Price-Match Policies: Which Retailers Make the Grade

If you’re not doing your homework and looking for the best price then you’re losing out big time as many large retailers will not only price match, but some will even beat a competitor’s price by up to 10%.

Best Advice: As I mentioned before, hands down I think the RedLaser smartphone app is the best way to find the lowest price. Once you know what the best price is then refer to this article to determine what store will match or hopefully beat that price. Also, to maximize your savings, be sure to use the Rather-Be-Shopping.com iPhone app to redeem a coupon directly from your phone.

The main reason to price match is of course to save money, but also convenience. If you’re already in the store you’re not going to want to drive all over town to save a few bucks. So by knowing and using the stores price match policy, you can hopefully get the best prices in one spot. Also, stores like it because it keeps you in their store in the hopes you’re going to buy other items that may not be the best value. But since you’re on my blog you ain’t going to let that happen, right?

Best Buy (Grade: A)

As I have documented previously, the Best Buy price matching policy is one of the better ones around these days. Here is how it breaks down:

• Best Buy will match the lower price of both a local competitor or a major online retailer. Doesn’t matter how small the local competitor is, they will match the price.
• Have either the ad of the competitor with you or know their website url. Just go to the customer service desk at Best Buy and they will either look up the site or call the store in question to verify the lower price. The retailer must be within a 25 mile radius of the Best Buy store.
• Their online price matching policy is what sets them apart. They will match the online price of the following retailers: Amazon.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, HP.com, Newegg.com, and TigerDirect.com. Do your homework first, then go get the best price.
• What about Costco? If you have a Costco (or Sam’s Clucb) within a 25 mile radius of your local Best Buy they will also match their price.
• What about price matching after your purchase? Yes, Best Buy will also match prices post purchase if they lower their price within 15 days of your purchase.

Costco (Grade: Incomplete)

While Costco does not have a price match policy per-say, I do have a couple tricks you should know about:

• Costco 30 day price adjustment policy. Let’s say, for example, you buy a 50 inch HDTV from Costco and within the next 30 days you notice they have dropped the price by $150. Just bring your receipt back in and they’ll show you the money. This happens OFTEN! Keep checking the price when you go in for toilet paper and dog food.
• Workaround after 30 days: Costco won’t like me saying this but if the price of your HDTV drops after the 30 days, you can always return the item and re-buy it at the lower price. Remember that you have a 90 days return policy on electronics at Costco.

Home Depot (Grade: B)

Home Depot is famous for their 10% price match guarantee. Before you try to get a screaming deal on that table saw you have been dreaming of, here is the nitty gritty to be aware of.

• If you find a local competitor beats the Home Depot price, you are eligible to get the product for 10% lower than the competitor’s price.
• Exclusions: Special orders, bid pricing, volume discounts, open-box merchandise, labor and installation, sales tax, rebate and free offers, typographical errors and online purchases.
• From a Consumerist article, a Home Depot employee tells us that store associates are able to discount an item by up to $50 without contacting a store manager. He also says that he’ll drop the price if the customer says he has seen it lower elsewhere, even without any visual proof. This is a strategy worth pursuing, especially when starting your next home improvement project.
• Does Home Depot price match online pricing? No, as of October 2013 they do not.

JCPenney (Grade: B-)

The price match policy at JCPenney is worth mentioning as well.

• Find a better price on an identical item from a retailer in your local area? Just bring in their ad and get the same price.
• The list of exclusions is very reasonable: Sephora, Salon, Optical, Portrait or Custom Decorating.
• Do they match online pricing as well? Heck NO. Bummer.

Kohl’s (Grade: C-)

Kohl’s also has a fairly decent price match policy. NOT! Here is how it attempts to work:

• Bring in a copy of the competitor’s ad (with the current date on it) to your nearest Kohl’s store and they’ll give you the lower price.
• Here is my beef with this policy. How many ads have the date stamped on them? Also, what if you see the lower price in another store and not on an ad? Can I take a picture of the price and bring that in? They don’t say.
• Bottom-line: Kohl’s really needs to revamp their price match policy as it was clearly written in 1962 when they were founded.
• Does Kohl’s match online pricing as well? Nope. Hence the C- grade, well, along with the other part.

