The crossed-out “was” price is the weakest evidence on a Black Friday listing, so judge the deal by the final price – what you pay after every code, compared with the same item elsewhere and with what it cost before the sale. The FTC’s pricing guidance sets the bar for a “was” price, which only counts if the store actually charged it for a reasonably substantial period.
Last updated November 10, 2026. Discount figures are calculated from the 815 deals posted here as of that date, each measured against the comparison price the store itself shows.
What the FTC guidance says about “was” prices
The FTC’s Guides Against Deceptive Pricing (16 CFR Part 233) treat a former price as legitimate if it is “the actual, bona fide price at which the article was offered to the public on a regular basis for a reasonably substantial period of time.” They call a price “fictitious” where “an artificial, inflated price was established for the purpose of enabling the subsequent offer of a large reduction.” Three more points from the same text are useful at the shelf
- Section 233.3 says a manufacturer’s list price does not count as a bargain baseline if it is “significantly in excess of the highest price at which substantial sales” are made.
- Section 233.1(e) says a reduction must not be “so insignificant as to be meaningless,” such as “Reduced to $9.99” from $10.
- Section 233.5 says a “limited” offer should actually be limited.
These are guides, not a ruling on any listing here, and we are not saying any retailer below broke them.
What our deal data shows about “percent off”
Of 802 product deals we have posted, 787 show a comparison price, and 187 of all 815 deals show 50% off or more. The median discount varies far more by store than by product type, which tells you more about how each store sets its comparison price than about its generosity.
| Store | Deals with a comparison price | Median % off | Highest % off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athleta | 54 | 69% | 81% |
| Old Navy | 130 | 60% | 86% |
| Gap | 17 | 51% | 71% |
| Walmart | 46 | 40% | 75% |
| Nike | 94 | 39% | 54% |
| Target | 8 | 37% | 43% |
| Kohl’s | 10 | 37% | 50% |
| Ulta Beauty | 109 | 30% | 50% |
| LEGO | 26 | 30% | 50% |
| Lowe’s | 9 | 29% | 45% |
| Samsung | 18 | 28% | 46% |
| Lenovo | 18 | 28% | 41% |
| Dyson | 17 | 25% | 55% |
| Costco | 44 | 23% | 50% |
| IKEA | 13 | 22% | 33% |
| Newegg | 13 | 15% | 42% |
| Dell | 19 | 14% | 33% |
Athleta’s median is 69% and Dell’s is 14%. That does not mean Athleta’s sale is five times better. A fashion retailer compares against a full “original” price that few items sell at for long, while a laptop maker compares against a configuration price that moves with each build. Treat a high median as a reason to look up what the item sold for last month, not as a reason to buy.
Same price, two different discounts
Samsung.com’s 75-inch Neo QLED QN80H is $1,299.99, shown as $700 off a crossed-out $1,999.99. Costco’s listing for the same QN80H series starts at $1,299.99 with no “was” price at all. The same pattern holds for the OLED S85H, which is $1,799.99 at Samsung and “from $1,799.99” at Costco.
The percentages differ and the price does not. Our Costco entries were read November 2 and Samsung’s on November 10, and Costco’s “from” price does not tell us which screen size it applies to, so check the size before you decide the two are identical. The comparison is still a reminder that “36% off” is only a statement about the crossed-out number.
Stacked codes do not add up
Kohl’s lists the Keurig K-Classic at $109.99, down from $179.99, which is 39% off. The page also shows a code that brings it to $87.99. That code takes 20% off the $109.99 sale price, so the total is 51% off the original, not 39% plus 20%. Percentages stack by multiplying the remainders. A 30% reduction followed by 20% is 56% of the original price, or 44% off.
Kohl’s Cash is not a price cut
The Ninja SLUSHi at Kohl’s is $249.99, reduced from $349.99, and the page offers $40 in Kohl’s Cash to use November 20–25. That Cash is a coupon for a later purchase, spendable only inside that window, so it is not money off this order. Kohl’s says its Cash does not apply to Sephora at Kohl’s, price adjustments or gift cards. Our Kohl’s Cash guide shows how to value it.
Four checks before you buy
- Find the price history. On Amazon, the price history link next to the price shows 30, 90 or 365 days on eligible product pages. Elsewhere, search the model number and look at recent listings.
- Check a second store. Compare the exact model number, not the product name, since retailers sell different configurations under one name.
- Add what the coupon adds, then subtract what it takes. Count shipping, membership fees and any Cash you cannot use.
- Know the safety net. Target and Best Buy both match their own later price drops on holiday purchases. See the price-match and adjustment table for the dates and exclusions.
Questions we get
If the price drops after I buy, do I get the difference back? It depends on the store. Target matches its own lower price on purchases made from November 1 if you ask by December 24 with proof of purchase. Best Buy’s holiday guarantee covers most products it sells and ships from October 30 to December 31, with requests accepted through January 15, 2027. Costco allows a request inside the promotion dates and within 30 days of purchase. Walmart.com does not adjust prices after purchase. Each store’s exclusions are in the price-match guide.
Can a store invent a “was” price? The FTC’s Guides say that when the former price is not a real one, “the ‘bargain’ being advertised is a false one.” The Guides are advice on what the FTC considers deceptive, so a crossed-out price is a claim to check, not a fact.
Where are the verified sale dates? The dates guide lists each retailer’s announced windows and the Cyber Monday page covers November 30.
We used the same price-checking approach on our new gift guides, including Christmas gift deals and Black Friday wedding deals.