Bought early and the price dropped? Which big stores refund the difference

What's happened

Holiday shopping now starts weeks before Black Friday on November 27, 2026, which raises an old question: what if you buy something now and the price falls later? Some big stores will give you the difference back if their own price drops. Others won't. We checked the stores' own policy pages on October 27, 2026.

Target has the most generous terms this season. Its price match page says you can normally ask for a match at the time of purchase or within 14 days after, with your receipt. For the holidays, it says that for purchases starting November 1, 2026, if the price goes lower at Target on or before December 24, 2026, you can request a price match. Target only matches its own prices on Target.com or in its stores, not other retailers'.

Best Buy says that if it lowers its own price in store, online or in its app during the return and exchange period, it will match the lower price on request. That period is 15 days for most products, or 60 days for My Best Buy Plus and Total members. Its price match page, effective September 2, 2026, listed no holiday dates when we checked.

Costco says items that drop in price within 30 days of purchase may qualify for a price adjustment.

Who's affected

Anyone buying gifts or big-ticket items in early November. The key point is that these are store policies, not legal rights. No federal law makes a store refund the difference when its price falls after you've paid. Each store sets its own rules and can change them, so check the policy on the day you buy.

Two big names offer little. Walmart says it doesn't price match items bought on Walmart.com that have since dropped in price. Its US stores will match the price of an identical item advertised on Walmart.com, at the store manager's discretion. Amazon doesn't price match ordinary orders. It stopped refunding after-purchase price drops in 2016, PCWorld reported at the time.

The policies at a glance

Best Buy matches "key online and local competitors", but its page says qualified competitor sales are excluded from the Thursday before Thanksgiving through the Monday after, which this year is November 19 to November 30. Its exclusions include Marketplace items, clearance, open-box and refurbished products, coupon offers and items labeled as Black Friday deals.

Target's exclusions include clearance, open-package and refurbished items, deals that need a minimum purchase, gift card offers, Target Circle Bonuses and pre-orders. Costco won't match a warehouse price against a Costco.com purchase, and doesn't match other retailers.

A worked example

This is an illustration, not a real case.

Sam buys a $300 TV at Target on November 2. On Black Friday, Target sells the same TV for $249. Under the holiday terms, the price fell at Target before December 24, so Sam can ask for the $51 difference. Without the holiday policy, the 14-day window would have closed on November 16.

Had Sam bought the TV at Best Buy instead, the standard 15-day return period would end on November 17, before Black Friday. A My Best Buy Plus or Total member has 60 days, so the same drop would be covered.

At Amazon, there's no adjustment. Sam's option there is to return the TV within the return window and buy it again at the lower price, if it's still in stock.

What to do now

1. Keep every receipt and order confirmation. Target asks for the original receipt, and every store needs proof of the price you paid.
2. Set a price alert or a calendar reminder for the end of each store's window, and for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
3. Ask the right way. At Best Buy, use chat or call 1-888-237-8289 for online orders, or go to a store. At Costco, use the "Request a Price Match" link for Costco.com orders, or the returns counter at the warehouse where you bought it.
4. Check the exclusions before you buy. Clearance, open-box and Marketplace items usually don't qualify.
5. Use returns as a backup. If a store won't adjust, its return policy may still let you send the item back and rebuy it. See our guide to holiday return deadlines.

FAQs

Is a store breaking the law if it won't refund a price drop?

No. Price adjustments are voluntary. A store only has to stick to the policy it advertises.

Does Target's holiday policy cover Black Friday prices?

Target's page says that from November 1, 2026, you can request a match if the price goes lower at Target on or before December 24, 2026. It doesn't list Black Friday as an exclusion, but Target Circle Bonuses and minimum-purchase deals don't count.

Sources: Target: price match guarantee, Best Buy: price match guarantee, Best Buy: return and exchange policy, Costco: price match, Walmart: does Walmart price match?, PCWorld: Amazon stops offering refunds for after-purchase price drops (May 2016)