Rivals to match Amazon Prime Day prices

With Amazon‘s big Prime Day promotion underway, don’t think that the online giant is the only place to find its deep discounts.

A few major chains say they are matching the online giant’s low prices during the 36-hour members-only shopping extravaganza, which kicked off Monday and runs through 3 a.m. ET Wednesday.

Bed Bath & Beyond, J.C. Penney, Home Depot, Lowe’s and Jo-Ann Stores say they will match Amazon’s prices in most cases. Their policies apply to items that are in-stock, identical and sold directly from Amazon and not one of its third-party sellers.

But other major chains plan to sit out on Amazon’s summer discount shopping spree. Target, Walmart and Best Buy officials say they won’t match the Prime Day specials because they are only available to Prime members.

However, Best Buy spokeswoman Katie Huggins said the electronics retailer “would price match a non-Prime Day offer that is available to any shopper.”

Most retailers also restrict price matching during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, two of the big shopping days that kick off the year-end holidays.

Price protection

Using a credit card with price protection can be an easier way to snag the deal when shopping at competitor stores and for those without a Prime membership.

Some of the better cards with the benefit include Discover, Citi, Chase and MasterCard, said Amy Chang, Slickdeals’ lifestyle savings expert.

“Price protection is super easy to access. Just make a purchase on your credit card, take a photo of the receipt, and if you see a lower price within 60 to 90 days, you can submit a claim,” Chang said.

Each company has its own policy with limits on the maximum refund and how many claims you can file.

There also are price tracking services that do the legwork for shoppers, including Earny and Paribus.