Best Buy still has one of the strongest price match programs in U.S. retail — matching Amazon, Walmart, Costco, Apple, and nearly 20 other retailers. But there are real traps: a 15-day window that surprises people, a complete blackout during Black Friday week, and membership tiers that change how long your protection lasts.
These are the questions people type at midnight after bringing home a TV and spotting it cheaper somewhere else. Answered here without the runaround.
Yes — and unlike Target (which eliminated all competitor matching in 2025), Best Buy’s price match program against Amazon remains active. The catch is that it must be sold and shipped by Amazon directly — not by a third-party seller using Amazon’s marketplace. If you look up a laptop on Amazon and the listing says “Sold by BestDeal123” rather than “Sold by Amazon.com,” that price is not eligible. If the listing shows “Sold by Amazon.com” and ships from Amazon directly, you have a legitimate match. Check the seller name carefully before walking into the store — that single detail determines whether the match succeeds or fails.
The most common reason is a third-party seller. Amazon’s marketplace hosts millions of independent sellers, and their prices — often the lowest on the page — do not qualify under Best Buy’s policy. Only the price for an item actually sold and fulfilled by Amazon itself counts. The second most common reason: the item went out of stock at Amazon between when you found the price and when the associate checked it. Best Buy requires the item to be immediately available at the qualifying price at the time of the match request — not just an hour ago. The price you saw at 9 AM may not still be there at 2 PM, and there’s no grace period.
You can request a post-purchase price adjustment, but only within your window — 15 days from the purchase date for standard shoppers, 60 days for My Best Buy Plus and Total members. Bring your receipt to any Best Buy store’s customer service desk, or call 1-888-237-8289 for online purchases. Show the current Walmart price on a live page (not a screenshot — the associate needs to verify it’s still available at that price). The refund goes back to your original payment method. If your 15-day window has already closed, the adjustment is no longer available through Best Buy — consider whether the item is still returnable and repurchasing from Walmart makes financial sense.
Not against competitors. Best Buy’s blackout period runs from the Thursday before Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday — five days during which the standard price match guarantee against other retailers is completely suspended. You cannot bring in a Walmart or Amazon Black Friday price and get a match during that window. However, Best Buy’s own internal price adjustment still applies during the holiday period: if Best Buy itself lowers a price you’ve already paid, you can request the difference within the holiday adjustment window. The practical move for Black Friday: compare prices before you buy, rather than counting on a post-purchase match that won’t be honored.
No. Best Buy’s policy explicitly excludes membership-only pricing — prices that require a paid membership or loyalty program to access. Amazon Prime Day deals are exclusive to Prime members, which makes them ineligible under Best Buy’s matching rules. Best Buy will not match a price you can only see after logging into a Prime account. The same exclusion applies to Costco member-only pricing and Sam’s Club member deals. Regular Costco or Sam’s Club prices visible to the general public may qualify — but any price gated behind a membership fee does not, even if you happen to have that membership.
Best Buy matches prices from approximately 20 retailers including: Amazon (sold by Amazon directly), Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Apple, Dell, HP, B&H Photo Video, Newegg, Crutchfield, Microcenter, Abt, Nebraska Furniture Mart, P.C. Richard, RC Willey, and BrandsMart USA. Best Buy also matches any local retail competitor in your area. For all of them, the price must be publicly visible without a login, sold directly by that retailer (not a third-party), and the item must be immediately available and in stock. The list can change — always verify at BestBuy.com before making a trip.
Partially. If Costco or Sam’s Club lists a price that any member of the general public can see — meaning the price is visible without logging in — it qualifies. What does not qualify is any member-exclusive price that requires signing in to see, or any deal tied to the membership fee itself. In practice, Costco’s website shows most prices to the public even without a membership login, which means those prices are often eligible. Sam’s Club has a similar structure. Always verify the price appears publicly before requesting a match — if an associate can see the same price on their computer without a login, you’re generally good.
Yes, and this is one of the most reliable uses of the program. If BestBuy.com is showing a lower price than the shelf price in the store, any associate can match it on the spot — no trip home required. The same works in reverse: if the in-store price is lower than the online price, you can call 1-888-237-8289 or use live chat on BestBuy.com to request the lower price applied to an online order. This internal match is not subject to the blackout period — it applies year-round, including during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, because it stays within Best Buy’s own pricing ecosystem rather than involving a competitor.
