If you’re in the market for a new TV or a gaming system, you have plenty of options. It seems there’s a Walmart on every corner, while Best Buy has become a huge name in electronics.
The two compete in a number of product fields, including TVs, computers and accessories, media (movies/TV/music), and so much more. But does Walmart price match Best Buy? If you’d like to find out, keep reading to see what I learned!
Key Takeaways
Does Walmart Price Match Best Buy in 2022?
Walmart does not price match Best Buy, as it appears the company quietly discontinued its more generous price match policy in the U.S. in 2019 and in Canada in 2020. A clause in the company’s official Price Match Policy online specifies that a “competitor advertised price” is no longer honored as of 2022.
To learn more about when and why Walmart canceled its price match, what the policy allows for now, whether Best Buy price matches Walmart, and where you are most likely to find the best deal, keep reading for more facts!
Did Walmart Cancel Its Price Match Policy?
Walmart canceled its popular Price Match policy, also known as the Savings Catcher, in 2019, with a letter sent out to customers.
Part of it read, “…we have decided to discontinue the Savings Catcher receipt submission, effective May 14, 2019.”
It used to be that customers could submit receipts and proof of a lower price at a competitor, and Walmart would refund the difference.
Then, a little over a year later, Walmart also shut down the Savings Catcher (called Ad Match) program in its Canadian stores.
The announcement cited “unpopularity and checkout delays” for the cancellation, and effectively put an end to any price matching in the U.S. and Canada.
A commenter on Quora who works for Walmart also remarked that she had been told Savings Catcher “was always meant to be temporary.”
She said that it was actually being used to collect pricing data.
This makes sense, as the email sent out by Walmart in 2019 read, “Walmart’s prices win most often…which tells us that the program’s intent has been met.”
What Is the Walmart Price Match Policy?
The current Walmart Price Match Policy applies only to Walmart.com and in-store Walmart prices.
Namely, if you find a cheaper price on an exact item at Walmart.com, you can show the cashier in your Walmart store and they will match it.
This can only be done once a day, on one item per day, and the supervisor must sign off on the match.
Also, this only applies to Walmart.com products, not Walmart Marketplace Retailers or other third-party sellers.
It also doesn’t apply from store to store, so if you see a lower price at one Walmart store, a different one is not required to match the price.
The supervisor on duty also has the right to refuse any price match for any reason.
Does Best Buy Price Match Walmart?
Even if Walmart won’t price match Best Buy or any other competitor, Best Buy does price match Walmart.
The company’s Price Match Guarantee reads, “…we price match all local competitors (including their online prices), and we price match products…from…Amazon.com…”
As well, customers can receive their price match from Best Buy both in store and online at BestBuy.com.
In stores, head to the Customer Service desk or speak to a Customer Specialist. Online, you can use the website’s online chat function.
One thing to note, however- Best Buy doesn’t price match Walmart when the item falls under Black Friday pricing, pre-orders or special “lightning” sales that last for a day or an hour.
Is Walmart Cheaper Than Best Buy?
An article from 2018 compared prices between major retailers, including both Walmart and Best Buy.
On many items, Best Buy went head-to-head with Walmart for a great low price.
There were some areas, though, where did Walmart come out the winner.
In those instances, provided the model is exactly the same, customers can still get that lower price by getting Best Buy to price match with Walmart instead.
Some might prefer this, as Best Buy tends to offer better (and more expert) customer service on electronics than Walmart.
To learn more, you might also be interested in reading up on whether or not Best Buy price match Target, if Best Buy price matches Amazon, and if Best Buy negotiates prices.
Conclusion
Walmart quietly closed down its price match program, Savings Catcher, and no longer price matches with Best Buy, or any other competitor.
Best Buy does price match Walmart, however, so customers can get those everyday low prices that Walmart boasts, even at Best Buy.