Target Price Match Policy: The In’s and Out’s So You Can Save Money
I love shopping at Target. But over the years I’ve been a bit confused on how best to take advantage of the Target price match policy. Does it cover online shopping? Does it work on Black Friday? What stores will they actually match the price? All questions that deserve straight-forward answers. With this in mind, here’s exactly how their policy currently works.
What Exactly is the Their Price Match Policy?
Here are the details of their policy:
– If you find a lower price from a local competitor on an identical item that Target sells, they’ll match that price at the time of purchase or up to 14 days after your purchase.
– Item must be in-stock and identical. Down to the size, color, model number, and brand.
– Target considers a local competitor to be anywhere within a 25 mile radius of your local store.
Next, let’s talk about the easiest way to get your price match.
See Also: 7 Target Clearance Tips: Learn How to Save BIG at Tarzhay
The Best (and Quickest) Way To Score a Price Match
As a dude who ain’t ashamed to admit I’ve gotten a price match at Target on several occasions, here’s EXACTLY how I made it happen.
When you’re shopping in-store, the best way to get your price match is to head to the customer service desk with your smartphone in-hand.
Show them the lower price on your phone and a Target employee will independently verify the lower price from the competitor.
You can show evidence of the lower price on your smartphone or via a print ad of the local competitor.
If you use your smartphone, be sure to have the product page of the competing website up on the screen.
Hack for Success: I would NOT recommend going up to a random Target employee and asking them for a price match.
In many cases, they are not versed in their own policy and will usually redirect you to the customer service desk in the front of the store.
You can also get a price match in the checkout lane, but it will take a little more time and you risk nasty looks from the shoppers behind you.
Any Products Excluded from a Target Price Match?
Yes, there are some important exclusions…
- Clearance, closeout, liquidation sales, damaged, used, open package, refurbished, store-wide or unspecific offers, non-branded items, and prices that only display on a website after you login to it.
- Pricing or typographical errors, limited time or quantity offers, daily deals, and coupon offers.
- Contract mobile phone devices and the associated plans.
- “Marketplace” prices and prices from 3rd party sellers will not be honored.
If you find a pricing error, you can let them know about it, and maybe they’ll give you a discount anyways.
This actually happened to a friend of my wife’s when she tried to get a price match on a baby stroller and it was priced wrong at Walmart.
The Target price was $299, and Walmart had it for the WRONG price of $144.
The folks at Target ended up giving her the stroller for $269 after they called Walmart to get the actual price.
Will a Picture of a Lower Price Work?
No.
Target tells me that they will NOT accept a picture of a lower price tag at a competing store when asking for a price match.
But…it’s been my experience that you CAN use a picture of a price tag as a starting point and then Target can call the store in question or visit their website for further verification.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve had a similar experience and successfully used a picture on your smartphone as visible evidence.
Will Target Match Amazon Pricing?
Yes.
Target will happily price match ANY Amazon.com price as long as the item is sold directly by Amazon and NOT a 3rd party seller.
Update: Thanks to reader Jen for letting me know that Target will not price match Amazon “add-on” items. She even spoke with a manager and they stood firm.
For those who don’t know, add-on items are typically lower priced items that Amazon often considers accessories or complimentary products.
See Also: Target Shopping Hacks: 5 Guaranteed Ways to Save Money
What About a Costco Price Match?
Yes.
Target will price match both Costco and Costco.com.
It’s often hard to find identical items at both retailers, but it can be done.
Thanks to reader Bill for setting his local Target manager straight on this fact when they wouldn’t do a Costco.com price match on a new Apple Watch.
Can You Use a Coupon with a Price Match?
Yes, but only manufacturer coupons.
The coupon will take effect once the price match has been completed.
You cannot use Cartwheel offers, Target Gift Card offers and Target coupons cannot with a price match.
Can You Get a Price Match on Black Friday?
No.
Unfortunately Target does not offer price matches between Thanksgiving Day and the Monday after Thanksgiving, also known as Cyber Monday.
What You Get an Online Target Price Match?
Yes.
Just last year, Target unveiled a handy little list of 27 online retailers that they’ll price match.
If you find a lower price at any of these 27 websites, Target will match that price.
The list includes some big players like Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Costco, Kohl’s, Walgreens, and even NewEgg.
See Also: Target Bullseye’s Corner: Use it to Save Money
BONUS: Price Match Policy “Hacks”…
Like any good price match policy, there are some insider hacks for success.
Target.com Price Match – Many shoppers are not aware that you can also get a price match when shopping from the Target website.
Just find the identical item for less at Target, select online competitors, or in a competitor’s local printed or digital ad and call Target.com Guest Services at 1-800-591-3869 for a price adjustment within 14 days of purchase.
Prices Vary Between Target and Target.com – Here’s a dark little secret. Prices on Target.com are often cheaper than what you’ll find at your local Target.
Because of this, always check their website’s prices when shopping in-store and ALWAYS ask for the lower Target price.
Grocery Item Price-Match – Another little known Target hack is a price match on grocery items, even produce. As long as the brand is the same, like Chiquita, Dole, or Driscoll, Target will offer a price match.
The cool thing about this is that it’s easy to scroll through your local grocery store ads to find lower prices at Target and save some money in the process.
Hold On To Those Receipts – Keep in mind that Target offers 14-day price protection.
So when making significant purchases (think electronics, appliances, and furniture), always keep your receipt and create an alert on your smartphone to remind yourself to check if the price has dropped before 14 days has expired.
Ask the Reader: Have you ever gotten a price match at your local Target store? Was it an easy process?
By Kyle James
Photo credit to Mike Mozart.
I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)
