Best Buy price match and price adjustment: get the lower price
How Best Buy price match works in 2026: which competitors count, the price adjustment window, how to request it in store or online, and what to do if denied.
Best Buy price match lets you get the lower price at checkout — or refunded after — if Best Buy's own price drops or a qualifying competitor is selling the identical, in-stock item for less. Ask at any register, on chat, or by phone with the competitor's URL or ad ready. If you've already bought the item and the price drops within the return/exchange window (commonly 15 days, longer for My Best Buy Plus/Total members), request a price adjustment for the difference. See the official Best Buy Price Match Guarantee for the current fine print.
How the Best Buy price match works
The Best Buy price match has two flavors and they're easy to mix up. The first is a match at purchase: if you spot a lower price on a qualifying competitor or on bestbuy.com itself, Best Buy will honor the lower price before you pay. The second is a price adjustment: if the price drops after you buy, you can get the difference refunded as long as you're inside the return/exchange window.
The item has to be identical — same brand, model number, color and configuration — and both retailers must have it in stock and available to ship to your address (or for pickup nearby). Best Buy will not match clearance, open-box, refurbished, marketplace or auction listings, and won't match a price you found on a third-party seller on Amazon, Walmart or Target marketplaces. Employees confirm the competitor price on their own screen, so screenshots aren't strictly required — but bringing the URL saves everyone time.
Which competitors Best Buy actually matches
Best Buy publishes a list of qualifying local retailers and "designated online" competitors. The online list historically includes Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Target.com, Costco.com, HomeDepot.com, Lowes.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, HP.com and Newegg.com, but only when the item is sold and shipped by the retailer itself — not a third-party seller. Local stores can also be matched if they operate a physical location within about 25 miles of your Best Buy.
What doesn't count: memberships-only prices you don't have access to (Sam's Club prices if you're not a member are frequently denied), lightning deals, doorbusters, bundle-only prices, promotional gift-card offers ("$50 gift card with purchase"), financing incentives, and prices that require a coupon code you don't qualify for. If the competitor is out of stock, Best Buy will typically decline — but staff have discretion. Always ask politely; escalate to a supervisor once if the first answer feels wrong.
The price adjustment window and member perks
Best Buy's standard return and exchange window is 15 days for most products, which is also the window you have to request a price adjustment if the price drops. Cell phones and devices on carrier plans are shorter (usually 14 days). Members of paid loyalty programs get longer windows: My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members typically get 60 days for most products, which effectively gives you a 60-day price adjustment window too.
Holiday purchases made in November and December usually have an extended return window into January — the same extension applies to price adjustments, which is why savvy shoppers do their big TV or laptop buys early and keep an eye on prices. If the price drops the day after you bought, don't overthink it: ask.
| Buyer type | Standard products | Cell phones | Holiday extension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-member | 15 days | 14 days | Yes (Nov–Dec buys) |
| My Best Buy Plus | 60 days | 60 days | Yes |
| My Best Buy Total | 60 days | 60 days | Yes |
| Elite Plus (legacy) | 45 days | 45 days | Yes |
How to request a match or adjustment
You can request a price match at any time before checkout, or an adjustment any time inside your window. In store, walk up to any register or customer service desk with the competitor URL or ad pulled up on your phone. Online, use chat on bestbuy.com or call 1-888-BEST-BUY (1-888-237-8289). For a post-purchase adjustment, have your order number and the competitor link ready.
The refund goes back to your original payment method for online orders (2–5 business days for cards, immediate for gift cards). In store, they'll usually credit your card at the register on the spot. If a competitor is running a legitimate sale, screenshot it including the URL and timestamp — sale prices vanish fast and disputes are harder without proof.
- Find the lower price at a qualifying retailer and confirm the item is identical (same model number and configuration).
- Verify it's in stock and sold-and-shipped by the retailer, not a marketplace seller.
- For a new purchase: show the URL at the register, on chat, or on the phone before you pay.