Lowe’s (Grade: B)

Similar to the folks who wear orange aprons, Lowe’s also has a 10% “price beat” guarantee. Here are the nuts and bolts:

• Just find a better price at a local competitor and they’ll beat it by 10%.
• If a local store is offering a particular product at a clearance price, Lowe’s will match that price immediately.
• Exclusions include: installation labor, special order, discontinued, clearance, liquidation or damaged items. Limited to reasonable quantities so you can’t price match 24 cordless drills apparently.
• They also have something called ‘Price Protection’ which guarantees you the lowest price when shopping online and using the in-store pickup method. For instance, if your local Lowe’s store has an item cheaper than the Lowe’s website then that is the price you’ll get.

Office Depot (Grade: A-)

Office Depot also has an excellent price matching policy which includes online pricing. Here are the details:

• Just show them the lower price from a competitor on the same exact product and you’re golden. Also, if you go home and then find a better price, just bring your receipt back within 14 days and cha-ching, they’ll show you the money.
• Also, they have an excellent online price match policy. From their website, here are the online stores they will price match: “Staples.com, OfficeMax.com, BestBuy.com, Reliable.com, Quill.com, Sears.com, Target.com, KMart.com, Costco.com, or SamsClub.com or their corresponding printed catalog.”
• Exclusions are fairly standard and include print services, delivery costs, clearance and liquidation products, and special orders.

Calling All Students: 50+ Places Where Students Get a Sweet Student Discount

Last week, I wrote about all of the best Teacher Discounts I could dig-up, so I figured it only made sense to do the same thing with student discounts. I can remember being in college, living off top ramen and Jägermeister, and looking for every discount I could possibly find. My favorite was at our local Subway which offered students 2 foot-long subs for the price of one. I actually once ate both foot-longs in one sitting. Ironically, I also once clogged the dorm toilet. But anyways, here are the best student discounts I could find for savings on food, clothing, books, insurance, and entertainment.

Food/Restaurant Discounts

1. Arby’s: The next time you are craving a Beef ‘n Cheddar at 2am, you can save 10% off your entire meal when you whip out your Student ID.
2. Buffalo Wild Wings: At many BWW locations you can score 10% off your meal. Just ask!
3. Burger King: Who knew The King handed out deals to students? Not I. But yes indeed, you can use your Student ID to get 10% off your next meal.
4. Chick-fil-A: Thirsty? Use your Student ID to get a free drink when you buy anything at Chick-fil-A.
5. Chipotle: The next time you get a burrito the size of a log, use your Student ID to score a free soft drink.
6. Dairy Queen: From Consumer Reports, “High school and college students are eligible to receive a discount card or a “Student Meal Deal” at participating locations. The amount of the discount depends on location.”
7. McDonald’s: At many golden arches locations you can use your ID to get 10% off your purchase.
8. Pizza Hut: Flash your Student ID and get 10-20% off your next pie. Discount depends on location.
9. Subway: At participating Subway locations you can use your Student ID to get 10% off your subs, salads, and snacks.
10. TCBY: Just show them ANY form of student ID and get 15% off your yogurt goodness.
11. Waffle House: Nothing better than a visit to your local Waffle House after the bars close. Next time save 10% off by showing your server your Student ID.

Book & Newspaper Discounts

1. Barnes & Noble: While B&N does not offer a flat discount to students, they do offer deals on textbook rentals with savings up to 50% off. Also, check our site for B&N coupons to save even more money.
2. New York Times: College students can save 50% off the regular rate. Check the College Rate page for all the details.
3. Wall Street Journal: Students can get the amazing rate of $1 a week for the WSJ. Click Herefor all the details.

Clothing Retailer Discounts

1. Ann Taylor: Get 15% off your full-priced order with your Student ID. Details here.
   
2. Banana Republic: Save 15% off your full-priced order with your Student ID. Details here.
3. Charlotte Russe: 10% off your entire purchase with your ID card.
4. Goodwill: Yes, even your local Goodwill will give you 10% off with ID.
5. H&M: Save 15% off your entire in-store purchase with your Student ID.
6. J.Crew: Save a cool 15% off when you present your Student ID at checkout. In-store only.
7. Juicy Couture: Save 15% off your in-store purchase with your ID card.
8. Limited: Save 15% off every purchase made in-store with your ID.
9. ModCloth: The popular online vintage clothing retailer offers a 10% student discount with registration.
10. Sally Beauty Supply: Just register for your beauty school ID and get exclusive savings and coupons.
11. Shoebuy.com: Register via the StudentRate site and get 10% off at Shoebuy.com.
12. Steve Madden: Save 10% off with your Student ID.
13. Toms: Save 10% off with your Student ID at Toms.
14. Urban Outfitters: Save 10% off specific days with your Student ID. Sign-up for their Student Program to be kept in the know.

