Hunting for a good deal is in our DNA. Just you looking for a guide on the Amazon price match is a sign of that!
It’s a practice nearly as old as shopping itself. The ancient Mesopotamians and Greeks used the barter system to exchange one good for another. Negotiating was a crucial part of the process.
Is that pouch of salt really worth this exotic furskin? Why don’t you throw in some tea leaves to even out the deal?
We’ve long traded the bartering system for one of cash and coins. Yet the urge to haggle for a lower price remains. You feel it every time you go into a store and root through the bargain bin at Walmart or Target. It’s what drives people to shop around for options to save money.
Ecommerce has made it easier to follow this instinct. Now you don’t have to hop from one store to another to find the best prices. Just pull up listings and product pages to find out who’s got the lower price.
With a better deal always a click away from customers, ecommerce platforms have had to come up with more convincing ways to close the sale.
One of those is a technique that not many brick-and-mortar stores offer: price matching.
Does Amazon Price Match?
Not anymore. As of 2016, there is no longer an Amazon price match or price protection policy for anything other than televisions purchased online.
Previously, customers could email an Amazon customer service rep for price change refunds if a product was marked down within seven days of purchase. Amazon would then pay back the price difference through price reduction refunds.
However, the platform maintains that it never had a price drop refunds policy in place, and that instances were exemptions rather than the rule.
You MIGHT get away with a one time exception, but don’t count on it.
Right now, their official statement about post-purchase Amazon price match adjustments is this: “We constantly compare Amazon’s prices to our competitors’ prices to make sure that our prices are as low or lower than all relevant competitors. As a result, we don’t offer price matching”.
The absence of an Amazon price match policy allows Amazon sellers to strategically set their prices based on different factors, including competitor pricing, profit margins, production costs, or consumer demand.
Other Ways You Can Save Money Buying on Amazon
People flock to Amazon primarily because of its unbeatable inventory. If you need anything, you’ll probably find it on the platform.
That range, coupled with low prices, keeps it one of the world’s leading online marketplaces. Half of shoppers say competitive prices are what keep them coming back.
But without an Amazon price match policy in place, what other ways can they entice shoppers to visit their website?
Let me show you a few tips to help you get the best deals on Amazon:
1. Cashback rewards
There are a couple of websites that offer cashback incentives for your Amazon purchases. Some even give bonuses for registering.
Through the Rakuten portal, you can enjoy up to 5% cash back on specific Amazon purchases. You can also earn a $10 Amazon gift card right after signing up.
Ibotta is another website that offers up to 6% cash back on certain Amazon purchases.
2. Pay using an Amazon credit card
Amazon credit cards also offer cashback rewards for specific purchases.
Prime Visa – 5% cashback at Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and Chase Travel purchases. 2% cashback at restaurants, drug stores, gas stations, local transit, and commuting. 1% cashback on all other purchases.
You also get a free $200 Amazon gift card upon approval.
Amazon Visa – 3% cashback at Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and Chase Travel purchases. 2% cashback at restaurants, drug stores, gas stations, local transit, and commuting. 1% cashback on all other purchases.
You also get a free $50 Amazon gift card upon approval.
3. Use bank cards with cashback incentives
Some credit cards offer cashback rewards on Amazon purchases.
One example is the Chase Freedom Flex, which lets you enjoy up to 5% cashback on rotating quarterly categories you activate (up to $1,500 spent). There are times when the categories include Amazon.
The Customized Cash Rewards credit card by Bank of America also offers up to 3% cashback on the first $2,500 spent in your chosen category each quarter. One of the category options is online shopping.
4. Look out for promotions from your credit card issuer
From time to time, credit card issuers collaborate with Amazon and offer discounts or reward points when paying with an eligible card. So always check your rewards pages for these opportunities.
5. Check if you can avail of a discounted membership
Amazon Prime membership has tons of perks, such as free two-day shipping, Prime Video access, and discounts on Whole Foods purchases.
Unfortunately, membership can be quite costly. Regular Prime membership costs $14.99 monthly or $139 annually.
