If you’ve got a gamer in the family (or maybe you’re one yourself), you may have wondered, “Does GameStop price match?” And the answer is tricky because, unfortunately, there isn’t a direct answer. As of August 2022, GameStop doesn’t have an official policy about price matching that’s written in stone. But … GameStop will match competitors’ prices if you shop in store. I verified this through my local store and also contacted customer service. GameStop also posted on Twitter about this unofficial policy as of Aug. 7, 2022.
Although GameStop is a tech retailer, it sometimes feels like they’re behind the times. I often think they’re not even in the race with their competition (like Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Amazon), especially after many GameStop stores were liquidated in 2020.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t use GameStop to get the best deals and the lowest prices on cheap video games. If you have a family full of gamers like I do, you know it gets expensive to buy the latest games for everyone. To be honest, I don’t want to wait for GameStop Black Friday deals, so how do we get the best price on games? We match competitors’ prices at GameStop, of course!
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, be sure to download the KCL app for the latest deals and money-saving tips.
1. What is price matching, anyway?
When a retailer has an item on sale or for a low regular price, price matching lets you ask another retailer to lower the price on their item to match the competitor’s price.
For example, you see Target has a Nintendo Switch game on sale for $29.99. You’re currently at GameStop, so you show them the price on Target.com. Because of their (unofficial) price matching policy, GameStop will override their price of $59.99 to match the $29.99 price at Target. Now you’ll pay only $29.99 at GameStop for the game, even though it’s not actually on sale at GameStop. Easy peasy.
2. Does GameStop price match in store? It depends.
Because the policy isn’t officially posted on GameStop’s website, price matching is still up to each location. When I reached out to GameStop customer service, they said, “The store may or may not be able to match prices. You would have to contact any local stores and ask about their price matching policies.”
If you visit your local GameStop store and ask, you may find that they’ll price-match competitors such as Amazon, Best Buy, Target, or Walmart. IMO, this might be a step in the right direction for GameStop catching up to their competition.
3. If you shop online, does GameStop price match?
As of August 2022, GameStop online purchases aren’t eligible for price matches. The few times I tried to use the chat feature on the GameStop website, it said the representatives were away. My local store did mention they intend to add price matching to their GameStop online platform sometime this year. I would expect price matching to become available online in the future.
TIP: We found all the big retailers who will price match their competitors.
4. What items will GameStop price match?
If you’re going to price match at GameStop, you should know what you can and can’t price match. My store said that to price match, it has to be the exact same product, it has to be in stock, and it can’t be from a marketplace reseller. They also won’t price-match bundles, rebates, coupons, or flash deals. This GameStop price matching policy is pretty consistent with most price-matching policies I’ve seen.
5. GameStop will only price match four competitors.
When I checked at my local GameStop store, they said they’ll price match only four competitors: Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy. The product will only be price matched if it’s sold and shipped by the competitor, not a third-party seller. Be sure to ask your local store who they price match, since it may be different.
6. Many competitors will match GameStop’s prices.
If heading to a GameStop is out of the way for you, a handful of competitors will match GameStop’s prices, too. Best Buy will price match GameStop if the store is within 25 miles. GameStop is also an approved retailer for price matching at Target and for Newegg.com. But GameStop isn’t included in Walmart’s price matching policy because they don’t view them as a direct competitor.
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