Know Which Retailers Accept Coupons from Competitors

A couple weeks ago my wife was checking out at our local Michaels store and noticed a lady in front of her whip out a JoAnn coupon from her purse and hand it to the cashier. She was like, “Wow, that’s cool! I didn’t know you could do that.” She came home and told me about her findings, and suggested I write a blog post about what other stores accept coupons from their competition. So…being the amazing (and smart) husband that I am, I did exactly what she told me to do. I spent some time, both online and on the phone, figuring out what other retailers will accept coupons from the competition. Here is what I discovered…

AC Moore

If you’re not familiar with AC Moore, they have over 130 craft stores in the eastern United States. They’ll happily accept coupons from Michaels, JoAnn, and Hobby Lobby. According to ThriftyGirl, “A.C. Moore does NOT accept (competitor) coupons that are off your entire purchase. You can use Michaels coupons, so long as you use it in a separate transaction (1 coupon per transaction, meaning if you have more than one coupon to use then you have to break up your purchase). You can only use 1 Michaels and 1 A.C. Moore (not 2 of each) coupon TOTAL and that they have to be off single items, not entire purchases.”

Bed Bath & Beyond

The Bed Bath & Beyond coupon policy, when it comes to competitor coupons, is pretty liberal. They’ll accept coupons happily if the store where the coupon originated also carries the product you are buying from BB&B. The coupon must not have expired and it is up to individual stores to determine what qualifies as a “local competitor”. Although it has been my experience that they are fairly lenient on this.

Dick’s Sporting Goods

So I couldn’t find much online about the Dick’s Sporting Goods competitor coupon policy so I decided to give my local store a buzz. I told the guy that I had a 20% off Sports Authority coupon (which I actually do) and asked if they’d accept it. He said, “We’ll price match them anyways, but if the item you’re looking to buy is the same price or higher in our store then we’ll accept the 20% off coupon.” So the next time you’re shopping at Dick’s and can’t find a coupon, just pull up theRather-Be-Shopping iPhone app and grab a Sports Authority coupon and use it when checking out.

Golfsmith

Golfsmith joins the ranks of top retailers now accepting coupons from competitors. As part of their low price guarantee they will gladly accept coupons in-store from the following stores: Dick’s Sporting Goods, Edwin Watts, Golf Galaxy, Golf Mart, Golfers Warehouse, PGA Tour Superstore, Roger Dunn, TGW and Van’s.

Home Depot

Home Depot does have a competitor coupon policy in place, but certain locations are more lenient than others. I actually read on this forum that some Home Depot locations will accept a20% off any 1 item coupon from Harbor Freight, even though the 2 retailers do not carry any of the same brands. It is always worth a shot, but often the coupon will have to be from a local store that carries the same exact item you are trying to purchase. Your best bet is to be extremely friendly and polite and speak with someone in a management position when trying to use a Harbor Freight coupon at Home Depot.

JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts

JoAnn’s will take coupons from Michaels, Hancock Fabrics, and Hobby Lobby. They also let you use more than coupon per purchase. So if you have a 40% off any 1 regular-priced item coupon from Michaels, Hancock, and Hobby Lobby, you can use all 3 if you are buying at least 3 items. The one major exclusion is that JoAnn will NOT accept a competitor’s coupon good for an item they don’t carry. For example, you can’t use a Michaels coupon when buying fabric at JoAnn’s since Michaels doesn’t sell fabric.

Lowe’s

If you find that a local competitor has a sales flyer or coupon which would beat the Lowe’s price, just bring in evidence and not only will they match the price, they’ll beat it by 10%. The one major caveat is that the competitor’s price cannot be a clearance or sale price, it must be their “every day” regular price.

