Tell me if this sounds familiar:
You’re walking around Target or some other large retail store, and you come across something that catches your eye.
Maybe it’s on sale, maybe it’s just on the right end cap at the right time. Either way, you realize you want - you need - this thing, whatever it is.
But just as you start to put it in your buggy and walk away, a thought hits you.
“I can probably buy this cheaper on Amazon.”
Before you realize it, before that harsh epiphany can even fully make its way through your mind, you’ve dropped the item back on its shelf and you’ve kicked rocks.
It’s a tough spot to be in. You feel brilliant and defeated all at the same time.
Well maybe you’ve never thought about it (or maybe you have) but many large retailers will actually match Amazon’s prices.
All you have to do is pull up the item on Amazon’s app, make sure it’s an identical item that is in stock on Amazon, then casually show it to the cashier as you check out.
No need to sweat over which stores price match Amazon, and no need to study their store policies. We’ve done all the research for you.
Here’s how you can use Amazon’s prices to save money at 8 of the largest retail stores.
Some retailers will match Amazon’s discounted price (after promo codes and discounts are applied), which means you can use deals found on Dealspotr to get the best price on Amazon before having a store match Amazon’s price.
Most of them will also accept manufacturer coupons after the price match, so search Dealspotr for specific brands’ coupons as well.
Each situation is different, but most stores require that you find an item that is:
Sold & shipped by Amazon
Doesn’t include closeout or clearance pricing
Doesn’t require you to be a member to get that specific price
Isn’t sold by a third-party seller
Now, back to our list...
Walmart is notorious for having low prices, but sometimes even they can’t compete with Amazon’s prices.
If you want them to match a discounted price on Amazon, you’ll have to make sure they can see the final price of the product minus shipping and whatnot.
You’ll have to check with your local store to see what their individual policy is regarding price-matching, but most of the time you can simply pull up the identical item on Amazon from your mobile device and show the cashier or customer service representative.
As far as price-matching at Walmart.com goes, according to their website:
“Prior to placing your order, contact Walmart.com Customer Care or call us at 1.800.966.6546. We will verify the item eligibility by reviewing the online retailer, their current price, and by confirming the item is in stock.”
Note: Walmart also has a Savings Catcher program that actually checks local competitor’s prices on items you’ve bought at Walmart to see if anyone has a lower price. If they find a lower price, you get the difference between what you paid and what the lowest price was back on a Walmart gift card.
Target will match Amazon’s prices at the time of purchase or up to 14 days after purchase.
Keep in mind, Target says, “Online competitor matches are limited to items sold and fulfilled by the select competitors...” which means trying to match the price of an Amazon seller’s product that is not fulfilled by Amazon could potentially cause problems.
According to their website:
“Target store price matches and adjustments are completed at the store at Guest Services. For Target.com purchases, call Target.com Guest Services at 1-800-591-3869.”
Do they price match online or in-store? Both. (see above)
Staples’ price match policy is kind of vague.
They say:
“If you find a lower price on a new identical item, just show us the lower price when you buy the item at Staples and we will match the price, or within 14 days of your Staples purchase and we will give you the difference...”
They go on to say that their retail stores will match other “brick-and-mortar” stores’ prices, while Staples.com will match online retailer’s prices.
Nowhere do they say (that I could find) that they won’t match online retailer prices in-store. My hunch is if you pull up Amazon on your phone and show it to the person checking you out, they’ll probably mark the price down just to keep the line moving.
Best Buy will match prices either at the time of purchase or within the return or exchange period (check your receipt or ask an associate in-store). Their site says you can take the competitor’s ad or the web address of the lower-priced item to the Customer Service desk in-store.
Their price match policy says that “coupon offers” are not covered, but it still may be worth a shot.
Toys R Us and Babies R Us will match prices at the time of purchase or within 7 days with a valid receipt. They also say their price match policy does not include coupons or percentage off deals, and that, “Competitor shipping charges will be calculated and factored in the cost of online prices.”
According to their site, all you have to do is show them the price on Amazon (excluding the terms above and the ones on their policy page below) and they’ll match it.
Bed Bath and Beyond says they will match prices on Amazon before or after purchase - although they are slightly vague about how long before or after.
Their site says you can simply show the ad or product to any associate in-store, or you can call 1-800-GO-BEYOND® to show them the lower price.
Their site also states they will accept manufacturer coupons with a price match. See their policy page below for all the details.
Dick’s price match policy is short and sweet. They don’t specifically say - well, much at all - on their website, but I think it’s safe to assume they have a fairly liberal price matching policy.
Their site says to “bring in the retailer’s ad”, so that should mean just pull up the product on your mobile device and show it to a store associate.
They do say, however, that they don’t accept coupons or “prices advertised only as a percent off or dollar off”.
Lowe’s has a pretty sweet price match policy. Not only do they say they’ll match a competitor’s price, but they also say they’ll beat it by 10%.
They go on to say “If a competitor is offering a percent off discount, we’ll match the final net price the competitor is offering.”
You may have to print out the Amazon product you want to match, with the date on it, before going into your local store. I would recommend calling your local Lowe’s store before going in, just to make sure you know what to bring.
Home Depot will also match and beat competitor’s prices by 10%, but they’re fairly ambiguous as to what the terms are. When in doubt, play it safe, stick to the rules that most other retailers go by, don’t compare to 3rd party sellers on Amazon, and you should be good.
Just take your mobile device to the customer service desk or to the register when you checkout, and they should honor the lower price.
Office Depot and Office Max will also match Amazon’s prices at the point of purchase or within 14 days.
They also say, “We will match the Competitors' point-of-sale price after deducting their instant savings/rebates and coupons,” so coupon away.
They do limit you to one price match per guest, so you can’t rack up a bunch of price matches.
Mike is a husband and father of 2 who studies the art of never paying full price for anything.
