Last verified: October 26, 2026, against Target’s own help pages.
Does Target price match? Yes, but only against Target’s own prices. If you buy an item at Target and the identical item gets cheaper on Target.com, in a Target store, or through an automatic Target Circle deal, Target will match the lower price. You can ask at checkout or within 14 days of buying. What Target no longer does is match Amazon, Walmart or any other competitor. That ended on July 28, 2025.
Older guides may describe the old rules. This guide sticks to Target’s current help pages, then shows the math on a made-up purchase.
In this guide
- What does the Target price match policy cover?
- Does Target still price match Amazon and Walmart?
- What doesn’t Target price match?
- How much can you save? A worked example
- How do you ask for a price match?
- Does Target price match on Black Friday and holidays?
- How does Target compare with Walmart, Amazon and Best Buy?
- FAQ
What does the Target price match policy cover?
Target’s Price Match Guarantee works in one direction: you buy something, the price drops, and you ask for the difference. Per Target’s price match guarantee page, the lower price has to come from one of three places:
- Target.com
- A Target store (the price at your local store)
- A Target Circle deal that applies automatically once you identify yourself as a member
You can ask at the time of purchase or within 14 days after. The item has to be identical: same brand name, size, weight, color, quantity and model number. Target also says the lower price must be listed and valid when you ask, and it may decline the request if it can’t verify it.
In practice, stores match against Target.com prices, and Target.com orders get matched to in-store prices. A purchase in one store can’t be matched to a lower price at a different Target store. Items sold by Target.com or priced through the Target app aren’t eligible for matching in Alaska and Hawaii.
If you shop Target deals regularly, our Target Circle coupon page lists what’s currently live, so you can spot a lower price before you buy.
Does Target still price match Amazon and Walmart?
No. Until July 2025 Target matched certain competitors, and its own press release from October 2024 mentioned matching “select competitors’ pricing within 14 days of purchase.” Starting July 28, 2025, that stopped. Target confirmed the change to ABC News and Axios, which reported that only Target’s own store and online prices are matched now (ABC News and Axios).
The current Target price match policy lists only Target.com, Target stores and Target Circle deals as sources for a lower price. Amazon, Walmart and other retailers aren’t on it. So if a guide tells you to show a Walmart or Amazon listing at the Target Guest Services desk, it’s out of date.
Target also won’t accept comparison-shopping sites as proof, since they can show stale prices. A team member has to validate the price on Target.com or in Target’s digital ad. To see how Target sales compare with Amazon and Walmart events, read our three big October sales compared.
What doesn’t Target price match?
The exclusions are where most requests fall apart. From Target’s policy page, these can’t be matched or can’t be combined with a match. This isn’t every exclusion, so read Target’s full policy first:
- Clearance, closeout and liquidation items
- Damaged, used, open-package, refurbished, pre-owned or rent-to-own items
- Target coupons, Registry completion coupons and selectable Target Circle bonuses. These are the “just for you” offers you have to tap to add. Automatic Circle deals are different and can be matched.
- Gift card offers, including a promotional Target GiftCard that came with the original purchase
- Deals that need a minimum purchase, and discounts on a total store or site purchase
- Bundles, free items, rebates, mail-in offers, sales tax promotions, financing and credit card offers
- Pricing from typographical errors
- Non-branded items
- Pre-orders, contract mobile phones and plans, optical, product services such as warranties and assembly, and clinic and pharmacy purchases
- Alcohol, which is subject to state-by-state rules
- Target Plus items. Matched only against the same Plus partner’s lower Target.com price, and never to or from regular Target items
Manufacturer coupons are the exception that helps you: Target applies them after the match, for in-store purchases only. Target also says a team member discount can be used with a price match, and that a Target Circle Card’s 5% savings can apply to a matched item, with some restrictions.
Two more rules catch people out. Target won’t match a price that has already ended, so last week’s sale isn’t covered. Items don’t need to be in stock for a match, but Target gives no rain checks on price match requests when something is out of stock.
How much can you save? A worked example
The numbers below are hypothetical. They’re not real Target prices. They show how the rules play out.
Say you buy a small kitchen appliance in a Target store on Monday for $80.00. It’s a regular-priced item with no coupon, no clearance tag and no gift card offer.
Scenario 1: the price drops on Target.com. On Saturday, five days later, the identical model (same model number) shows $64.00 on Target.com. You bring your receipt to Guest Services and show the live Target.com price on your phone.
- Price you paid: $80.00
- Current Target.com price: $64.00
- Match: $80.00 − $64.00 = $16.00 back, which is 20% of what you paid ($16.00 ÷ $80.00)
Scenario 2: you wait too long. The same drop happens, but you only notice on day 16. The window is 14 days after purchase, so you’re out of it. The match is $0.00.
Scenario 3: the low price is a tap-to-add bonus. The $64.00 only appears after you tap to add a Target Circle bonus in the app. That’s a selectable bonus, not an automatic deal, so it can’t be matched. The match is $0.00. If the $64.00 were an automatic Circle deal and you could show membership at checkout, it would count. For how those Circle offers play out in a big sale, see our Target Circle Deal Days breakdown.
