Price Adjustments in Canada – The Ultimate Resource

Have you ever made a purchase only to see the item reduced a short time later? Did you know you can often get a refund for the difference if the Canadian store offers price adjustments?

How do Price Adjustments Work?

Let’s say you bought pants from Old Navy for $20. Five days later, they go on sale for $10. You have already worn them so you can’t return them and purchase them again. BUT…bring your receipt in and Old Navy will refund you the difference.

Stretch your shopping budget even further by getting price adjustments.

Price Adjustments in Canada – The Ultimate Resource

A price adjustment may be offered if an item goes on sale soon after you purchased it. Many stores will refund you the difference if you present your original sales receipt within their time frame. Some stores will even match competitor prices on the item you have purchased.

Keep Your Receipts

We recommend keeping receipts for a while, particularly if you hope to cash in on a price adjustment. Before filing them into my budget binder, I keep receipts in my wallet for a few weeks. That way, if I am in the mall I can check on the price of my recent purchase in person.

Mark Your Calendar

If you have purchased something at Old Navy on November 5^th, and they offer price adjustments for 14 days, make a note on your calendar to call before the deadline (ex. November 17^th).

Call a salesperson and ask for the current price of the item you bought. This should be easy since you have kept your receipt, which will have the store phone number and the product code for the item. If your $40 sweater is now $25, you qualify for a $15 refund (plus tax).

Know Store Policies

If you want to take advantage of price adjustments in Canada, here is a list of stores that offer this perk. Readers on the MapleMoney facebook page helped compile this list. Comment if any information should be updated.

Aeropostale will refund the difference if the price in their store drops within 14 days.

Best Buy will match the price on merchandise if the price lowers within 30 days of purchase.

Canadian Tire will honour the sale price in-store if you bought regular-priced items online. Bring your receipt for the adjustment when you pick up the ordered item. See the Canadian Tire price match policy here.

Children’s Place will refund the difference in price if you purchase an item at full retail price and it’s discounted within seven days of your purchase.

Future Shop If you find a lower price online, in-store, or in print within 30 days of your purchase, they will beat that price by 10% of the difference.

Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic will offer an adjustment on full-price items if they are marked down within 14 days of purchase.

Giant Tiger does not have a price adjustment policy but they will allow you to return an item within 90 days and then repurchase it (so it must still have tags on).

Gymboree will provide a price adjustment if an item is discounted within seven days of purchase but not always during promotions.

Home Depot will refund the difference if a price drops within 30 days of your purchase. They will also honour lower prices from other stores, as long as the item is not on clearance.

Leons will refund you the difference within 60 days of your purchase, if the identical merchandise is at a lower published price by an authorized Canadian dealer in the same local area.

London Drugs will do a price adjustment for up to 30 days based on a competitor’s lower price for the same item.

National Sports will do a price adjustment within 30 days if the price drops at their store.

Old Navy will offer an adjustment on full-price items if they are marked down within 14 days of purchase.

Sears will refund the difference if an item you buy goes on sale up to 90 days after a purchase on your Sears Financial Credit Card.

Sport Chek will refund the difference if an item is advertised at a lower price within 30 days of your purchase.

Staples If you find a lower advertised price on an in-stock identical item from an Authorized Canadian dealer within 30 days of your purchase (14 days on computers and laptops), they will match it and give you 10% of the difference as a credit to your purchase (maximum $50 credit).

Target Will refund the difference if a price drops at Target or at another store (with a copy of their flyer) within 7 days of your purchase.

The Brick If you should find the same brand and model advertised by either The Brick or a competitor at a lower price within 30 days of purchase, they will refund the difference (90 days on mattresses or appliances if you use the Brick Card Platinum).

Toys R Us customers can receive a price adjustment if an item they purchased is advertised at a lower price at a local competitor within seven days of their original purchase, with a valid receipt.

Walmart If a customer has purchased an item from any Walmart store that is now offered at a lower Walmart price, the store will refund the difference, excluding clearance, within 30 days (with a receipt).

Speak to a manager if the store does not have an official policy for price adjustments in Canada. Or, you could purchase the EXACT same item again, and then return it with your original receipt with the higher price, if it is still within the refund time frame.

It does not make sense to watch for price drops for every purchase, but it is worth it for larger items, or items you suspect will have a price drop soon. This takes price matching to a whole new level-getting great deals even AFTER your purchase.

How have you saved money doing price adjustments?