Menards

The Menards coupon policy is definitely one worth knowing if you shop there regularly. They’ll happily accept coupons from local competitors. It is up to individual stores to determine what qualifies as a “local store” but it should definitely include Home Depot, Menards, Lowe’s, and Ace Hardware. The one caveat is that competitor’s coupons will not be accepted on sale or clearance items and the most savings they’ll allow is 10% which is kinda weak.

Michaels

Michaels will happily accept competitor coupons from the following retailers: AC Moore, JoAnn Fabric and Crafts, Ben Franklin, and Hobby Lobby. The cool thing about Michaels is they’ll let you use more than one coupon per transaction. So for example, if you have a Joann coupon good for 40% off any 1 item, you can use it with a Michaels printable coupon good for 25% off your entire purchase. Keep in mind that the item you got for 40% off will be not be eligible for the 25% discount as well.

It is also worth noting that Michaels will not accept competitor coupons good for a flat percentage off your entire order. They won’t take a 25% off your entire order coupon from Ben Franklin but they’ll happily accept a 50% off any 1 item coupon.

Office Depot

Office Depot will honor competitor’s coupons at the local store level according to the their Price Match Policy. In other words, they want to make it really confusing. Although I waded through the boiler plate and discovered they will accept local competitor coupons for exact match products that are not on sale at the competing store. Major retailers whose coupons they will accept include Office Max, Staples, Costco, Best Buy, Kmart, Sears, Target, and Sam’s Club.

Sports Authority

I called my local Sports Authority and asked it they would accept a $10 off $50 coupon from Dick’s Sporting Goods, and they said, “Heck yeah! Any major sporting goods store we will take.” Good to know. So this should also include Big 5 Sporting Goods and Modells.

14 Popular Stores That’ll Price Match Amazon.com

With the Amazon Prime Membership going up from $79 to $99 it has many consumers pondering whether it’s worth the annual cost. If you are on the fence, this article will probably sway you to stay away from the Prime membership and shop elsewhere and get the same price or better. To help you achieve this, below are 14 popular stores that will happily match the price at Amazon.com and in many cases will also ship it to you for free. A few of these do NOT advertise openly that they match Amazon pricing…I had to do a little digging to discover the goods.

Abt Electronics

I could not find any evidence on the Abt Electronics website that they price matched Amazon.com so I fired up a Live Chat session and asked. Here is what I discovered:

• First of all, I found a 32″ Samsung Smart TV on Abt that was $30 bucks more than what Amazon was selling it for.
• My live chat operator, Nick, was a little vague when I asked if they price matched Amazon.com. But I pushed him on it and he said that they do indeed price match Amazon.com as they are considered an authorized dealer.
• Not only would Abt match the price, but they would ship it out to me for FREE. Well done Abt Electronics!

Babies R Us

If you’re shopping for a baby on the way, or one already stealing our hearts, you’ll want to take advantage of the Babies R Us price match policy. Here are the details…

• They will indeed price match Amazon.com pricing, but it needs to be in-store purchases only.
• It must be the identical item, brand, and size.
• You can only price match 2 of the same exact item.
• Does NOT include Amazon.com marketplace pricing.
• In addition to Amazon, they will price match the following websites: Walmart.com, Target.com, BestBuy.com, Sears.com, Kmart.com, buybuyBaby.com, Meijer.com, FredMeyer.com, Diapers.com, BabyDepot.com, and LEGO.com.

Bed Bath & Beyond

The next time you’re shopping at your local Bed Bath & Beyond and doing some price comparison shopping via your smartphone, be sure to check the Amazon.com app first as BB&B will price match Amazon. Here is what you need to know:

• The items must be the exact same model, brand, and make.
• Item cannot be on sale and must be in-stock.
• Just present you smartphone or tablet with the Amazon.com price and an associate will gladly do a price adjustment for you.
• Also, many Bed Bath & Beyond locations will allow you to use their famous “20% off any 1 item” coupon in addition to the Amazon price match. Winning!

Best Buy

Best Buy was one of the first retailers to price match Amazon.com. Here is the skinny…

• The Best Buy price match policy is limited to one price match per identical item, per guest.
• Just talk to a store associate or visit the customer service desk to get your price match request taken care of.
• Again, the best way to match the Amazon.com price is by using your smartphone to do a quick price comparison.
• In addition to Amazon, they will price match the following websites: Apple.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, Frys.com, hhgregg.com, HP.com, HomeDepot.com, Lowes.com, Newegg.com, OfficeDepot.com, OfficeMax.com, Rakuten.com Shopping, Sears.com, Staples.com, Target.com, TigerDirect.com and Walmart.com.
• They will also match prices post purchase if they lower their price within 15 days of your purchase. Always keep your receipt.

