How to use the price match savings calculator
- Enter the price you paid for one item and the lower price found elsewhere.
- Enter the quantity you bought. The starting value is 1.
- If the store promises to beat a lower price by a percent, enter it under Extra off the lower price. Leave 0 for a plain match.
- Enter the sales tax rate you were charged. It starts at 0. Read the refund, the matched price and what you end up paying. Use Copy, Print or CSV to keep it.
Formula
Matched price = lower price x (1 - extra percent / 100)
Difference per item = price paid - matched price (never below zero)
Refund before tax = difference per item x quantity
Refund including tax = refund before tax x (1 + tax rate / 100)
If the lower price is not lower than what you paid, the refund is zero and the headline says so.
$49 versus $42
You paid $49 and found the same item for $42 elsewhere. A plain price match refunds the difference of $7, so you end up paying $42. That is 14.29% off what you paid.
Say you bought 3 of them and the store beats prices by 10%. The matched price is $42 x 0.90 = $37.80, the difference is $11.20 each, and the refund before tax is $33.60. With a 5% tax rate on the purchase, the refund including tax is $35.28. The tool shows the matched price, the difference per item and the final cost so you can check a receipt.
How price matching and price adjustment work
A price match is a store policy to charge you the price of a competitor for the same item. A price adjustment is a related policy that refunds the difference when a store lowers its own price shortly after you buy. The policies differ in the time window, the competitors that count, and whether online or clearance prices qualify.
The calculator does the arithmetic once you know the lower price and the policy. It cannot tell whether your request would be accepted, so read the store's policy and keep proof of the lower price, such as a screenshot with the date.
Getting the most from a match
Make sure the items are really identical, including model number, size and condition. A cheaper price on a different pack size is a comparison of unit prices rather than a match, and the unit price calculator is the right tool there. Remember shipping: a lower item price with paid shipping may not be lower overall.
To work out a sale price first, use the discount calculator. The coupon vs percent off calculator helps when you have a coupon and a price match on the same item, and the sales tax calculator shows the tax on any price.
Assumptions and limits
- The refund is the difference between the price you paid and the matched price, times the quantity.
- Tax is the rate you enter, applied to the refund. No tax rate is built in, and it starts at 0.
- Whether a store accepts a match, and for which prices, is up to its policy and is not modeled.
- Shipping, fees and promotions on either price are not included unless you fold them into the prices you enter.
Frequently asked questions
How much will a price match refund me?
The difference between what you paid and the matched price, times the quantity, plus the tax on that difference if tax was charged. A plain match of $49 down to $42 is $7 on one item.
What does extra off the lower price mean?
Some stores promise to beat a competitor's price by a percent. If yours does, enter that percent and the tool lowers the matched price by it. Leave it at 0 for a plain match.
What if the other price is higher than mine?
Then there is nothing to match. The tool shows no refund due and the matched price stays at what you paid.
Do I get the tax back too?
When you are refunded part of the price, the tax paid on that part is normally refunded as well. Enter the rate on your receipt to see it, or leave 0 to ignore tax.