Does Best Buy Price Match, and Is Open Box Worth It? (US 2026)

Published: 8 October 2026 · Author: Ziling Liu, Personal Finance Editor, ShopBack US

Yes: in the US, Best Buy price matches key online and local competitors on new items it sells, under a Price Match Guarantee effective September 2, 2026, but open-box, clearance, refurbished and Marketplace items are excluded. Open-box is often worth it on big-ticket tech, because according to Best Buy it keeps the same return window as new: 15 days, or 60 days for My Best Buy Plus ($29.99 a year) and Total ($199.99 a year) members. The last step on any order: go through ShopBack US before you check out.

ShopBack US is a free app and website that returns part of what you spend at partner stores as cash you can withdraw. Best Buy is a ShopBack US store: start from ShopBack's Best Buy page, check out on BestBuy.com as normal, and after the order is confirmed, cash comes back to your account. Join ShopBack US for free before your next Best Buy order.

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The verdict

Price match for new items, open-box for big items you are happy to inspect, and ShopBack on every order. Price matching only helps when a Qualified Competitor shows a lower price on the exact same new product. Open-box helps most on TVs, laptops and audio, where a percentage off a high price adds up and the return window protects you. Neither replaces the other, and both work best when the order starts from ShopBack's Best Buy page.

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Does Best Buy price match?

Yes, Best Buy price matches, but only on new products it sells itself and only against its list of Qualified Competitors. According to Best Buy's Price Match Guarantee page, at the time of writing, an item qualifies when it is:

• Identical to the competitor's product: same brand, model number and color
• New, not open-box, refurbished or pre-owned
• Immediately available for shipping or Store Pickup from the Qualified Competitor
• Not on Best Buy's exclusions list

You get one price match per identical item, per customer, at the current pre-tax price available to all customers. Best Buy also matches its own channels: it matches its online and app prices on in-store purchases, and its in-store prices on online and app purchases.

How to ask for it. Online, open Best Buy Chat and point to the ad or web page showing the lower price, or call 1-888-BEST BUY (1-888-237-8289). In store, show the competitor's ad or website to any employee, who will check it. If you already received or picked up an online order, Best Buy says you can check price match availability from the Order Details page.

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Does Best Buy price match in 2026: what the current policy says

The policy in force for 2026 carries an effective date of September 2, 2026, according to Best Buy. The main rules to know before the holiday season:

Rule	What Best Buy says
Who it matches	Key online and local competitors on its Qualified Competitors list
What it covers	New products sold by Best Buy, immediately available
What it skips	Marketplace products, clearance, refurbished, open-box, pre-owned
Holiday blackout	Competitor prices from the Thursday before Thanksgiving through the Monday after
Its own price drops	Matched on request during your return and exchange period
Member-only prices	Not matched (membership and paid loyalty pricing is excluded)

For 2026, that holiday blackout runs from Thursday, November 19 to Monday, November 30, since Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26. Items marked as Black Friday pricing are also excluded.

The list of things Best Buy does not match is long, and worth reading before you start a chat. It includes contract cell phones, delivery and installation charges, pre-order offers, trade-in offers, special daily or hourly sales, bundle offers, subscription services, free items, pricing errors, mail-in and coupon offers, limited-quantity and out-of-stock items, credit card and gift card offers. Best Buy also says it may test the policy in select locations and may change the terms at any time, and Puerto Rico stores have their own posted policy.

The most useful rule is the one many people miss: if Best Buy itself drops the price while you are still inside the return window, it will match that lower price on request. For a TV bought in October, that can matter more than any competitor match.

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Is open box worth it at Best Buy?

Often yes, for larger electronics where you can check the condition notes, because open-box keeps the same return window as new at Best Buy. According to Best Buy's Return and Exchange Policy, the return period starts the day you receive the product and applies to new, clearance, open-box, refurbished and pre-owned products alike:

Member status	Most products	Activatable devices (phones, cellular tablets, hotspots, cellular wearables)
Standard	15 days	14 days
My Best Buy Plus and Total	60 days	14 days

Plus and Total extended windows do not apply to Marketplace purchases. Best Buy lists restocking fees on some categories: $45 for activatable devices (excluding prepaid phones) and 15% of the item price for drones, digital cameras, camera lenses, camcorders, projectors and some other categories, with no fee if the product is unopened or in states where it is not allowed.