What Day to Shop? 12 Insider Tips on Store Markdowns

Have you ever been shopping the clearance rack at your favorite store and wonder when the heck they add new stuff to the rack? Or when do they markdown the stuff that is already on the clearance rack in an effort to get rid of it? Or when do stores put stuff on sale? So many questions, so little answers. Well, until now that is. I went through the painstaking research of figuring out when some of your popular retailers mark stuff down. I hit the streets in search of answers and here is what I found…

Anthropologie

I have it on good authority that Anthropologie typically does their in-store markdowns starting on Monday and wrapping up by Tuesday. This is when they either add items to the clearance section or further reduce stuff already in the clearance section. Shop on Tuesdays and you’ll have the first dibs on newly marked-down merchandise.

Babies R Us

Expecting a baby, or need to buy something for one that has already popped out? Remember this one word….”THURSDAY.” That is the single best day to shop in-store at Babies R Us. Why you ask? Well, I got information from a very credible source that Thursdays are the day when employees have to be finished with their weekly markdowns, making it a great day to shop for a bargain. Make sure you shop with a printable Babies R Us coupon as well to save even more money.

Best Buy

Shopping for electronics, appliances, or maybe a new laptop? Shop on a Wednesday at your localBest Buy as that is the day they typically change pricing based on what competitors are adjusting. Also, I have it on good authority that Sunday is also a solid day to shop at Best Buy in order to take advantage of any errors that might be printed in their Sunday newspaper circular.

CVS Drugstores

Shop early in the week. Like on a Monday or Tuesday if you can. A manager told me that mostCVS stores start their markdown process on Sunday, so shop early in the week and take advantage of the selection and savings.

The Gap

Did you know that if the price ends in .97 it typically will not go any lower at Gap? True, check it out yourself the next time you’re shopping. How about the day Gap tends to mark stuff down? I recently had a current Gap employee tell me they mark things down every two weeks on a Monday. Figure out which Monday and you’ll be good to go.

JCPenney

I just got word from a former JCPenney employee that they do their store markdowns on the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month. She also said that when they do these twice monthly markdowns they put a blue price sticker on the items they are reducing. She said the savings is often up to 75-90% off the original JCP price. Be sure to grab one of our printable JCPenney coupons as most are good for clearance and regular-priced items and really pile on the savings.

Joann Fabrics

According to many loyal Joann shoppers they mark things down on Sundays, making it a great day to shop, especially if you have a Joann printable coupon good for 40% off any one item. A friendly sales associate also had the great advice of shopping on a Monday as the store is typically less crowded and you’ll still practically have first dibs on new markdowns.

Kohl’s

I had a super friendly sales associate tell me all about the markdown schedule at Kohl’s. She told me that while they are constantly marking stuff down, and putting stuff on sale, the best days to shop occur twice a month. They are the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month. She said those 2 days are typically when they mark the most stuff down and mark it down for the biggest saving (percentage-wise). Shop with a Kohl’s coupon in hand and make out like a bandit. News you can use right there!

Talk Your Way to a Deal: How to Negotiate at These Major Retailers

Last December, I was quoted in an article in The New York Times talking about how consumers can negotiate the price at major retailers. No longer is this a practice left for garage sales, car lots, and local “Ma and Pa” shops. If you are a bit nervous about being turned down or looking like a cheap fool, don’t be, as the act of negotiating a better price is becoming much more mainstream as retailers enact price match policies and low price guarantees to turn show-rooming consumers into paying customers. Below are six popular retailers where you should become a price negotiating ninja today.

