How Does Price Matching Work?

How does Price Matching work? It is a question we get asked all of the time. First of all, Price Matching is AWESOME!  If you are not familiar with price matching what it means is IF your store prices matches that you can "match" the same price from a competitor store, at a store that may be more conveniently located to you or offers incentives for you to shop at that store (like double coupons, Catalina's, fuel rewards program).

How does Price Matching work?

I love to price match because it keeps me from driving all over town.  There are a few stores that DO price match.  My favorite is Walmart.  They price match with a current sales ad.  It may not be printed off the internet, it must be an original sales ad with current date according to their corporate policy.  All you do is take your item to the customer service desk with the sales flyer and they will manually change the price down to match the competitor.  According to their corporate policy you don't have to have the sales ad with you - they will provide them, but I always take them as it speeds up the checkout process. You can price matches to Target, CVS, Walgreen's, Aldi, Kroger, Meijer and even Toys R Us - any store that your store considers a competitor!

Why I like to price match is because I no longer have to drive to a store that is not "on my way" and I can now price match at a store that I would be going to anyway.  For example, a couple of weeks ago Aldi had Avocados for $.49!  I can simply take the sales ad to my local store that price matches and get the same price!

Meijer also price matches grocery items to those stores that they consider a true competitor.  So, for instance one of my local Meijer's price matches Walmart where another does not.  It is the same process at Walmart.  They price match with a current sales ad.  It may not be printed off the internet, it must be an original sales ad with current date.  All you do is show a current sales flyer (or they keep copies at the customer service desk) and they will manually change the price down to match the competitor.

Target price matches as well. If you find an item in a competitor's printed ad that is priced lower than it is at your Target store, they will match the price. The competitor's ad must be local and current, and the product must be the identical item, brand name, quantity and model number. Target.com is excluded from their price matching policy. Competitor catalogs can also be ad matched as long as the catalog displays a valid date and meets all other qualifications.

Another store that Price Matches is Kohl's.  If you find the same item with a lower price at another store, they will match/beat the competitor's price.  Just bring a copy of the competitor's ad with the current date on it to your nearest Kohl's Department Store. (Make sure the ad includes a description of the item.) This applies to in-store prices and products only, not to Kohls.com pricing or products.  Our reader Wendy shared with us in the comment of this post that Lowes and Home Depot also price match!

Stores that do not price match include: CVS, Walgreens and Kroger.

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Melissa Jennings

Melissa is a football and soccer mom who has been married to her best friend for 24 years. She loves sharing recipes, travel reviews and tips that focus on helping busy families make memories.