Yes, proof is required. Best Buy associates need to verify the competitor’s price in real time — not from a screenshot you took earlier. At a store, show the current live page on your phone or tablet, with the competitor’s website URL visible in the browser bar, the item clearly shown, and the price displayed. Screenshots are the single most common cause of price match denials because the price shown may have already changed and the associate cannot confirm it’s current. For online requests through chat or phone, provide the full URL of the competitor’s product page — the associate will pull it up themselves. The item must be in stock at that price at the moment of the match request.
Best Buy’s approved competitor list covers the major online retailers and a number of regional chains. All require the item to be sold directly by the retailer — not a marketplace third party — and currently in stock.
- Amazon — must be sold and shipped by Amazon, not a third-party marketplace seller
- Walmart — sold directly by Walmart online or in Walmart stores
- Target — sold directly by Target in-store or on Target.com
- Apple — Apple.com or Apple retail stores
- Dell — Dell.com
- HP — HP.com
- Costco — publicly visible pricing; member-exclusive pricing excluded
- Sam’s Club — publicly visible pricing; member-exclusive pricing excluded
- BJ’s Wholesale Club — publicly visible pricing only
- B&H Photo Video — bhphotovideo.com
- Newegg — sold directly by Newegg, not third-party Newegg Marketplace
- Crutchfield — crutchfield.com
- Microcenter — in-store or Microcenter.com
- Abt — abt.com and Abt Electronics (Illinois)
- Nebraska Furniture Mart — nfm.com and stores
- P.C. Richard & Son — pcrichard.com and stores
- RC Willey — rcwilley.com and stores
- BrandsMart USA — brandsmartusa.com and stores
- Third-party sellers on Amazon, Walmart.com, Newegg, or any marketplace — the seller must be the retailer itself
- Amazon Prime Day / Prime-exclusive deals — membership-gated pricing excluded
- Warehouse clubs’ member-exclusive prices — only publicly visible Costco, Sam’s, BJ’s prices qualify
- eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist — not approved retailers
- Daily deals, flash sales, limited-time hourly offers — excluded by policy
- Prices that require a coupon or promo code to unlock the lower amount
- Gift card with purchase promotions from any retailer
- Mail-in rebate prices — the match is on the actual transaction price, not post-rebate
Every major scenario in one place. Use this to verify whether your situation qualifies before making the trip to the store.
| Situation / Item Type | Qualifies? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon (sold by Amazon.com) | ✅ Yes | Sold & shipped by Amazon only — not marketplace |
| Amazon Prime Day deal | ❌ No | Prime-exclusive pricing excluded — membership gated |
| Amazon third-party seller | ❌ No | Must be sold directly by Amazon.com |
| Walmart (sold by Walmart) | ✅ Yes | Walmart.com or Walmart stores, sold by Walmart |
| Target | ✅ Yes | Sold by Target, in-store or Target.com |
| Apple.com / Apple Stores | ✅ Yes | New, identical model only |
| Costco (public price) | ✅ Yes | Publicly visible price — no membership login required |
| Costco member-only price | ❌ No | Membership-gated — not eligible |
| Sam’s Club (public price) | ✅ Yes | Publicly visible pricing qualifies |
| BJ’s, B&H, Newegg, Crutchfield | ✅ Yes | Sold directly by the retailer; Newegg Marketplace excluded |
| BestBuy.com vs. store (internal) | ✅ Yes | Internal match; works during Black Friday blackout too |
| New, identical item by model & color | ✅ Required | Model number, color, and specs must be identical |
| Item in stock at competitor | ✅ Required | Must be immediately available at match time |
| Post-purchase adjustment (standard) | ✅ 15 days | From purchase date; competitor or Best Buy own price |
| Post-purchase (Plus/Total member) | ✅ 60 days | Extended window for paid membership tiers |
| Black Friday (competitor match) | ❌ No | Thu before Thanksgiving – Cyber Monday blackout |
| Black Friday (Best Buy own price) | ✅ Yes | Internal price drop still adjustable in holiday window |
| Clearance items | ❌ No | Clearance excluded at both Best Buy and competitors |
| Open-box or refurbished items | ❌ No | Must be new condition at both retailers |
| Bundle deals or “free with purchase” | ❌ No | Bundle pricing and promotional add-ons excluded |
| Coupon or promo code prices | ❌ No | Price must be available without a code |
| Gift card with purchase deals | ❌ No | Excluded deal type at all retailers |
| Screenshot as proof | ❌ No | Live page required — associate verifies in real time |
| Pre-orders (price drops before release) | ✅ Yes | Automatic price adjustment for eligible pre-orders |
Three ways to get it done — in person, by phone, or through live chat. All three work; chat leaves the best paper trail if anything goes wrong later.