Home Depot

I use to work in the paint department at the Home Depot. For a little over 1 year I mixed paint and wiped excess paint on my orange apron until it looked like something straight from the Jimi Hendrix Experience. While I worked there I became quite aware of the best ways for shoppers to negotiate a deal at the Home Depot. Here is the skinny…

• Look for imperfect items. The Home Depot is chock full of “scratch & dent” items. From appliances, to doors, to tools, to outdoor garden decor. If you seek out these imperfect items in many cases you can successfully get a 10-15% discount. Simply point out the flaws to an associate who works in that particular department and ask if they can help on the price. I always start be asking for a 20% discount and see where the negotiating takes me. As a dude who use to work at the Home Depot, I am here to tell you that we were encouraged by management to slash the price on imperfect items as we knew we would have trouble selling them at full price. The associate may have to seek management approval on more expensive items but it usually only takes a couple minutes. For shoppers, the time spent is well worth the effort.
• Example from loyal reader Richard, “I needed two low flow toilets to help with the water conservation effort going on in California. I found the toilets I wanted at Home Depot on sale at $149 each. The sticker price said they would each be eligible for a $100 rebate from the city. While inspecting one, I noticed the box it was in had been torn near the slot where you place your hand to pick it up. I asked the employee helping me if he could he give me a $50 discount because of the torn box. Much to my surprise, he told me to tell the person when I check out to “REDUCE THE COST BY $50.” I asked if he would he write me a note and he said “not necessary,” just tell them a supervisor is allowing the discount. The check out process went just as he said it would. This meant that after the rebate, the two toilets cost me $50 plus tax. After getting outside I hurried to the car and got out of there before they changed their mind.” Awesome deal and way to go Richard.
• Look for items incorrectly stocked. Now this one may be a little unethical but I had several customers pull it on me when I worked in the paint department. I once had a guy approach me and say, “Hey, this paint brush over here says it is only $3.99 and that’s the price I want.” I walk over and sure enough a $25 Purdy paint brush had been incorrectly stocked on the shelf. The dude was adamant that $3.99 was the price he should pay. I got the assistant manger involved and we ended up giving him the expensive brush for the really cheap price. This technique is not for everyone, but if you have the brass nuts to pull it off I wish you the best.
• Try to bundle items. The technique of buying a riding lawn mower along with a weed eater, and asking a sales associate if there is the possibility of a discount if you buy both today, is one that you should definitely add to your Home Depot negotiating repertoire. Chance of saving 10% or maybe $50 has a high probability of success.
• Look for floor models, returns, and overstocks. Tile, doors, appliances, mismatched paint, and power tools are just a few of the items that often get returned or special ordered by a customer and never picked up. Store managers typically want them sold immediately so they don’t take up valuable real estate. Use this knowledge to your advantage and negotiate an even better deal on them. These items will typically be marked with a special tag that tells you they are floor models, returned items, or overstocks. Start the negotiating at 20% off the asking price and be prepared to meet in the middle.
• Become a price match pro. By knowing the price match policy at Home Depot it gives you a very easy way to negotiate the price. If you find a competing store in your area which beats the Home Depot price, you are eligible to get the product for 10% lower than the competitor’s price. It is also worth noting that Home Depot does not currently price match online pricing.

Costco Wholesale

Despite what many retail “experts” say, your local Costco can also be a darn good place to negotiate the price. Here is what you need to know to make it happen.

• Look for floor models. Have you ever seen the last of a particular item at Costco? Nothing left but the display floor model, which still works great, comes with the same warranty, but might have a scratch or a couple wear marks on it. Often you’ll find these in the electronics and computers section, as well as the seasonal section, which is typically in the middle of the store towards the front. They want to get rid of these things, and while they might already be marked down, there is still room to negotiate an even better deal. I recently received an email from a faithful reader who was successful negotiating an even lower price on a Blu-ray player at Costco which was the floor model. The Samsung Blu-ray player was already marked down from $89.99 to $74.99 but she asked an associate if they “would take $60 as it had a few scratches on it?” The associate quickly went and asked a floor manager and within a few minutes she was walking out of the store with a really sweet deal. Sometimes all you have to do is ask.
• Always negotiate the price on tires. Tires are usually marked way up and have plenty of wiggle room in terms of price. If you do your homework and find a better price on a set of 4 tires from another retailer, approach a sales person at Costco and politely explain the situation and ask for a possible price adjustment. Remember the old adage that “Discounts vary upon customer attitude” as your attitude will directly impact how much money you can save.

Which Retailers Will Price-Match Online Pricing

The following is the most amazing thing I read today. According to retail analysts, only 5% of consumers will bother getting the price of an item lowered by holding a retailer to their stated price-match policy.

