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Target and Walmart are two stores known for their deals and budget-friendly prices. When scouring these two retailers for the best deals, consumers who want to score big savings arm themselves with coupons and apps. And it’s possible to save even more at each store, if you take advantage of their price match guarantees. Understanding the price match policies will help you shop strategically and get the best prices on specific items.
When using the Walmart price match guarantee and the Target price match guarantee, you should know exactly what is covered and what isn’t covered under the policy. To make sure you get the most for your money, get savvy on what’s excluded from these stores’ price match guarantees.
Walmart Price Match Exclusions
Many savvy shoppers already know Walmart as a store that’s budget-friendly — check your local Walmart ad, and you’ll generally find prices that are highly competitive. Experienced shoppers know to take advantage of further savings by using Walmart coupons. And shoppers who want to save even more can take advantage of price matching at the store.
But before you do all your shopping exclusively at Walmart, expecting to take advantage of its price match guarantee, know what’s excluded so you aren’t disappointed. Here are some key exclusions from the Walmart price match guarantee:
- Prices from its Marketplace or from third-party sellers
- Prices from auctions or retailers requiring memberships
- Prices that cannot be determined independent of other items; this means in order to price match, the fees, shipping charges, etc. must be determinable.
- Price items from bundle offers, instant rebates, mail-in offers or any offers, including financing
- Prices that cannot be determined following a percent-off or dollar-off coupon on the item
- Items that other retail stores have marked as clearance, close-out, liquidation or limited quantity
- Any items that require a minimum quantity for purchase
- Damaged, used or refurbished items
- Misprinted or inaccurate prices
- Walmart One-Hour Guarantee items
- Prices on items on Walmart.com or with other retailers between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber-Monday, including Walmart Black Friday sale prices
Additionally, rain checks are not offered for items not currently in stock at Walmart on available on Walmart.com. And price matching isn’t offered online in Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico for in-store purchases at Walmart.
Find Out: 25 Best Deals at Walmart
Target Price Match Exclusions
Target is another store popular with shoppers looking for good prices on everyday items. Savvy shoppers know to check out Target ads and use the store’s Cartwheel app to get even better prices than advertised Target sales. And to make comparison shopping even better, you can take advantage of the store’s price match guarantee; Target’s price match guarantee was updated in 2013 to include online price matching.
To make sure you know exactly what you’re getting into as a Target shopper, though, you need to also understand what isn’t covered in its price match policy. Here are some important exclusions from Target’s price match guarantee:
- Clearance items, closeout items and liquidation sale items
- Items that are damaged or in an open package
- Refurbished, pre-owned, rented or lease-to-own items
- Storewide or unspecific offers
- Non-branded items
- Prices that only display on a website after a user logs into the website
- Incorrectly priced items
- Anything that’s a typo
- Limited-time or quantity-specific offers
- Daily deals, coupon offers, credit card or gift card offers
- Financing plans, service offers or bundled offers
- Sales tax promotions
- Free items
- Rebates or mail-in offers
- Contract mobile phone devices or plans
- Optical wear
- Target Portrait Studio pricing
- Target Clinic or any Target Pharmacy purchases
- Product services such as warranties at Target or game reservations at Target
- Prices from Target’s “Marketplace” stores and from third-party sellers
- Items purchased with the Cartwheel phone app
Also, note that Target gift card offers and Target coupons cannot be combined with a price match. Manufacturer coupons will be honored but only after a price match is made following the Target coupon policy. And items containing alcohol will be honored for the price match guarantee, but are subject to state regulations, which vary.