Everybody knows you can get a price adjustment within 7-14 days if an item you bought goes on sale (depending on the retailer).
But there are two things most people don’t realize.
First, you don’t have to babysit your purchases, waiting for a price drop! And second, you can get price adjustments on bigger purchases like flights and hotel rooms too.
Here’s how I do it:
1. Put Paribus to work getting your money from retailers when the price drops.
Lots of stores have a price adjustment period that allows you to claim the difference if the price drops on an item you bought. But it’s nearly impossible to keep tabs on every purchase you make and watch for a price drop, right?!
So, just let Paribus do it for you. Paribus will monitor your online purchases from stores they monitor and let you know how to get the difference if prices drop on eligible items you’ve already bought. Best part? You keep 100% of the difference.
Paribus will help you get you price adjustments from loads of retailers like Target and Anthropologie. I got $40 back just last week when one item I’d purchased from Anthropologie the week before dropped in price!
Paribus compensates us when you sign up for Paribus using the links we provided.
2. Fly Southwest, Alaska or Jet Blue and get a price adjustment on your airfare if the price drops.
You’ll need to do the legwork to get your price adjustment, but all three of these airlines will give you the difference in one form or another. The savings are usually worth it when it comes to airlines.
Southwest Airlines
You can request a price adjustment up to 10 minutes before your flight takes off. Be aware that you’ll receive compensation in the form of a travel credit that will expire one year from when you booked your flight.
Alaska Airlines
Just like Southwest, you can get a price adjustment on your Alaska flight up to the day of departure. Enter your flight information here, and if Alaska can find a lower fare on the exact flight and itinerary, you’ll get credit. You’ll have 12 months to use your travel credit.
Jet Blue
Less flexible overall, Jet Blue only gives you 5 days after purchase to request a price adjustment. You’ll get a year from when your credit is issued and it’s transferable, which is something even Southwest doesn’t offer! Call a customer service agent in order to get your price adjustment.
3. Use DreamCheaper to rebook your hotel room if they find a lower price.
Book your hotel on any platform and then send your booking to DreamCheaper by email or through their website. DreamCheaper will go to work finding you a lower room rate with a 60% success rate. You must book “free cancellation” rooms in order for DreamCheaper to rebook.
Only catch is DreamCheaper takes 20% of the difference they save you. But hey, it’s money you didn’t have a minute ago!
4. Make purchases before Victoria’s Secret Semi-Annual Sale, and take your receipt in during the sale to get the lower price.
Why bother doing this? The best reason is to be sure you can get what you want before it’s sold out. Inventory gets picked over fast during Victoria’s Secret Semi-Annual Sales. So shop a few days before the start of the sales in January and June.
During this time, prices reach up to 50% off across the board. (If something you bought doesn’t actually go on sale, just return if if you don’t want it.)
Next, show up during the sale with your receipt, and request a price adjustment.
5. Use Walmart’s Savings Catcher to get automatic price adjustments if Walmart finds a cheaper price elsewhere.
Savings Catcher lives inside the Walmart app, and it’s so easy that there’s no reason not to do it. Just scan the QR code on your Walmart receipt, and Savings Catcher will go to work checking nearby competitors for a lower price. If the app finds a lower price, Walmart will give you the difference.
6. Join IKEA FAMILY and get 90 days to request a price adjustment if your item goes on sale.
You read that right — 90 days!
Three months is absolutely unheard of where price adjustments are concerned. Just join IKEA’s free loyalty program — IKEA FAMILY — to get this perk. When you see a lower price on an item you bought, bring your receipt into the store and get the difference refunded.
7. Shop at Costco and you’ll get 30 days to request a price adjustment.
Similar to IKEA, Costco offers a longer-than-usual price adjustment period. Just bring your item and receipt back into the store if you see a sale price on the same item within 30 days of your purchase.
8. Get a Capital One credit card that offers price protection.
Many credit cards offer price protection, which is basically an extended period of time where you can request a price adjustment if you find an item on sale that you bought with your credit card.
Capital One cards like the QuicksilverOne Card offer 60 days to request an adjustment (from your date of purchase). In this time frame, you can call customer service and file a claim to receive credit for the difference. You’ll get up to $250 worth of adjustments every year, but you can’t exceed four claims in a year.
9. Get an online Lululemon price if it’s cheaper than the in-store price.
And vice versa.
On paper, Lululemon doesn’t do price adjustments. But if you buy something in store that’s cheaper online, take a picture of your receipt, and upload it to Lululemon live chat; customer service will give you the difference.
Or if you bought online and it’s cheaper in store, the process is the same. Take a picture of your online receipt and a picture of the store price, and upload it to a live chat to request a price adjustment. Learn how to save a freaking fortune at Lululemon.
10. If all else fails, return and re-buy your item if the store doesn’t allow a price adjustment.
Yeah, it’s not ideal. But it’ll do the job.
If a store doesn’t offer price adjustments, or if you’re beyond the 14-day window for requesting a price adjustment, just return your item and rebuy it at the lower price.
This works as long as you’re not beyond the time frame for returns, which is usually 30-90 days, depending on the retailer.
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