Bring the item to any register or the customer service counter. Before the transaction closes, show the associate the competitor’s current product page on your phone — with the URL visible in the browser bar, the item clearly shown by model number and color, and the price displayed. The associate will verify the price and availability on their end in real time. The match adjusts the price before you pay. If you’re requesting a post-purchase adjustment within your 15-day (or 60-day Plus/Total) window, bring your receipt along with the current competitor price shown live on your device.
Use the chat function on BestBuy.com to request a price match on any online order or to submit a post-purchase adjustment. Paste the full URL of the competitor’s product page into the chat — the agent pulls it up themselves to verify the current price and stock status. Chat is the recommended channel for one specific reason: the transcript is timestamped, tied to a named agent, and saved to your account. If the refund fails to process or the match is later disputed, you have written documentation of exactly what was approved and when. A phone call leaves no trail; chat leaves a record.
Call 1-888-BEST BUY (1-888-237-8289) for online order price match requests or post-purchase adjustments. Have your order number and the competitor’s URL ready before you dial — the representative will verify the price live. Standard phone hours are 8 AM to 9 PM Central Time. Phone works fine but ask the representative to confirm the match via email — this is the workaround for the lack of a chat transcript. Most representatives will send an email confirmation of an approved match if you request it directly.
This is where most people get burned. Understanding exactly what the blackout covers — and what it doesn’t — can save you from a wasted trip or a failed negotiation during the busiest shopping week of the year.
From the Thursday before Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday — typically five days — Best Buy’s competitor price matching is completely suspended. This means no Amazon match, no Walmart match, no Target match, no local competitor match. The blackout exists because holiday pricing changes hour to hour and Best Buy cannot sustain real-time competitor matching across the thousands of price changes that happen during that week. Walking in with a Best Buy ad or a competitor’s Black Friday price during this window will result in a denial, and there is no manager override — it’s a system-level policy. Plan your purchases before Thursday or wait until after Cyber Monday.
Best Buy’s internal pricing — comparing BestBuy.com against the in-store price — is not subject to the blackout period. If you’re standing in the store and BestBuy.com is showing a lower price on an item, that internal match works year-round, including Thanksgiving weekend. Additionally, if Best Buy lowers its own price on an item you’ve already purchased, the holiday price adjustment window applies — you can request the Best Buy price difference within the holiday window even during the competitor blackout period.
The most effective approach during the blackout window: do your comparison shopping before Thursday arrives. Check Amazon, Walmart, and Costco prices on the specific items you want during the week leading up to Thanksgiving. If Best Buy’s Black Friday price is already competitive with what you find elsewhere, buy directly at Best Buy’s sale price — no match needed. If a competitor will be significantly cheaper, buy from that competitor directly rather than planning to match it at Best Buy afterward. The time to compare is before the sale, not after it, during the one week of the year when Best Buy won’t match anyone.
Best Buy’s membership tiers dramatically affect how long you can request a price adjustment after purchase. The difference between a standard shopper and a Plus or Total member isn’t a small perk — it’s 45 extra days of protection.
The math depends on how often you buy electronics. If you spend more than a few hundred dollars at Best Buy in a given year, the extended 60-day price adjustment window alone can pay for the membership if even one item drops significantly in price within 60 days of purchase. Electronics — especially TVs, laptops, and gaming equipment — frequently see price drops within the first 60 days of release or after a competitor sale. A shopper who buys a $1,200 laptop and catches a $150 price drop within the 60-day window saves more on that single transaction than a year’s membership cost. The 60-day window is not just a perk — for anyone making high-value electronics purchases, it’s meaningful price protection that a standard 15-day window simply doesn’t provide. Verify current membership pricing at BestBuy.com, as costs are subject to change.
Best Buy’s holiday policy works differently from the standard year-round program. Understanding the exact mechanics prevents missed refunds and a lot of frustration in January.
For purchases made between October 31 and December 31, Best Buy extends the price adjustment window through January 15 of the following year. This means a TV you buy on November 5 can receive a Best Buy price adjustment through January 15 — even if that’s 70+ days later — as long as Best Buy itself drops the price during that period. The extension applies to Best Buy’s own pricing, not competitor matching: competitor price matching still follows the standard 15-day (or 60-day Plus/Total) window, and the competitor blackout still applies during Thanksgiving week. This is pure internal protection against Best Buy’s own price drops across the holiday shopping period.