Scenario 4: Amazon is cheaper. Amazon lists the same appliance at $60.00. Target won’t match it, so you pay Target’s $64.00 or buy from Amazon. The gap is $64.00 − $60.00 = $4.00. Whether that’s worth it depends on shipping and returns. Check our Amazon coupon page before you decide. If you’re weighing a code against an automatic deal, our coupon codes vs automatic deals comparison walks through it.
The lesson: Target’s guarantee protects you from Target’s own price drops, not from other retailers’ prices.
How do you ask for a price match?
Target’s help page gives a short checklist:
- Find the current lower price on Target.com, in the Target app or in the digital ad. Screenshots and photos are not accepted, so have the live page open.
- Bring the original receipt if you’ve already bought the item. A physical or digital receipt or a packing slip works. Also have the order number and item details handy for online orders.
- Check it’s identical. Model number, size, color and quantity must all match.
- Make the request. In a store, ask at checkout or at Guest Services. For Target.com or Target app orders, chat with Target online or call Guest Services at 1-800-591-3869.
- For a Target Circle deal, show membership. Target says proof requires member sign-in, sign-up or a mobile number entered at checkout.
If you’re matching with the Target app, the app has to show the price for your current store location. Target also reserves the right to limit quantities per guest, so don’t expect a bulk match to go through.
Check a product’s past pricing before you buy to see whether a drop is likely. Our price history guide explains how to read those charts.
Does Target price match on Black Friday and holidays?
The standard 14-day policy above is what Target’s help page describes for most of the year, and the page we read doesn’t list Black Friday as an exclusion. Target also runs a separate Holiday Price Match Guarantee, and the 2026 dates are now posted. Target’s price match guarantee page says: “Starting November 1, 2026, if you purchase an item in store or online and the price goes lower at Target on or before December 24, 2026, you can request a price match.” Proof of purchase is required.
In plain terms, if you buy at Target between November 1 and December 24, 2026 and the price drops at Target by December 24, you can ask for the difference. Keep your receipt or order number, and have the live lower price ready, since screenshots aren’t accepted. Target’s page describes the 14-day rule for purchases made before November 1 or after December 24, which suggests the holiday window covers purchases in between, but it doesn’t spell out every detail. Read Target’s Holiday Price Match Policy before you rely on it. Retailer sale calendars matter here, so keep an eye on our Black Friday start dates by retailer.
How does Target compare with Walmart, Amazon and Best Buy?
Does Walmart price match? Only in a narrow way. According to Walmart’s price match policy, a Walmart store will match the price of the identical item advertised on Walmart.com, with restrictions, and the store manager has the final say. Its policies page lists what it won’t match, including competitor prices, Rollback, clearance and Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals, and Marketplace sellers. Orders placed on Walmart.com aren’t price matched at all. For the full rules, see our guide on whether Walmart price matches. If you’re comparing the two, our Walmart coupon page is a good place to look for a lower price first.
Does Amazon price match? No. Amazon’s pricing page says it compares prices to competitors itself and, as a result, doesn’t offer price matching compensation.
Best Buy has its own policy with its own rules, so read it on Best Buy’s site before you rely on it.
For the full Target picture, though, the answer is simple: like Walmart, Target now matches only its own prices. Unlike Walmart, whose policy as we read it has no after-purchase coverage, Target still covers its own price drops for 14 days.
FAQ
Can I get a price match after I’ve already bought something?
Yes, within 14 days of purchase outside the holiday window. Bring the original receipt or packing slip and the current lower price.
Is there a holiday price match in 2026?
Yes. Buy between November 1 and December 24, 2026, and if the price drops at Target by December 24, you can request a match. Proof of purchase is required.
Does Target price match Amazon?
No. Target stopped matching Amazon, Walmart and other competitors on July 28, 2025.
Do screenshots count as proof?
No. Target’s help page says screenshots and pictures can’t be accepted. Show the live price on Target.com, in the Target app or in the digital ad.
Can I use my Target Circle Card with a price match?
Yes. Target says the card’s 5% savings can apply to a price-matched item, with some restrictions. Check Target’s Circle Card program rules for details.
Will Target match a lower price at another Target store?
No. If you bought in one store and the lower price is at a different store, Target excludes the match. It will match Target.com for in-store purchases, and in-store prices for Target.com purchases.
Does Target price match online and in the app?
Yes. For Target.com or app purchases, chat with Target online or call Guest Services at 1-800-591-3869 within 14 days. Target matches in-store prices for online orders. It isn’t available in Alaska and Hawaii for Target.com or app prices.
Sources and last check
Target details come from Target’s price match guarantee page and price match policy article. The competitor-matching quote comes from Target’s October 2024 press release. The 2026 holiday price match window (November 1 to December 24, 2026) comes from the price match guarantee page, checked October 26, 2026. Policies change, so confirm the details with Target before you buy or request a match.