What Stores Price Match in Canada?
Electronics Stores
1. Best Buy
Best Buy’s ‘Low Price Guarantee’ states that if you find a lower price elsewhere either online, in-store, or in print, you can match the price before you purchase or within 30 days of purchase with an original receipt. Additionally, if Best Buy’s price drops after you make a purchase, you’re also eligible for a refund of the difference in price within 30 days.
2. Staples
In order to take advantage of Staples’ price match policy, you need to present proof of a lower advertised price from an authorized Canadian dealer at the time of purchase or within 14 days. Its price match policy even specifies that if a competitor offers a bonus offer such as a product that Staples carries or a gift card, it’ll match both the price and bonus offer.
3. The Source
The Source has a ‘Best Price Guarantee’ policy which states that if you find a lower price at a Canadian dealer or if the price at its own store drops within the product’s return period, you’re entitled to a refund of the difference.
Home stores
4. Home Depot
Home Depot’s ‘Price Guarantee’ policy differs based on the competitor. If the lower price is from a retail store, Home Depot will match the price and beat it by 10%. For online-only stores, Home Depot won’t beat the price but will still match it. There are some products that aren’t covered by the Price Guarantee policy, so check with Home Depot before purchasing.
5. Lowe’s
Lowe’s will match a competitor’s lower price and beat it by 10%. For this price match policy to apply, the price difference needs to be greater than $1.00. This price matching policy is valid both online and in-store.
6. Leon’s
Leon’s offers a 60-day price guarantee with its ‘Integrity Pricing’ policy if you find a lower price elsewhere. Be sure to look out for the fine print here. To qualify for a price match, the product needs to be from the same local trading area, include the same terms and conditions, and if financing, the terms need to be the same as well.
7. Rona
Rona offers its customers an additional 10% off if a competitor advertises an item for cheaper. Rona promises a hassle-free price match experience, and the policy is valid both in-store and online and for competitors from brick-and-mortar stores and online-only stores. The price difference needs to be at least $1.00 to qualify.
8. The Brick
The Brick offers a tiered price match policy with different rules for different products. For appliances, you have 30 days from pick up or delivery to match a competitor’s price, which The Brick will beat by 20% of the difference. For mattresses, you have 90 days, and The Brick will beat the price by 10% of the difference. For everything else, you have 30 days to claim a price match for the difference.
Groceries
9. No Frills
The No Frills ‘We Won’t be Beat’ policy states that if you find a lower price from a major supermarket competitor you can show an ad or a receipt to get a price match. Note that the competitor needs to be local. If you’re looking to save cash while racking up as many PC Optimum points as possible, shopping and price matching at No Frills is a great option.
10. FreshCo
FreshCo will match prices from other supermarkets in the same local geographic trade area. FreshCo will match the advertised price and beat it by 1¢. This policy doesn’t apply to special promotions and loyalty program discounts or on items like tobacco, liquor, prescriptions, and more.
11. Giant Tiger
Giant Tiger has an Ad Match Guarantee policy where it’ll beat the advertised price of any local competitor by 1¢. Items must be carried in-store, and this policy excludes special promos such as ‘buy 2 get 1 free,’ clearance sales, and online offers.
12. Maxi
Maxi is a supermarket located only in Quebec, but it will price-match any competitor’s price. Simply make sure the item is the same and that Maxi carries it, and you’ll be able to get the item for a lower price. You can only match up to 4 units per item, so don’t plan on taking advantage of this policy to empty the shelves.
13. Real Canadian Superstore
As part of the Loblaw’s family just like No Frills, you can collect PC Optimum points and price match at the Real Canadian Superstore. Its price matching policy allows you to match prices from local major supermarkets. Keep in mind that you may not be able to price match with stores like Canadian Tire since it’s not a grocery store.
Other retailers
14. Costco
Costco claims it already offers the most competitive pricing on everyday items, so it doesn’t have a price matching policy, however, it does offer price adjustments. If an item you purchase on Costco.ca drops within 30 days of purchase, you can apply to get a refund of the difference. Note that this policy is valid online only.
15. Toys ‘R’ Us
Toys ‘R’ Us will do price adjustments for items that are reduced in price. It will refund you the difference within 30 days of your purchase. It doesn’t do in-store and online price matching to other retailers’ prices.
16. PetSmart
For in-store purchases, PetSmart will match a competitor’s lower price if the item is in stock at the competition. This policy doesn’t cover online sites or catalogues, or special promo pricing such as “buy 1 get 1 free.” For online price matches, PetSmart will match the price of identical products from online retailers, except for online marketplaces like Amazon or eBay.
How does price matching work?
Before you start looking for a price match everywhere you go, you should know the different ways price guarantees work.
Price matching refers to when a retailer matches the lower price of its competitor. This can be done either at the time of purchase or within a grace period after you’ve already made your purchase.
Price beating works a little differently, but it’s especially worth taking advantage of since it’ll save you even more. As an example, a retailer might offer a price beating policy by first matching the advertised competitor’s price and then beating it by a percentage of the difference, often 10%. This might only come out to a few dollars on a smaller item but can really pay off with big-ticket items like TVs or appliances.
Finally, most retailers that offer price matching will also match their own prices. For example, if you buy a new laptop at full price and the following week it goes on sale and drops by $100, you’re entitled to return to the store and get a refund for the difference.
What to look out for when price matching
Retailers will happily match a price as long as it fits the stipulations outlined in their policies. Most price matching policies are relatively strict, so before you head back to the store or contact customer service, look out for these details:
- The lower price needs to be from an authorized Canadian dealer. This means the competitor offering the lower price has to be both in Canada and authorized to sell that product.
- Special event pricing isn’t included in the policy. Usually, pricing during special promotional events such as Boxing Day or Black Friday isn’t covered.
- Items need to be identical. That means everything down to the brand, model, and colour need to be exactly the same.
- The item needs to be new and in stock. The point of a price match is that you can go to a competitor and buy the same item, new in the box, right away for a cheaper price.
- Take hidden costs into account. When price matching an item from a competitor you find online, look at the shipping and handling costs since this will be added before price matching is applied.
Final word
When it comes to price matching, it’s always important to read the fine print. Before heading out to the store, make sure to read the store’s price matching policy on their website to make sure you’re eligible. Still, price matching works most of the time so it’s always worth scoping out the competition before making a purchase. Start making it a habit, and price matching will soon become one of your go-to ways to save money while shopping.
