Are there any stores that price match Black Friday deals? Not officially, for the most part.

If scoring the best Black Friday deals is an art form, taking advantage of early doorbusters and cross-checking discounts between retailers are techniques of the masters. Just don't forget to read the fine print.

Some stores offer price protection, letting shoppers request adjustments if something they previously bought there gets cheaper down the road. Price matches may also be on the table if a rivaling retailer offers a better discount on the same item. However, lots of exclusions and asterisks typically apply.

This isn't to say that major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart don't offer identical deals during savings events like Black Friday, because they often do. (There's a lot of overlap among Apple products and PlayStation 5 bundles this season.) But for the most part, it's best to think of them as happy accidents rather than official policy. Target is the sole store that will actually match a rival's Black Friday deal by request.

If you buy something from a store that doesn't offer price protection and/or matching this Black Friday, be sure to take advantage of its extended holiday return policy if you spot a lower price on the item there or elsewhere: All major retailers have one in play. An extra-good deal, like a new record-low, can be worth the hassle of returning and rebuying.

Amazon's price-match policy

Price matching is a hard no from Amazon. "We constantly compare Amazon's prices to our competitors' prices to make sure that our prices are as low or lower than all relevant competitors," the retail giant explains. "As a result, we don't offer price matching."

If Amazon ever misses a better deal somewhere else, shoppers can sound the alarm using the "Tell Us About a Lower Price" feature (located under "Feedback" in an item's Product information section). But many items are excluded — Apple devices, for some — and there's no guarantee that Amazon will update its price to reflect the best discount after it's flagged.

Amazon doesn't offer price protection, either, except when it comes to "qualifying items" that are up for preorder. (If a product get cheaper there at any point between the day it's bought and the day it's released, Amazon will honor the lower price.) We recommend that shoppers bookmark the Amazon price-tracking site CamelCamelCamel, which makes it easy to vet the quality and rarity of deals there.

Best Buy's price-match policy

Best Buy will match a deal from certain competitors if it stocks the exact same item in new condition — down to the brand, model number, and color — and if the competitor has the item readily available for shipping or store pickup. (Shoppers can request matches online or in person.) But this has a bunch of exclusions attached to it, especially during the holidays.

The competitor's deal can't come from a third-party seller, nor can it involve a members-only promotion, a coupon, a clearance item, or a limited-time special (like flash sales and Lightning Deals). It can't be labeled as a Black Friday deal, either. Best Buy's price-match policy is straight-up null and void from the Thursday before Thanksgiving through the Monday after Thanksgiving to really hammer that point home.

Best Buy gives shoppers a little leeway in the form of seasonal price protection (called its "Holiday Price Match Guarantee"). Customers who purchase something from the electronics store between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31 have until Jan. 14, 2025 to ask it to honor its own new lower price, so long as the better deal applies to a new, in-stock counterpart. Certain products aren't eligible, including those that come with a third-party contract (like a cell phone plan) and holiday decor.

Target's price-match policy

The bullseye brand matches deals from Amazon and Walmart if it carries an equivalent — same name, brand, size, model number, color, weight, everything. The deal just has to be listed by the competitor (and in stock for shipping or pickup) when the match request is made. Target will honor the better discount at checkout or up to 14 days afterward, which is kind of huge. Requests can be made in stores and online.

Crucially, Amazon and Walmart's designated Black Friday deals are eligible for price matching at Target so long as they tick some boxes.

A deal doesn't count if it comes from a third-party seller, if it's on clearance, if the item is pre-owned or refurbished, if there's a promo code attached, if it's part of a Lightning Deal, if it's only for Amazon Prime members, or if it's due to a pricing error. And a competitor price match can't be combined with exclusive deals for members of Target Circle, the retailer's free rewards program.

Target will price-match its own deals for items bought online or in person if they wind up getting cheaper. (You can match an online purchase to in-store prices and vice versa, but you can't price-match between stores.) The policy went into effect on Nov. 7 and covers all purchases made at Target through Dec. 24. What's more, it applies to Target Circle deals if you're a member by the time you ask for the lower price, barring any personalized Target Circle Bonuses. Other exclusions include Target coupons, gift card freebies, phones that come with contracts, and items on preorder.

Walmart's price-match policy

Walmart doesn't price-match other retailers, full stop.

The big-box store will adjust the price of an in-store item if a shopper finds the exact same product listed for less on its website, but only at the time of checkout with a supervisor's approval. (You can't go back and request a post-purchase correction.) The stars really have to align here: The online item has to be in stock and identical; it has to be shipped and sold by Walmart itself, not a third-party ("Marketplace") seller; and it can't be a Rollback, on clearance, or part of a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale.

Walmart will not honor price matches between stores because their inventories are managed independently. "[A] manager may lower a price to clear out an overstock item, to reward customers with an in-store sale, or to compete with local merchants," it says. "It is not our policy to price match our own stores since we are not in competition with ourselves."

There's no price protection for items sold on the Walmart website. The company's reasoning: "We strive to offer the best possible price on Walmart.com every day, on all items."