Keep every Best Buy receipt from October 31 through December 31 in one place — a folder, a phone photo album, or by checking in to your Best Buy account online where purchases are logged automatically. After Black Friday and Cyber Monday, check the current Best Buy prices on your recent purchases — Best Buy commonly marks down items that were full price in early November. If you see a drop, visit Guest Services, call 1-888-237-8289, or use BestBuy.com chat before January 15. The people who benefit most from this program are those who do their holiday shopping early and then check back after major sale events — exactly when Best Buy is most likely to have reduced prices on items purchased earlier in the season.
Before escalating, check three things: First, look at the seller name on the Amazon listing — if it’s anyone other than “Amazon.com,” the price doesn’t qualify regardless of how low it is. Second, verify the item is still in stock at Amazon at that exact price right now, not what it was when you first checked it. Third, confirm the model number and color are identical — “similar” is not enough; the model string must be a character-for-character match. If all three check out and Best Buy is still refusing, calmly ask the associate to pull up Best Buy’s price match policy page on the register screen and point to the specific exclusion being applied. Most valid denials are actually valid — but if the associate is applying an exclusion that doesn’t apply, the policy document is the fastest resolution tool.
If Amazon has it at a lower price and the listing shows “Sold by Amazon.com” with immediate availability, your price match is straightforward. Pull up the Amazon product page on your phone before you get to the register, confirm the model number and color match exactly, and tell the associate at checkout that you’d like to price match before the transaction processes. They’ll verify it live and adjust the price. One practical tip: check the Amazon price right before walking up to the register — prices on electronics shift frequently, and confirming it’s still at the same price you saw earlier takes thirty seconds and protects you from a denial based on a price change that happened in the interim.
For Best Buy’s own price drop: use the live chat on BestBuy.com or call 1-888-237-8289 with your order number. For a competitor’s price drop on the same item: you have 15 days from your order delivery date (or 60 days with Plus/Total membership) to request a match against that competitor’s current price. Provide the competitor URL through chat — the agent verifies it live. Request email confirmation of any approved match so you have documentation if the credit doesn’t appear within the expected timeframe. If you’re outside your 15-day window and the competitor’s price is significantly lower, compare whether returning the item and repurchasing from the competitor saves enough to justify the process.
Competitor price matching is off the table Thursday through Cyber Monday — no exceptions. What you can do: check whether BestBuy.com is showing a different (lower) price than the shelf tag, because internal Best Buy matching works during the blackout. If you buy during the sale and Best Buy drops its own price further before January 15, you can request the adjustment after the holiday blackout lifts. The most reliable approach this week: use a comparison tool before entering the store. If Best Buy’s Black Friday price is already at or below what Amazon and Walmart are showing, buy it. If it’s not competitive, skip the trip — you cannot match your way to a better deal this week.
The honest answer depends on one question: do you buy electronics at Best Buy more than once or twice a year? If yes, the extended 60-day price adjustment window on Plus or Total membership has real value — especially for televisions, computers, and medical alert devices or hearing aids that Best Buy carries. Electronics prices move significantly within the first two months of purchase, and a 60-day window catches drops a 15-day window doesn’t. If you shop Best Buy rarely, the free My Best Buy tier gives you the standard 15-day window and free shipping over $35 with no cost at all. One meaningful price drop on a single large purchase can offset a year’s membership cost — but only if you remember to check and submit within the window. Set a phone reminder or calendar note when you buy anything at Best Buy.
It matters, and the sequence matters more than most people realize. Before buying, note the exact model number — every character — and check the identical model across Amazon, Walmart, Costco, and BestBuy.com. If Amazon (sold by Amazon.com directly, not a marketplace seller) is cheaper, Best Buy will match it on the spot. If Costco has it cheaper and the price is publicly visible, Best Buy will match that too. What Best Buy adds beyond the price itself: Geek Squad setup services, in-store returns without shipping, and the option to resolve issues locally if something goes wrong. For a laptop over $800, the in-person support option and 60-day price protection (with a paid membership) may be worth paying parity with Amazon rather than saving $30 by buying online with fewer local resources.
This guide reflects Best Buy’s published price match policy as verified through current sources. Retail policies can change without advance notice — always confirm current policy details at BestBuy.com/PriceMatchGuarantee before making purchasing decisions based on price match eligibility. Membership pricing, return windows, and approved retailer lists are subject to change. This content is entirely original and written independently.