Do You Know about Credit Card Price Matching?

Most of us are familiar with Walmart’s “low price guarantee,” in which Walmart matches the advertised price from another store. All you have to do is prove that the other store is offering a lower price on the exact same item, and you can buy it at Walmart for that lesser amount instead.

A number of credit card companies have a similar program, and most cardholders have no idea these programs exist. Citi, Discover, and MasterCard all offer price matching options, where you can get as much as $500 back on your card if you find items for lower prices in other stores.

Let’s say you buy a roll of paper towels from CVS for $5.97. You find that same roll a week later at Target on sale for $3.99. If you have a credit card that will allow price matching, you could get a refund from the card company for the extra $1.98 you spent at Target.

Credit card companies want you to have confidence when you shop. If you are hesitant because you think a better deal is out there, you are less likely to spend money on the card. By offering a price matching option, they let you spend without worrying about another store offering a lower price.

There are a lot of stipulations with these programs, so you can’t expect to get thousands of dollars back each year. Common exclusions include art, food, antiques, jewelry, motorized vehicles, travel items, items sold at business closeouts, items sold in limited quantities, items sold on online auction sites, and animals. The price matching program is only good for a limited amount of time after you purchase an item, so it’s wise to check the terms and conditions of your card to see how long this benefit exists.

Each credit card company has a monetary limit on the price match as well. Discover’s annual limit is $2,500, and MasterCard and Citi have limits of $1,000.

You also have to jump through a hoop or two to get the cash back. You need to show proof of the purchase, proof of the sale, and proof that the items are identical.

In the case of the $1.98 savings in the example, that money might not be worth the hassle.

Nevertheless, be aware of this potential savings opportunity with certain credit card companies. It could come in handy just in time for your holiday shopping.