If you’re a student or receive government assistance, you might be eligible for a discounted membership.
A Prime Student membership only costs $7.49 monthly or $69 annually.
EBT and Medicaid cardholders can get a Prime membership for only $6.99 monthly.
6. Convert loose change into an Amazon Gift Card
Got a bunch of loose change weighing down your purse? Take them to a Coinstar kiosk and get them converted into an Amazon Gift Card.
7. Go for no-rush shipping
Amazon Prime members enjoy free two-day shipping on tons of products.
But instead of choosing free two-day shipping, just select “Free No-Rush Shipping” for your delivery option to have discounts or rewards added to your Amazon account for future purchases.
8. Check Amazon Outlet and Warehouse Deals
Amazon Outlet and Amazon Warehouse are home to millions of discounted open-box and pre-owned items—all of which have gone through a 20-point inspection and sorted by condition.
9. Check Amazon’s Coupons page
Amazon offers coupons for different product categories, including toys, tools, supplements, and groceries.
Just click on the “Clip Coupon” button and the discount gets applied to your order upon checkout.
10. Check out Woot! deals
Woot!, an Amazon-owned company, offers impressive limited-time sales and daily discounts on best-selling Amazon products.
11. Take advantage of limited-time deals
If you check Amazon’s Gold Box Deals, you can see a variety of limited-time offers with discounts reaching up to 90%. Deals are usually timed with a clock so you can see how much longer the offer is available.
12. Sign up for Amazon’s “Subscribe and Save” program
Here, you can enjoy discounts on countless everyday items, including baby supplies and laundry accessories. You also get free shipping and discounts of up to 15%.
13. Take advantage of Amazon Prime’s free trial
Sign up for a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime to enjoy free two-day shipping and discounted offers.
Don’t forget to cancel right before the trial expires. Otherwise, you end up paying the $12.99 monthly fee or $119 annual fee.
14. Discounted baby items on Amazon Family
If you’re a Prime member, you can check out the Amazon Family program to enjoy superb deals on baby essentials, such as diapers, cleansing wipes, or baby food.
15. Today’s Deals on Amazon
Usually found at the top of Amazon pages, the Today’s Deals link includes “Deal of the Day” and “Lightning Deals” limited-time offers.
16. Trade in your old stuff for Amazon Gift Cards
Amazon’s Trade-In program allows users to exchange specific used items, such as smartphones, tablets, video games, or books in return for gift cards.
17. Look out for affordable add-on items
Amazon has a variety of cheap add-on items, such as toiletries and vitamins, that you can add to your cart with a purchase of $25 or more.
18. Check if returning an item is free
Some Amazon products may be returned for free. Just make sure that the product is still in new condition so you can ask for a full refund.
19. Read books for free with Prime Reading
Prime membership gives you access to Prime Reading, which offers a selection of more than 1,000 free books, magazines, and books with Audible Narration.
20. Monitor Price Fluctuations on Amazon to Buy at the Lowest Price
On Amazon, prices change about 2.5 million times daily!
On your own, it’s virtually impossible to keep track of such fluctuations.
Here are a couple of third-party tools (not connected to your Amazon account) that you can use to monitor price fluctuations, top price drops, and the best deals.
Simply put, shoppers can use these tools to find their desired items at the lowest prices.
CamelCamelCamel
Camelcamelcamel is a free price tracking tool. Users can create Amazon price change alerts and view price history charts.
This tool also features a “Your Price Watches” section. Here, you can input a keyword or link of the product you’re interested in and set the cost that you’re willing to pay for it.
Once the product in “Your Price Watches” drops to your desired price, you’ll get notified right away.
Keepa
Keepa is another free price intelligence tool. This tool lets you track any Amazon price adjustment, and it even notifies you via email, Twitter, or RSS once your selected item’s price changes.
Beyond creating simple price history charts, it allows you to set thresholds by sales rank and fulfillment type. This gives you a more detailed view of how price actually affects sales.
