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Price matching is a policy implemented in many stores where if a competitor has a lower price than the store you’re buying from is selling the product for, you can buy the product at the competitor’s price.
For example, if you are at an appliance store and want to buy a coffee maker for $35 and see a coupon for the same exact coffee maker at another appliance store for $25, you can price match the coffee maker you want to buy.
Does Costco Price Match?
No, Costco does not price match. Costco’s company mission is to have the lowest prices and best bargain for any given product. They do extensive market and competitor research before introducing any item into their stores.
As a result, Costco does not price match. They are not in the business of nickel and diming price wars with their competition – their business is in selling items at price points that their competitors cannot compete with to begin with because their business models are different.
Why Doesn’t Costco Price Match?
Another reason Costco doesn’t price match is to not feed into the competitive market that most stores focus on. If prices get too competitively low, stores will not make much profit and eventually come back in the form of raised product prices in the long run.
Costco also values having a loyal customer base. By not encouraging customers to check prices at other stores for the possibility of price matching, Costco is training its customers to rely on Costco for having the lowest possible price.
However, if a lower price becomes available for the product within 30 days of purchasing, Costco will pay you back the new and original price difference.
Unfortunately, this policy only applies to Costco members and not regular retail customers. The policy will also not extend to cigarette or alcohol purchases.
There are also ways to ask for a price adjustment at Costco. Going to Costco’s membership counter or going online to the Costco customer service page are both methods of requesting a price adjustment.
Does Costco Make Price Adjustments?
Yes, they do! Costco will adjust prices if you’ve bought something at Costco or through their online shop. But for this to happen, the price of the item you’ve purchased must drop after you’ve bought it.
If you’ve purchased an item at Costco.com and the price drops, you must complete a form within 30 days of the price change. If Costco determines the price adjustment is acceptable, they give you the difference as a refund.
What Qualifies for a Costco Price Adjustment?
Costco has certain qualifications for the price adjustments it offer:
- You need a copy of your receipt to request a price adjustment.
- Price adjustments are limited to non-resale members and/or products.
- You must make the purchase within the previous 30 days of the price change.
- Costco does not price-match other retailers.
- It’s not possible to request a price adjustment for an item at the Costco warehouse with the same item on Costco.com.
- If you made the purchase at a Costco warehouse, you must make the price adjustment request at that same warehouse.
Keep in mind that Costco can change its rules or qualifications at any time. If you’re not sure if a price adjustment is possible, be sure to ask at the customer service desk.
What If You’ve Lost Your Receipt?
The good news is that you don’t have to worry! Costco saves all of your receipts for you. The employee at the refund counter can look up your receipt, or you can find it yourself. To find your receipts, follow these steps:
- Open the Costco app
- Choose “Orders and Purchases.”
- Choose “Online” or “In-Warehouse” to find your most recent orders.
- Select the receipt needed for your price adjustment request.
It’s that easy!
How Do I Price Match at a Store?
If you happen across an opportunity to price match at a store, you can typically go up to the customer service desk or call a number specifically for price matching.
Going to customer service and showing the employees your price matching coupon might appear to be an inconvenience for some customers but will pay off in the long run for those willing to take the time to price match.
Shop Smart
Costco has your best interest in mind when they create their prices. Although there can be many benefits to price matching in stores, there are also benefits like increased customer loyalty and overall lower long-term pricing when they don’t rely on competition to drive their sales.
Despite their lack of price matching policy, Costco is still a top competitor in having the fairest and best-priced products on the market.