When open-box makes sense:

• TVs, laptops, monitors and headphones, where even a modest percentage off saves real dollars
• Items you can test fully within 15 days (or 60 days as a Plus or Total member)
• Listings where the condition description and included accessories are clear

When to think twice:

• Categories with a restocking fee, like cameras and projectors, if you might return it
• Phones and other activatable devices, which have a shorter 14-day window
• Listings that do not say whether the original accessories are in the box

Remember the trade-off: open-box items cannot be price matched. If a competitor has the same model new for less, a price match on new can beat the open-box price, so compare both.

Where to find open-box. Open-box items appear as an option on many BestBuy.com product pages. Best Buy also runs Best Buy Outlet stores and an online outlet at BestBuy.com/outlet with discounted clearance and open-box products, according to Best Buy's corporate site.

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Best Buy cheapest way to save money: tips for US shoppers in 2026

The cheapest way to buy at Best Buy is usually to combine its own savings routes in order, then finish through ShopBack. A practical order of operations:

1. Check the open-box and outlet price for the same model on BestBuy.com.
2. Compare the new price with Qualified Competitors, and ask for a price match if one is lower.
3. Check member prices if you already pay for My Best Buy Plus or Total; these show when you are signed in.
4. Consider trade-in credit for an old phone, laptop or console.
5. Start the order from ShopBack's Best Buy page so cash comes back on what you actually pay.
6. Watch the price after you buy. If Best Buy drops its own price within your return window, ask it to match.

Step 5 is the one people skip. Just as with Booking.com, Trip.com, Agoda and Expedia, going through ShopBack is an essential step before you check out at Best Buy, so you pay less on the same order.

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Best Buy official deals and where to find them on bestbuy.com

Best Buy's official deals live in a few places on its own site: Top Deals, Deal of the Day, the outlet, member offers and trade-in. These all appear in Best Buy's own site navigation, and the prices change constantly, so check the product page on the day you buy rather than relying on a screenshot.

For "site:bestbuy.com cheapest way" type searches, the cheapest routes Best Buy itself publishes are its Price Match Guarantee, open-box listings, Best Buy Outlet, member prices for Plus and Total, and trade-in credit. BestBuy.com also lists items from third-party sellers through Best Buy Marketplace, so check whether an item is sold by Best Buy or by a Marketplace seller, since Marketplace items fall outside both price match and the extended member return window.

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My Best Buy rewards: the official programme in 2026

Best Buy's membership has three tiers in 2026, and the two paid tiers earn reward points on eligible purchases. According to Best Buy's June 4, 2026 announcement:

Tier	Price	Main benefits
My Best Buy	Free	Free standard shipping
My Best Buy Plus	$29.99 a year	1% back in rewards, free two-day shipping, member prices and offers, early access to sales, 60-day return window on most products
My Best Buy Total	$199.99 a year	Everything in Plus, plus product protection plans including AppleCare+, 24/7 tech support, free in-store and remote computer and tablet services, 20% off repairs

Plus and Total members can track points in a membership hub on BestBuy.com and the Best Buy app. A rough rule: if you buy a few larger items a year, the longer return window and free two-day shipping may be worth the $29.99 on their own. Total makes more sense if you would otherwise buy separate protection plans.

Keep in mind that member-only prices are not matched for other shoppers, and Best Buy does not match a competitor's member price for you.

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Best Buy credit card rewards offers in 2026

Best Buy's own card is the My Best Buy Credit Card, and Plus and Total members who use it earn a higher reward rate. Best Buy says Plus and Total members earn 6% back in rewards on eligible purchases when they use the My Best Buy Credit Card, made up of the 1% membership rate and 5% from the card. Card offers are themselves excluded from price match.

You can still go through ShopBack when you pay with a card. Card rewards and what comes back from ShopBack usually work independently, but the card issuer and Best Buy set their own rules, so check the merchant's terms and the card terms before you count on both.

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Best Buy cashback in 2026: how cashback sites work with Best Buy

Cashback sites give you part of what you spend back as cash when you start your order from them, and Best Buy is one of the stores on ShopBack US. People often search cashback portals for electronics stores like Best Buy and Newegg in one go. Here is how ShopBack works with Best Buy:

1. Go to ShopBack's Best Buy page on the website or app and tap through to BestBuy.com.
2. Shop and check out on BestBuy.com in the same session, as you normally would.
3. After the order is confirmed, cash comes back to your ShopBack account, and you withdraw it once it is approved.

ShopBack is a post-purchase discount: go through it before you pay and the effective price drops. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.

What this looks like on a real order (illustrative). On a $500 open-box TV at an illustrative 2%, $10 comes back, so the effective price is $490. That is an example only: check the live rate shown on ShopBack's Best Buy page, because rates and exclusions change and some product categories can earn a different amount or nothing.

