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.