Black Friday price adjustments: who refunds the difference
Short answer: Several major retailers will refund the difference if their own price drops soon after you buy—commonly 10–30 days—but Black Friday and holiday promotions are often excluded, and Amazon does not price-match. Competitor matching is separate and usually narrower. Confirmed below from each store's official price-match or price-adjustment page; we left out claims we could not verify.
Related: holiday return deadlines 2026 · return gifts without a receipt · returns without a receipt
Post-purchase price drops (confirmed)
“Own price” means the store refunds when it lowers the price. “Competitor” means matching another retailer's price. Black Friday columns reflect exclusions stated on the official pages we fetched.
| Store | Post-purchase window | Own price drop? | Competitor match? | Holiday / Black Friday note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target | 14 days after purchase | Yes — identical item lower at Target.com, Target stores, or automatic Target Circle deals | No competitor matching described on the Price Match Guarantee page (Target-to-Target only) | Clearance/closeout/liquidation excluded; GiftCard promotions and coupons have limits. No separate Black Friday carve-out called out on the page we checked. | Official |
| Best Buy | During the applicable return and exchange period (e.g. 15 days standard; 60 days for My Best Buy Plus/Total on many products) | Yes — if Best Buy lowers its in-store, online, or app price, it will match upon request | Yes — Qualified Competitors at time of sale (and during the return window per the policy) | Excluded: competitor offers denoted as Black Friday pricing, special daily/hourly sales, and items for sale the Thursday before Thanksgiving through the Monday after Thanksgiving | Official |
| Kohl's | Prior two weeks (14 days) with original dated receipt | Yes — when Kohl's sale or regular price is now lower than what you paid | Separate store price-match policy exists for competitors' in-store ads / Kohls.com rules; this row is about adjustments | Clearance, Kohl's Cares, and BOGO excluded. Kohl's may identify additional periods when adjustments are not available | Official |
| Macy's | 10 days of the order date (furniture/mattress: within 10 days of delivery or ship date, depending on method) | Yes — lower advertised Macy's price | Not described as competitor matching on the price-adjustment article | Promotional discounts cannot be combined with a price adjustment. No Black Friday-specific exclusion stated on that article | Official |
| Costco | Costco.com: within 30 days of purchase (sale-dated promos must still be active too) | Yes for Costco.com price reductions. Warehouse purchases: inquire at the Returns counter where you bought | No — Costco does not price match other businesses or retailers; does not match warehouse prices to Costco.com | Items with specific sale dates must be requested within both the promo dates and 30 days. Precious metals ineligible | Official |
| Home Depot | 30 days of purchase | Yes — price drop on homedepot.com or a matched competitor | Yes — local stores and select online (e.g. Lowe's, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target sold/fulfilled by the retailer, not marketplace). Excludes Costco, Sam's Club, eBay, Wayfair | Excluded: Black Friday and other limited-time promotions; clearance/closeout; special orders | Official |
| Lowe's | Day window for post-purchase own-price drops not clearly stated on the Lowest Price Guarantee page | Policy focuses on matching a current lower competitor price; requests must come from the purchaser | Yes — identical in-stock local/online competitor prices (item + shipping/delivery). Excludes marketplace sellers and membership clubs | Excluded: Black Friday, Spring Black Friday, and various holiday/seasonal promotions; clearance; BOGO; volume discounts | Official |
| Walmart | Not clearly stated for post-purchase store adjustments on the official FAQ we used | Walmart.com: no adjustment if the price later decreases. U.S. stores: may match identical item advertised on Walmart.com (manager decides) | No competitor matching on the official pages we checked | Official help text highlights no matching of competitors and no adjustment for Walmart.com purchases that later drop. Black Friday-specific exclusions were not confirmed on those pages | Official |
| Amazon | N/A — no general post-purchase price adjustment | No price-matching compensation | No | Pre-order Price Guarantee is a separate, limited program for qualifying unreleased items only | Official |
Practical tips for Black Friday week
- Buy closer to the deal, or plan a return. If a store excludes Black Friday from price match, returning within the standard window and rebuying (when eligible) may be the only option—check restocking fees and non-returnables first.
- Keep the receipt or order number. Kohl's and Target require original proof for adjustments; Best Buy and Home Depot ask you to request the match while the lower price is still live.
- Own-price drops are more reliable than competitor matches after purchase (Target, Kohl's, Macy's, Costco.com, Best Buy's own price).
- Amazon shoppers: there is no general “price dropped, refund me” button—use the return window if the item is eligible. Browsing Amazon's Today's Deals? Check each item's return eligibility before you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Left out as unverified
- Any store whose official price-match/adjustment page we could not load or that did not clearly describe a post-purchase refund-of-difference (beyond listing above hedges).
- Third-party blog claims about Walmart's “7-day” store adjustment window — not stated on the corporate FAQ we used.
- A numeric post-purchase day window for Lowe's own-price drops — not stated on the Lowest Price Guarantee page.
Which stores refund the difference if the price drops after I buy?
Among stores we confirmed on official pages: Target (14 days, Target prices), Best Buy (during your return/exchange period for Best Buy's own lower price), Kohl's (14 days / prior two weeks), Macy's (10 days), Costco.com (30 days for Costco.com price drops), and Home Depot (30 days). Amazon does not offer price-matching compensation. Walmart.com does not adjust purchases that later decrease in price.
Do stores price-match Black Friday deals?
Often no. Best Buy excludes competitor offers denoted as Black Friday pricing and items for sale the Thursday before Thanksgiving through the Monday after. Home Depot excludes Black Friday and other limited-time promotions. Lowe's Lowest Price Guarantee excludes Black Friday and various holiday promotions. Always read the store's own exclusions.
Does Amazon refund the difference if the price drops?
No. Amazon's Pricing and Price Matching help page says it does not offer price matching compensation. A separate Pre-order Price Guarantee applies only to qualifying not-yet-released items that display that offer—not to ordinary post-purchase price drops.
Does Walmart adjust the price after purchase?
For Walmart.com purchases, Walmart's official price-match FAQ says it does not adjust items that later decrease in price, and it does not match competitors. For in-store U.S. purchases, Walmart says it will match the identical item's advertised Walmart.com price (manager has final say). A specific post-purchase day window for store adjustments is not clearly stated on that page.
Verified against official retailer price-match / price-adjustment pages on 2026-10-19. Policies change—confirm with the store before you rely on an adjustment.
Price-adjustment facts last verified against official store policies on 2026-10-14.