Other electronics and big-box stores on ShopBack US include Newegg, Target, Walmart and Samsung, so the same step applies when you compare prices across stores.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Best Buy price match in 2026?

Yes. According to Best Buy's Price Match Guarantee, effective September 2, 2026, Best Buy matches the current product price of key online and local competitors it calls Qualified Competitors, for immediately available new products sold by Best Buy. The item must be the same brand, model number and color, and the match happens at the time of sale.

Does Best Buy price match open-box items?

No. Best Buy's Price Match Guarantee excludes open-box, clearance, refurbished and pre-owned items, as well as Marketplace items sold by third-party sellers on BestBuy.com. Open-box is a separate way to pay less, not something you can price match.

Is open box at Best Buy worth it?

It is often worth it for big-ticket tech like TVs, laptops and headphones when the condition notes are clear. According to Best Buy's return policy, open-box items get the same return window as new ones: 15 days for most products, or 60 days for My Best Buy Plus and Total members, starting the day you receive the item. Check what is included in the box before you buy.

Will Best Buy match its own lower price after I buy?

Yes, on request. Best Buy's policy says that if it lowers its in-store, online or app price during your return and exchange period, it will match its own lower price when you ask. Online orders can check this on the Order Details page or through Best Buy Chat.

Does Best Buy price match during Black Friday?

Not for competitor prices in that window. Best Buy's policy excludes items for sale at a Qualified Competitor from the Thursday before Thanksgiving through the Monday after Thanksgiving, plus anything marked as Black Friday pricing. In 2026 that window runs from Thursday, November 19 to Monday, November 30.

Does Best Buy price match Marketplace sellers or member prices?

No. Best Buy does not match Marketplace products from third-party sellers, on its own site or on a competitor's site, and it does not match prices offered only to select groups such as members of a membership or paid loyalty programme.

How much are My Best Buy Plus and Total in 2026?

According to Best Buy's June 4, 2026 announcement, My Best Buy Plus costs $29.99 a year and My Best Buy Total costs $199.99 a year. Both include member prices, free two-day shipping, a 60-day return window on most products and 1% back in rewards on eligible purchases. My Best Buy, the free tier, includes free standard shipping.

What is the cheapest way to buy from Best Buy?

Usually a combination: compare the price with a Qualified Competitor and ask for a price match on new items, look at open-box and Best Buy Outlet listings for bigger items, use member prices if you already pay for Plus or Total, and start the order from ShopBack's Best Buy page so cash comes back on what you pay.

Can I get cash back on a Best Buy order?

Yes, through ShopBack US. Best Buy is a ShopBack US store: start from ShopBack's Best Buy page, check out on BestBuy.com as normal, and part of what you pay comes back as cash after the order is confirmed. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order, like a discount on the price. Check the live rate and exclusions on the page before you order.

Does a price match change what ShopBack gives back?

Cash back through ShopBack is usually worked out on the amount you actually pay, so a lower matched price usually means a smaller amount back but a lower total. Some purchase types can be excluded, so check the terms on ShopBack's Best Buy page before you order.

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Key takeaways

• Best Buy price matches Qualified Competitors on new items it sells, under a policy effective September 2, 2026.
• Open-box, clearance, refurbished, pre-owned and Marketplace items cannot be price matched.
• Competitor matching pauses from Thursday, November 19 to Monday, November 30, 2026, around Thanksgiving.
• Best Buy matches its own lower price on request during your return window.
• Open-box keeps the same return window as new: 15 days, or 60 days for Plus ($29.99 a year) and Total ($199.99 a year) members.
• Start every Best Buy order from ShopBack's Best Buy page and check the live rate there first.

Start your Best Buy order from ShopBack Check the live rate and exclusions, then tap through to BestBuy.com so cash comes back on the same order.

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Related reads

• Best Buy vs Amazon vs Costco for TVs in the US (2026)
• iPhone 17: Verizon vs AT&T vs Best Buy Trade-In (2026)
• The Cheapest Month to Buy a Laptop in the US (2026)
• Costco vs Sam's Club vs BJ's for TVs This Holiday (2026)

Sources

• Best Buy Price Match Guarantee (effective September 2, 2026)
• Best Buy Return and Exchange Policy
• Best Buy: My Best Buy Plus and Total members earn reward points (June 4, 2026)
• Best Buy: How to shop at Best Buy in your local area

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Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author.

Best Buy's price match terms, exclusions, return windows, restocking fees, membership prices and reward rates can change. Please check the current terms on BestBuy.com before you buy, and check the live rate and exclusions on ShopBack's Best Buy page before you order.

This article is for general information only and is not financial advice.