more details about their policy.
Staples is known for having one of the most accommodating price match policies, covering almost everything they sell in-store. They will match prices from Amazon (excluding Marketplace sellers) and other retailers who offer identical products both in physical stores and online under the same brand, as long as the items are purchased within 14 days. In addition to matching prices, Staples will even honor free shipping if it's part of a competitor's offer. However, there are some exceptions, including instant or mail-in rebates, special events by Staples or competitors, Staples EasyTech services, and gift cards. For more details on their policy, check out their official page here.