- For an adjustment: locate your order number and note the exact price difference.
- Contact Best Buy (chat, phone or in store) within your return/exchange window and request the adjustment.
- Save the confirmation email or receipt showing the refund amount and expected date.
Common exclusions and denial reasons
Most denials come down to the item not being truly identical or the competitor not being on the approved list. Things Best Buy will not match: Black Friday, Cyber Monday and other doorbuster prices (both from competitors and, in some years, its own earlier sale prices), bundled offers, trade-in credits, marketplace or third-party sellers, refurbished or open-box items, membership-only warehouse pricing, and prices that require financing, a specific credit card or a coupon code you don't qualify for.
Also excluded: contract mobile phone pricing (those are carrier-controlled), pre-orders where the competitor hasn't shipped yet, and clearance prices at either retailer. Software downloads, digital content, services and installations don't qualify. If a Best Buy Marketplace seller has the lower price, that's not a match either — Best Buy only matches its own first-party pricing.
What to do if you're denied
First, ask the associate to double-check the URL live on their screen and confirm the fulfillment ("Sold by Amazon.com"). Many denials are simple mistakes because the associate landed on a marketplace listing. Escalate once to a manager or supervisor — they can approve edge cases and price-match Best Buy's own recent price.
If it's still denied and you believe the policy applies, call 1-888-BEST-BUY and ask for a corporate customer relations rep. Reference the exact policy language on the Price Match Guarantee page. If you paid with a credit card and were promised a match that never came, you can file a billing dispute for the difference under the Fair Credit Billing Act — but do this only after Best Buy has clearly refused a valid request. As a last resort, file with the BBB or your state attorney general's consumer protection office.
Beyond price match: refunds you might already be owed
Price matches are the fastest, most predictable refund you can get from a retailer — but they're not the only money on the table. Retailers and manufacturers regularly settle consumer lawsuits over hidden fees, deceptive pricing, product defects and privacy issues, and payouts often go unclaimed because customers never hear about them. If you've bought electronics in the last few years, it's worth checking the open settlements directory for cases you might qualify for.
For a broader look at how these programs work, read what a class action lawsuit is, how to check if you're part of one, and which settlements pay without proof. You can also see what you're owed in about 30 seconds — Owed matches your purchase history against active settlements and files the claims for you.
Glossary
- Price match
- Getting a lower competitor or in-store price honored at the time of purchase.
- Price adjustment
- A refund of the difference when a price drops after you buy, within the return window.
- Return and exchange window
- The number of days you have to return, exchange or price-adjust an item (commonly 15 days at Best Buy).
- Designated online competitor
- A retailer Best Buy has agreed to match, like Amazon.com or Walmart.com, when the item is sold and shipped by them.
- Marketplace seller
- A third-party seller listed on another retailer's site; these prices don't qualify for Best Buy's match.
- Fair Credit Billing Act
- Federal law that lets you dispute credit-card billing errors and unresolved merchant disputes.
FAQ
Yes — but only when the item is sold and shipped by Amazon.com itself, not by a third-party marketplace seller. Show the associate the 'Sold by Amazon.com' line on the product page.
Usually 15 days for most products, matching the standard return window. My Best Buy Plus and Total members typically get 60 days, and holiday purchases get an extended window into January.
No. Best Buy's policy explicitly excludes doorbuster and limited-quantity holiday deals from both competitors and, in most years, its own earlier promotional prices.
Yes. Use chat on bestbuy.com or call 1-888-BEST-BUY with your order number and the lower price. If approved, the difference is refunded to your original payment method in a few business days.
Generally no, because those are membership-restricted prices not available to the public. Some stores make exceptions if you can show the item is in stock and available at the local warehouse.
Request a price adjustment. As long as you're inside your return/exchange window, they'll refund the difference — you don't need a competitor at all.
This article is based on public information as of Aug 25, 2026; features, prices and deadlines change. Owed is not a law firm and nothing here is legal, tax or financial advice. Corrections →
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