Wow, only 5%! Is it because it takes too much time to bother? Or maybe consumers just aren’t informed? Don’t become another statistic, always get the best possible price. Over the course of a year you can save substantial money by doing so, especially on larger purchases. Here are 6 retailers that are early adopters in terms of price-matching online pricing. For the sake of consumers, and their ability to negotiate the best price, I hope to see other retailers start to do the same, and when they do, they’ll be added to this article.

Best Buy

The online pricing model at Best Buy has gotten a lot of attention recently as savvy consumers try to get the best price possible on consumer electronics. Here is the skinny:

• List of online stores Best Buy will price-match: Amazon.com, Apple.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, Frys.com, hhgregg.com, HP.com, HomeDepot.com, Lowes.com, Newegg.com, OfficeDepot.com, OfficeMax.com, Rakuten.com Shopping, Sears.com, Staples.com, Target.com, TigerDirect.com and Walmart.com.
• They limit it to one online price match, per identical item, per customer.
• When requesting an online price-match visit the Customer Service desk and inform them of the lower price. They will then independently verify the price and say “Yay” or “Nay.”

Target

Target has been price-matching online pricing for a little over a year now. Here is what you need to know:

• Update 10/01/15: Target will now price match the following 29 websites: Amazon, Babies ‘R’ Us, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Buy Buy Baby, Costco, CVS, Diapers.com, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Drugstore.com, GameStop, JCPenney, Kmart, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Newegg, Office Depot, Petco, Petsmart, Sam’s Club, Sears, Sports Authority, Staples, Toys ‘R’ Us, Ulta, Walgreens, Walmart, and Wayfair. Official policy.
• Target also price matches the Target.com website. This happens a lot more than you might think.
• In order to get your price-match you must show a Target associate the retail price on your mobile device or by bringing in a printed page showing the current price.
• They’ll only honor the lower price if the competitor currently has the product in-stock and available for immediate purchase.
• You can only online price-match one identical item per guest.

Staples

While a bit thin, the Staples online price-match policy is still worth mentioning.

• As of this writing, Staples will only online price-match Amazon.com. But since Amazon.com carries millions of products at competitive prices it is definitely worth mentioning.
• It must be the same exact model, currently available for sale at Amazon.com, and Staples will match it.
• Just grab a Staples associate and show them evidence of the lower Amazon price on your smartphone, or by printing out the info, and they’ll get you hooked up with the better price. Pretty obvious by now that you need the Amazon smartphone app to be a real price-match hero.

Fry’s Electronics

Fry’s Electronics apparently has an online price-match policy but is willing to do anything in their power to never let you take advantage of it.

• Fry’s will match an authorized Internet competitor when the product is “ready to ship”. Interestingly, I can’t find any info on what they consider an “authorized Internet competitor” but through my research it appears they’ll price match Amazon.com and perhaps BestBuy.com.
• I found this article very interesting, Fry’s Matches Online Retailer Prices! With A Great Big Catch. It appears that Fry’s is trying to get out of having to price-match online pricing by dropping a shipping charge into the mix. Weak.

Toys R Us and Babies R Us

Happy to see Toys R Us and Babies R Us enter the field last summer of retailers who price-match online pricing. Here is what you need to know:

• Toys R Us and Babies R Us will match the online pricing of the following websites:  Walmart.com, Target.com, BestBuy.com, Sears.com, Kmart.com, buybuyBaby.com, Meijer.com, FredMeyer.com, diapers.com, BabyDepot.com, and Amazon.com.
• They won’t price-match Amazon marketplace pricing.
• Product being price-matched must be the same exact model, color, and size and currently be in-stock at the competitor’s website.
• Price-match is available at time of purchase or up to 7 days after your purchase. So keep an eye out for a better online price even after you bring it home.
• Fine print: Toys R Us will not price match an online competitors price if they advertise the product as clearance, refurbished, an open package special, or a liquidation sale.

Sears

I think I finally got my head wrapped around Sears online price-matching policy. It took awhile…

• First thing you need to know: “Sears will NOT price match internet-only retailers.”
• But if you find a local competitor who also has a website, and honors their own online pricing, and has the exact product available for immediate purchase, then Sears will match that lower price.
• Just print out the order page from the competitor’s website and bring it to your local Sears store.
• You can bring in proof at the time of purchase or for up to 14 days after purchase for a price adjustment.