Some of its tools are free of charge, but price alerts and other features that handle advanced data have a monthly fee.
Does Target Price Match Amazon?
Yes! Target price matches Amazon, both online and in-store.
Keep in mind that this price-matching policy only applies when the item is completely identical, including the brand, color, weight, size, and quantity.
Their price match policy is not applicable to third-party sellers on Amazon when price matching online competitors.
Does Walmart Price Match Amazon Pricing?
Yes! Walmart also price matches Amazon, both online and in-store.
Their price match policy has the following conditions:
The item must be completely identical, including the brand, color, size, model, or quantity
The product must be in stock at the store or at Walmart.com (for online purchases)
Only one price match per customer is allowed per day.
Does Best Buy Price Match with Amazon?
Yes! Best Buy price matches Amazon, both online and in-store.
Their price-matching policy is applicable if the product is completely identical to that of the competitor.
The product should also be immediately available at a qualifying online retailer or local competitor.
Does Home Depot Price Match Amazon?
Yes! Home Depot price matches Amazon, both online and in-store.
Home Depot’s “Low Price Guarantee” allows shoppers to purchase items at the same price a competitor charges.
This guarantee only applies to regular prices. It may not be used with products on limited-time promotions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What Stores Have a Price Matching Policy on Amazon?
Here are other retailers that will match or beat the best price of products sold on Amazon, both online and in-store.
Walmart
Target
Best Buy
Lowes
Ashley Furniture
Staples
Bed Bath & Beyond
Home Depot
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Keep in mind that many retailers have varying price match guarantee policies. Some can provide a full or partial refund, or offer price adjustments only within a certain period.
Does Amazon Price Match Walmart?
As of 2016, the Amazon price matching policy is only applicable to television purchases made online.
Does Amazon Price Match Prime Day?
As of 2016, the Amazon price match guarantee is only applicable to television purchases made online.
Does Amazon Price Match Best Buy?
As of 2016, the Amazon price guarantee is only applicable to television purchases made online.
Does Amazon Price Match Itself?
Even if you get in touch or start a chat session with an Amazon rep, they would most likely give the same answer: Amazon does not price match itself.
They don’t offer post purchase price adjustments if you just bought an item that recently had its price dropped.
However, they do have a 30-day return policy or change-of-mind window on some items.
If you have recently purchased a product at a higher price, you have the option to return it within the 30-day return period and receive an Amazon price drop refund.
Then, you can repurchase the same item at its current pricing.
Does Amazon Price Match After Purchase?
We’ve also been asked this question quite a lot: Does Amazon lower price after purchase?
You can still avail of an Amazon price match when buying a television on their platform.
If you find a cheaper television that’s exactly the same as the one you’ve just bought within seven days, Amazon will offer a refund for the difference.
Does Microcenter Price Match Amazon?
Yes! Microcenter price matches Amazon.
They can price match if the item is currently in stock and is sold by Amazon, not a third-party retailer.
Does Northern Tool Price Match Amazon?
Yes! Northern Tool price matches Amazon.
You would need to show the exact product you found being offered at a lower price by Amazon.
It also has to fall within 30 days of the date you purchased the item at Northern Tool.
Does CVS Price Match Amazon?
Unfortunately, CVS does not price match or offer a price adjustment.
Instead, they offer a variety of reward schemes and discount coupons to help you save money on purchases.
Does Kohls Price Match Amazon?
Yes! Kohls price matches products sold by Amazon with in-store prices only.
You have to provide proof of the item offered at a lower price through printed or digital ads.
Bottom Line
While Amazon price match or post-purchase price protection policies are currently unavailable, shoppers still have a variety of ways to get a better deal on purchases.
Most of the time, Amazon items are already offered at the most competitive prices when compared to those offered by competitors. These prices fluctuate depending on competitive factors and market dynamics.
But for even more savings, make sure to use price tracking tools, compare prices from other sellers, and keep an eye out for new price drops.
These strategies can help you maximize your savings while shopping on Amazon.
