Finding a lower price after you have decided what to buy can make an expensive electronics purchase frustrating. Best Buy's Price Match Guarantee gives shoppers a way to request a lower price when an identical qualifying product is currently available from an eligible competitor for less.
The policy is not a blanket promise to match every price. Best Buy applies specific requirements to the product, competitor, availability and type of promotion. Marketplace listings, clearance products, refurbished items, open-box products and several special promotions can be excluded.
Understanding those rules before checkout can save time and help you determine whether a lower advertised price is actually eligible. Here is how Best Buy's current Price Match Guarantee works and what to check before making a request.
What Is Best Buy's Price Match Guarantee?
Best Buy's Price Match Guarantee allows the retailer to match the current price of qualifying products sold by Best Buy when an eligible competitor has a lower price on the same product.
For a product to qualify, Best Buy says it generally needs to be a new, identical product with the same brand, model number and color. The competing product must also be immediately available for shipping or store pickup from a Qualified Competitor.
That means simply finding a cheaper-looking product online is not necessarily enough. Before requesting a match, compare the exact product and make sure the competitor listing meets Best Buy's availability requirements.
What Products Can Qualify?
The basic product requirements are straightforward:
The Best Buy product must be new.
The competitor product must be identical.
The brand, model number and color must match.
The competing product must be immediately available.
The competitor must be one of Best Buy's Qualified Competitors.
The lower price cannot fall under one of Best Buy's listed exclusions.
This is particularly useful for electronics where different model numbers can look nearly identical but have different specifications.
For example, if you find a lower price on a television, laptop or appliance, check the exact model number rather than comparing products based only on appearance or general specifications.
Which Competitor Prices Does Best Buy Match?
Best Buy's policy covers current product prices from its Qualified Competitors, including key online and local competitors. The lower price also needs to be current and available when the request is made.
A competitor listing therefore needs more than a historical price or an unavailable product. Best Buy specifically requires the competing product to be immediately available for shipping or store pickup.
If the lower price disappears before Best Buy reviews the request, the price match may no longer qualify.
How Do You Request a Best Buy Price Match?
Best Buy provides several ways to request a price match.
Online
When shopping online, you can find the qualifying product you want Best Buy to price match and contact Best Buy through its online chat option. Best Buy can then review the competing price and determine whether it qualifies.
In a Best Buy Store
You can also visit a Best Buy or Pacific Sales store and show an employee the Qualified Competitor's advertisement or website displaying the lower price.
The employee reviews the competing offer and verifies whether the request meets the policy requirements.
Before You Ask for the Match
Have the following information ready:
The exact Best Buy product.
The matching competitor product.
The model number.
The competitor's current price.
Evidence that the competitor has the product immediately available.
The competitor's advertisement or webpage if requesting the match in store.
Having this information ready can make the comparison easier and reduce confusion over whether the two products are actually identical.
What Does Best Buy Not Price Match?
This is one of the most important parts of the policy because several types of prices and products are excluded.
Best Buy says its Price Match Guarantee does not cover Marketplace Products sold by third-party sellers. Clearance, refurbished, open-box and pre-owned products are also excluded.
Other exclusions include certain:
Coupon offers
Financing offers
Bundle offers
Gift card offers
Trade-in offers
Limited-quantity offers
Out-of-stock products
Special daily or hourly sales
Black Friday pricing
Liquidation offers
Pre-order offers
Service prices
Pricing errors
Offers available only to select customer groups or certain membership programs
The complete list is broader, so shoppers should check Best Buy's current policy rather than assuming every lower competitor price qualifies.
- Explore More: Best Buy Deals: How to Find Current Offers and Save
Can You Price Match a Marketplace Listing?
Generally, no.
Best Buy excludes products sold or shipped by third-party Marketplace Sellers from its Price Match Guarantee. This distinction matters because a product may appear on a retailer's website without actually being sold directly by that retailer.
Before requesting a price match, look at the seller information on the competing product page.
A lower price from a third-party marketplace seller should not be treated the same way as a lower price from the retailer itself.
Can Best Buy Match a Lower Price After You Buy?
Best Buy's current policy also provides an important post-purchase provision.
If Best Buy lowers its own in-store, online or app price during the applicable return and exchange period, the retailer says it will match its lower price upon request. The policy also states that one price match at the time of purchase is allowed per identical item, per customer, at the current pre-tax price available to all customers.
This is different from finding a lower price at a competitor after purchase, so shoppers should review the policy and applicable timing before assuming a competitor's later price will qualify.
Does Best Buy Match Its Online and In-Store Prices?
Best Buy's policy says it matches its online and app prices on in-store purchases and its in-store prices on online and app purchases.
That can be useful when you notice a price difference between Best Buy's shopping channels.
If you are buying in a store but see a lower BestBuy.com price, or you are shopping online and discover a lower in-store price, it can be worth asking whether the price qualifies under the current policy.
What Should You Check Before Requesting a Price Match?
A quick checklist can help determine whether a price-match request is worth pursuing:
1. Compare the exact model
Check the model number, not just the product name.
2. Check the product condition
The competing product should meet Best Buy's requirements for a qualifying new product. Used, refurbished, open-box and similar listings may be excluded.
3. Check who is selling it
Make sure the competitor is a Qualified Competitor and that the product is not being sold by a third-party marketplace seller.
4. Check availability
The competing product needs to be immediately available for shipping or store pickup.
5. Look for exclusions
A lower price from a coupon, financing offer, clearance event, limited-quantity promotion or other excluded category may not qualify.
6. Keep the competitor page available
If you are requesting the match in store, be prepared to show the competitor's current advertisement or website.
How Can Price Matching Work With Other Best Buy Savings?
Price matching is only one part of Best Buy's broader savings options.
Best Buy currently highlights several other ways shoppers can reduce costs, including member benefits, deals, trade-ins, financing options and clearance, open-box and refurbished products.
Free shipping can also affect the overall value of an online purchase. Best Buy currently advertises free standard shipping on qualifying orders of $35 or more, while My Best Buy Plus and Total members can receive free shipping without that minimum on eligible purchases. Marketplace products have separate shipping restrictions.
This means the lowest advertised product price is not always the only factor worth considering. Shipping, product condition, eligibility and the specific terms of an offer can all affect the final value.
Is Best Buy Price Matching Worth Checking?
For shoppers who have already found the product they want, checking for a lower eligible competitor price can be worthwhile—especially on higher-priced electronics and appliances where even a modest price difference can matter.
The key is to compare like for like. A lower price is most useful when the product is identical, new, immediately available and sold through a qualifying retailer.
If the lower price comes from a marketplace seller, clearance listing, coupon, financing promotion or another excluded offer, it may not qualify.
Final Takeaway
Best Buy's Price Match Guarantee can help eligible shoppers avoid paying more when a Qualified Competitor has a lower current price on an identical new product. The most important checks are the exact model, product condition, seller, competitor, availability and type of promotion.
Because Best Buy's policy includes numerous exclusions and can change, review the current retailer terms before relying on a price match. For shoppers already comparing prices, this quick check can be a useful step before completing a Best Buy purchase.
