If you buy on Black Friday and the price falls later, Target and Best Buy will refund the difference to their own lower price, Kohl’s and Macy’s give you a short window, and Walmart.com does not adjust prices after purchase. If you hope a store will match a competitor’s Black Friday price, expect to be refused at Best Buy and Lowe’s, which both exclude it in writing.
Last updated November 10, 2026. Each row comes from the retailer’s policy page, which we opened that day. We could not read The Home Depot’s price-match page, which returned an error to our requests, so it is not covered.
The policies side by side
| Retailer | If the price drops after you buy | Matching a competitor | Exclusions to read first | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target | Yes, to its own lower price. Applies to purchases from Nov 1 if the price drops on or before Dec 24. Proof of purchase required. Screenshots are not accepted. | Page covers Target prices only. Another Target store’s price and comparison sites do not count. | Clearance, closeout, liquidation, refurbished, typos. Target coupons and Circle Bonuses cannot be combined. | Target |
| Best Buy | Yes. Most products bought Oct 30–Dec 31 can be matched to Best Buy’s own lower price through Jan 15, 2027. | Regular policy matches “Qualified Competitors,” but not the holiday guarantee, and not “items for sale at a Qualified Competitor the Thursday before Thanksgiving Day through the Monday after.” | Marketplace, clearance, open-box, refurbished, bundles, coupons, limited-quantity items, “items denoted as Black Friday pricing,” items bought with a phone contract or AppleCare+, holiday decorations. | Best Buy |
| Walmart | Not on Walmart.com. The page says it does not match “prices for items previously purchased on Walmart.com that have since decreased in price.” | In U.S. stores, Walmart matches the price of the identical item advertised on Walmart.com. Store manager decides. No competitor matching on Walmart.com. | “Restrictions apply.” Marketplace and third-party prices are excluded online. | Ask Walmart |
| Costco | Yes. Costco.com purchases and promo items. A request must fall within the promotion dates and within 30 days of purchase. | Costco does not price match other businesses or retailers. | Precious metals. Costco can deny a request at its discretion. Credits take 5–10 business days. Warehouse purchases go to the Returns counter. | Costco |
| Kohl’s | Yes, if the price is lower than what you paid within the prior two weeks and you have the dated receipt. | Not stated. | Clearance markdowns, Kohl’s Cares, BOGO. Coupons from the original purchase must still be valid. Kohl’s can designate periods when adjustments are unavailable. | Kohl’s |
| Macy’s | Yes, within 10 days of the order date. Refund goes to the original payment. | Not stated. | Promotional discounts cannot be combined. Furniture and mattress requests use a separate number. Clearance and some promotions may not qualify. | Macy’s |
| Lowe’s | Not stated. | Yes, for an identical in-stock item from a local or online retailer, including shipping or delivery cost. | Excludes “Black Friday and various holiday promotions,” clearance, seasonal and open-box items, warehouse-club pricing and marketplace sellers. Cannot be combined with other offers. | Lowe’s |
If you buy on Black Friday, when does the window close?
These deadlines are our arithmetic from the published rules, using a purchase on Friday, November 27.
| Retailer | Last day to ask |
|---|---|
| Target | Dec 24 (the price must drop on or before that date) |
| Best Buy | Jan 15, 2027 for the holiday guarantee |
| Kohl’s | Dec 11 (two weeks after purchase) |
| Macy’s | Dec 7 (10 days after the order date) |
| Costco | Inside the item’s promotion dates, and within 30 days. Holiday Savings pricing is valid through Nov 30. |
| Walmart.com | No adjustment after purchase |
Best Buy’s and Target’s windows are the longest. A purchase on Black Friday gives you almost a month with Target and seven weeks with Best Buy, while Macy’s gives you ten days.
Why a competitor match is unlikely this week
Thanksgiving is November 26, so Best Buy’s “Thursday before Thanksgiving Day through the Monday after” means November 19 through November 30. Best Buy’s own Black Friday sale starts on November 19, per its holiday calendar. In other words, the days it is not matching other stores’ prices are the days of its main sale. Lowe’s excludes “Black Friday and various holiday promotions” from its Lowest Price Guarantee in the same way.
How to ask
- Keep the receipt or order number. Target needs proof of purchase and Kohl’s needs the original dated receipt.
- Use the right channel. Best Buy handles BestBuy.com requests by chat or by phone, and stores handle in-store requests. Macy’s online adjustments are by phone. Costco.com has a request form.
- Do not rely on screenshots at Target. The page says screenshots or pictures cannot be accepted, so open the live Target.com page or app on your phone.
- Look at the item, not the name. Target requires the same brand, size, weight, color, quantity and model number, and Best Buy requires a matching brand, model number and color.
Retailers we have not covered
JCPenney lists a “Price Lock” for December 1–25 in its November 2 announcement, and we did not find its terms there. Sam’s Club, BJ’s, Amazon and Home Depot are not covered here because we have not read a policy page for any of them in this update.
To judge whether a price is worth locking in, see how to tell if a Black Friday deal is real. The sale periods themselves are in the dates guide, and ad scans with printed prices are in the ad tracker. Browse live offers at Target, Best Buy and Costco.