Price Drop Refunds: How to Get Money Back When Prices Drop After You Buy

You bought a new TV on Monday. By Friday, the price dropped $80. Sound familiar? Most people shrug it off as bad luck—but you might actually be owed that money back.

Price adjustment policies (also called price protection or price matching) are one of the most underused money-saving tools in retail. Major stores will refund you the difference if the price drops within a certain window after your purchase—but only if you ask.

What Is a Price Adjustment?

A price adjustment is when a retailer refunds you the difference between what you paid and a new, lower price—within a specific time window after your purchase. It's essentially a partial refund without having to return and re-buy the item.

This isn't the same as price matching (where a store matches a competitor's price at the time of purchase). Price adjustments apply after you've already bought the item.

Price Adjustment Policies by Retailer (2026)

🎯 Target

🏬 Walmart

🍎 Apple

🛋️ Costco

📦 Amazon

🏠 Best Buy

Why Most People Miss Out on Price Drop Refunds

Here's the frustrating reality: most people never claim price adjustments, even when they're entitled to them. Why?

• They don't know the policy exists — retailers don't exactly advertise this
• They don't track prices after buying — once you checkout, who keeps watching?
• They lose receipts — no proof of purchase = no adjustment
• The window passes — 14 days goes by fast when you're not paying attention

According to a 2025 Consumer Reports study, the average American household misses out on $340/year in price adjustments and missed return deadlines combined.

How to Never Miss a Price Drop Again

The manual approach works, but it's tedious:

1. Save every receipt (digital or paper)
2. Set calendar reminders for each return/adjustment window
3. Check prices daily on items you recently bought
4. Contact customer service to request the adjustment

Or you can automate it. Apps like Purchy connect to your email, automatically detect purchases from your receipts, track prices, and alert you when something you bought drops in price—before the adjustment window closes.

Step-by-Step: Claiming a Price Adjustment

1. Find your receipt — check email, the retailer's app, or your Purchy dashboard
2. Verify the price drop — screenshot the current lower price
3. Check the window — make sure you're within the adjustment period
4. Contact the retailer — in-store, phone, or online chat
5. Request the adjustment — provide your order number and proof of the lower price
6. Get your refund — usually credited to your original payment method within 3-5 business days

Credit Card Price Protection: Your Secret Weapon

Some credit cards offer built-in price protection that goes beyond retailer policies:

• Citi Price Rewind — automatically tracks prices for 60 days after purchase
• Chase Sapphire — discontinued price protection in 2018 (check your specific card)
• Capital One — offers Paribus-style price tracking on select cards
• Discover — price protection benefit covers up to $500 per claim

Check your credit card benefits—you might already have automatic price protection and not know it.

The Bottom Line

Price drops happen constantly. The difference between people who save money and people who don't isn't luck—it's awareness and systems. Whether you track prices manually, use credit card benefits, or let an app like Purchy do it automatically, the key is having a system in place.

Because the money is there. You just have to ask for it.