Price matching is one of the easiest ways to save in Canada: find a lower price somewhere else, show it at the till, and pay that price instead. The catch is that every store runs it differently, and several big names have quietly scaled their policies back.
We checked each retailer’s posted policy in October 2026. Here’s where things stand.
Price matching at a glance
| Store | Matches competitors? | Online prices? | After you buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Buy | Yes | Yes, Canadian retailers and authorized dealers | 30 days (60 with a My Best Buy account) |
| Home Depot | Yes, match only | Yes, including Canadian online-only stores | At purchase only; 30 days on its own major appliance price drops |
| Staples | Yes | Yes; Amazon.ca only when Amazon sells it | 30 days from receiving the item (14 for electronics) |
| Toys “R” Us | Yes, listed retailers | Yes, including Amazon.ca and Walmart.ca when they sell and ship | 14 days for competitors; 30 days for its own price drops |
| No Frills | Yes, major supermarket flyers | No | No |
| FreshCo | Beats discount grocers’ flyers by 1¢ | No | No |
| Giant Tiger | Beats local flyers by 1¢ | No | No |
| Walmart | No (ended 2020) | Matches its own Walmart.ca price in store | No |
| Costco | No | No | 30-day price adjustment on its own prices |
| Canadian Tire | Varies by store | Varies | Ask your store |
| Amazon.ca | No | No | No |
How price matching works
The details differ, but nearly every Canadian policy shares the same basic rules:
- Identical item. Same brand, model number, size and colour. “Similar” doesn’t count.
- In stock at the competitor, at that price, right now.
- A Canadian retailer, priced in Canadian dollars. Most stores add the competitor’s shipping to the price before comparing.
- Proof. The flyer, or the live product page on your phone.
- No marketplace sellers. Third-party sellers on Amazon.ca, eBay or Best Buy’s own marketplace almost never qualify.
- No clearance, open-box, refurbished or limited-quantity deals, and no prices that are themselves an error.
Best Buy
Best Buy’s Low Price Guarantee is the most generous of the big electronics retailers:
- It matches a lower price from another retailer or authorized dealer in Canada, online, in store or in print.
- You can ask before you buy or within 30 days after. With a free My Best Buy account, that window doubles to 60 days.
- If Best Buy’s own price drops within that window, bring your receipt and they’ll refund the difference.
- Store pickup orders automatically get the lower price if the in-store price is lower when you pick up.
The big exclusion: special sale prices don’t count. That includes Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Boxing Day/Week, plus members-only pricing, clearance and open-box. So you can’t take a competitor’s Boxing Day doorbuster to Best Buy and expect a match.
Home Depot
Home Depot’s Price Guarantee matches the price of an identical, in-stock item from a local Canadian store or its website, or from a major Canadian online-only retailer.
- It’s now match only. The old “beat it by 10%” promise no longer appears in the policy.
- Matches happen at the time of purchase. You can’t come back later with a lower price.
- The exception is major appliances: if Home Depot’s own price drops within 30 days, you get the difference.
- Clearance, open-box, custom orders, marketplace sellers, rebates and gift card offers are excluded, and a price match can’t be combined with a coupon or promo code.
Staples
Staples matches a current Canadian dated ad, catalogue page or competitor web page. Amazon.ca qualifies only when the item is sold by Amazon itself, not a marketplace seller. You have 30 days after receiving the item to claim (14 days for electronics).
Toys “R” Us
Toys “R” Us Canada matches retailers on its list, including Amazon.ca and Walmart.ca when they sell and ship the item themselves. If you find a lower competitor price after buying, you have 14 days. If Toys “R” Us drops its own price, you have 30 days to claim the difference. That’s handy in the run-up to Christmas.
Grocery stores: No Frills, FreshCo and Giant Tiger
Grocery price matching runs on flyers:
- No Frills matches the current flyer price of a major supermarket competitor.
- FreshCo beats a discount supermarket competitor’s flyer price by 1¢.
- Giant Tiger beats a local competitor’s flyer price by 1¢.
None of them match online-only or email offers. Bring the flyer (a flyer app on your phone works) and tell the cashier before they scan the item.
Walmart
Walmart Canada ended its competitor Ad Match program in October 2020. What’s left is narrower: in a Walmart store, it will match the price on Walmart.ca for an identical item that’s in stock online. Show the cashier the Walmart.ca listing.
Costco
Costco doesn’t price match other stores. It does offer a price adjustment: if Costco’s own price drops within 30 days of your purchase, you can claim the difference. For warehouse purchases, take your receipt to the membership counter. For Costco.ca orders, request it through Costco.ca customer service. This also catches items that show up in the next coupon book right after you bought them.
Canadian Tire
Canadian Tire stores are run by independent Associate Dealers. Canadian Tire’s website doesn’t publish a national price match policy, so price matching is up to each store. Ask at customer service before you buy, and bring the competitor’s ad or product page.
Amazon.ca
Amazon.ca doesn’t price match. Prices change constantly, though, so it’s worth checking whether an item you bought recently has dropped. Some sellers will help if you ask, but there’s no policy that requires it.
Price matching vs. price adjustment
They sound alike, but they’re different:
- Price matching means the store matches a competitor’s lower price.
- Price adjustment (sometimes called price protection) means the store refunds the difference when its own price drops after you buy.
A few stores, such as Best Buy and Toys “R” Us, do both. Costco only does adjustments. Home Depot only adjusts major appliances.
Tips to make price matching work
- Pull up the live page on your phone. A screenshot is often refused because prices change.
- Check the model number twice. Retailers love store-exclusive model numbers that make “identical” impossible.
- Add the shipping. A cheaper online price can lose its edge once delivery is added.
- Keep your receipt and set a reminder for the end of the adjustment window.
- Ask nicely, then ask a manager. Front-line staff don’t always know the full policy.
Scanned at the wrong price instead? That’s a different rule. See Price Errors in Canada for how to get an item free under the Scanner Price Accuracy Code.
FAQ
Does Walmart Canada price match Amazon?
No. Walmart Canada stopped matching competitors in 2020. In store, it will only match a lower price on Walmart.ca.
Does Best Buy price match Amazon.ca?
Only when Amazon.ca itself sells and ships the item. Marketplace sellers on Amazon.ca are excluded, and so are special sale events like Black Friday and Boxing Day.
Can I price match after I’ve already bought something?
At Best Buy (30 or 60 days), Staples (30 days, 14 for electronics) and Toys “R” Us (14 days), yes. At Home Depot, No Frills, FreshCo and Giant Tiger, it has to happen at the checkout.
Do price matches work during Black Friday and Boxing Day?
Usually not. Best Buy explicitly excludes those sale events, and most stores exclude limited-quantity doorbusters. For Black Friday and Boxing Day, watch our Black Friday Canada deals and Boxing Day guide instead.
Last checked October 2026. Retailers change these policies, sometimes without notice, so check the store’s own policy page before you rely on it.
