Does Target Price Match? 2025 Policy Changes Explained

Target ended its longtime practice of matching competitor prices like Amazon and Walmart on July 28, 2025, leaving shoppers with a smaller safety net. Here’s what the new policy means and how to still get a price adjustment.

Policy change date: July 28, 2025 ·
Competitors no longer matched: Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy ·
Matching still valid: Target.com, Target app, Target Plus ·
Price adjustment window: 14 days

Key facts about the new policy:

Does Target do a price match?

Target’s current price match policy

• Target still offers price matching, but only within its own ecosystem. As of July 28, 2025, the retailer matches prices from Target.com, the Target app, and Target Plus (Target Help).
• In-store and online purchases are eligible, provided the item is identical in brand, size, weight, color, quantity, and model number (Target Help).
• Price matches can be requested at checkout or at Guest Services within 14 days of purchase (Target Help).

What changed in July 2025

• The most significant change: Target no longer matches prices from competitors like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy (CBS News).
• Previously, Target would match any lower price from a list of competitors. Now only Target’s own prices qualify (USA Today).
• Target said the change was driven by the fact that guests overwhelmingly price match Target rather than other retailers (CBS News).

The implication: Shoppers who only buy at Target still have a safety net, but price comparison across stores is now a one-way street.

Does Target price match against Amazon?

Amazon price match no longer available

• No, Target no longer matches Amazon prices. The policy change that took effect July 28, 2025 explicitly ends price matching against Amazon and other competitors (USA Today).
• This marks a reversal of a practice that Target had maintained for 12 years, dating back to 2013 (ABC News).

Walmart and Best Buy also excluded

• Walmart and Best Buy are also no longer eligible for price matching at Target (CBS News).
• Target’s help page confirms that the lowest competitor price no longer qualifies for a Target adjustment (Target Help).

What this means: The era of using Target as a price-comparison backstop is over for Amazon purchases.

Is Target price matching this year?

2025 policy timeline

• July 18, 2025: News outlets including TIME reported that Target planned to end competitor price matching.
• July 28, 2025: The new policy took effect, removing competitor matches and retaining only internal price matching (USA Today).
• Target told Bloomberg that the change was part of a broader simplification of its pricing strategy (TIME).

What the new policy means for shoppers

• For the rest of 2025 and beyond, Target’s price match guarantee is limited to its own channels. If you buy an item at Target and see a lower price on Target.com or the app later, you can get an adjustment (Target Help).
• But if you see a lower price at Amazon, Walmart, or any other retailer, Target will not honor it (CBS News).

The pattern: Target is betting that ecosystem loyalty will keep shoppers from defecting to competitors.

What happens if you buy an item at Target and it goes on sale?

Price adjustment process

• If the price of an item you bought drops on Target.com or in a Target store within 14 days of purchase, you can request a price adjustment (Target Help).
• The adjustment applies to the difference between the purchase price and the current lower price, refunded to your original payment method (USA Today).
• You can request at Guest Services (in-store) or by contacting Target’s customer service (Target Help).

How to request a refund for a price drop

1. Keep your receipt or order confirmation.
2. Go to Target’s Guest Services desk or call Target customer service.
3. Provide the item’s details and the current lower price (must be from Target.com or a Target store).
4. A team member will validate the price on Target.com or a digital ad (Target Help).
5. If approved, the refund will be issued to the original payment method.

The catch: The adjustment process is straightforward, but the window is short and the price must be Target’s own.

What is Target’s 10/4 rule?

Employee interaction guideline

• The 10/4 rule is a customer service guideline for Target employees. It means employees greet customers when they are within 10 feet, and make eye contact within 4 feet (Target Help).
• It is not a price matching rule and has no connection to the price adjustment policy.

Difference from price matching

• The 10/4 rule is about in-store engagement, while price matching is a financial policy. Many shoppers confuse the two, but they are completely separate.
• The new price match policy does not affect the 10/4 rule, which remains unchanged.

What this means: The 10/4 rule is a helpful customer service standard, but it has nothing to do with getting a better price at checkout.

Can you price match at Target?

Eligibility for price match

• Yes, you can still price match at Target, but only for prices from Target.com, the Target app, or Target Plus (Target Help).
• Competitor prices are no longer accepted. This includes any retailer, online or physical store (CBS News).
• Price matches are valid for identical items and require validation by a team member (Target Help).

Where to find current policy details

• The official policy is available on Target’s Help page.
• News outlets like USA Today and TIME have summarized the change.

How the old and new policies compare:

The pattern: The only change is the removal of competitor matching; everything else remains identical.

Steps to request a price adjustment at Target

1. Check if the item’s price has dropped on Target.com or in a Target store within 14 days of purchase.
2. Gather your receipt or order confirmation number.
3. Visit a Target Guest Services desk or call Target’s customer service line.
4. Provide the item details and the current lower price (must be from Target’s own channels).
5. A team member will verify the price on Target.com or a digital ad (Target Help).
6. If approved, you’ll receive a refund for the difference to your original payment method.

Timeline of Target’s price match policy

• Before July 2025: Target matched competitor prices within 14 days of purchase.
• July 18, 2025: News outlets reported Target’s plan to end competitor price matching (TIME).
• July 25, 2025: Forbes reports on the policy change (YouTube/NBC broadcast clip).
• July 28, 2025: New policy takes effect; competitor matches no longer accepted (CBS News).
• After July 2025: Only internal price matching (Target.com, app, Target Plus) remains.

Clarity: What’s confirmed and what’s unclear

Confirmed facts

• Target ended competitor price matching on July 28, 2025 (CBS News).
• Target still matches prices from Target.com, app, and Target Plus (Target Help).
• Price adjustment window remains 14 days (USA Today).
• Target’s policy change was first reported on July 18, 2025 (TIME).
• Target had matched competitor prices for 12 years (ABC News).
• Target’s help page details the exclusions (Target Circle Bonuses, gift card offers, etc.) (Target Help).

What’s unclear

• Whether Target will ever reintroduce competitor price matching.
• Exactly how many customers used competitor price matching before the change.
• Whether other retailers will follow Target’s lead and end their own competitor price matching.

Quotes from the announcement

“Target said guests overwhelmingly price match Target rather than other retailers.”

CBS News (established news outlet)

“Target’s policy change aligns more closely with broader retail-industry practices.”

USA Today (major U.S. newspaper)

“Target told Bloomberg News that it would update the policy on July 28 and simplify its pricing strategy.”

TIME (news magazine)

Summary: What this means for your wallet

Target’s decision to end competitor price matching is a clear shift from a decade-long practice to a more insular pricing strategy. Shoppers who previously relied on matching Amazon or Walmart prices now have a simpler choice: commit to Target’s ecosystem for the 14-day adjustment window, or shop competitor sales without a safety net. For Target, the gamble is that loyalty benefits and convenience will outweigh the loss of a competitive price guarantee. For the shopper, the implication is clear: always check the price before you buy, because the window to get a better deal just got narrower.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• 1-888-280-4331 Amazon Phone Number: Official Support
• Capital One Near Me: Branches, ATMs & Cafés Guide