How to price match in Australia: JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, The Good Guys and more
How price matching works at Australian electronics stores, what to bring, what stores usually refuse, and a script for asking. With a live list of where each product is cheapest.
In this guide
Price matching is the easiest saving in Australian retail. Many stores would rather match a competitor's price than lose the sale, which means you can often buy from the store you prefer, with its returns and its pickup, at the cheapest store's price.
It isn't automatic, though, and every store has its own rules. Here's how to do it well.
How price matching works
You find the same product cheaper at another Australian store, show the store you're in, and ask them to match it. Some retailers publish a formal policy: Officeworks' price beat is the best known. Others, including the big electronics chains, match at the store's discretion, which in practice often means "ask, politely, with proof".
Each policy is different and they change, so check the store's current terms before relying on any of the rules below. These are the conditions that usually apply:
- Identical product. Same model number, same storage or size, same colour if colour changes the price. A "similar" TV doesn't count.
- In stock at the other store, and available to buy now. A sold-out price or a pre-order rarely counts.
- An Australian retailer. Overseas sites and marketplace sellers (eBay, Amazon Marketplace, grey importers) are usually excluded.
- A normal price, not a one-off. Clearance, ex-display, bundle, member-only, coupon and "price error" deals are commonly refused.
- Including delivery. Some stores compare the delivered price, so a cheap price with a big shipping fee may not win.
What to bring
- The competitor's live product page on your phone, showing the price and that it's in stock.
- The model number. It's on the product page and on the box. For TVs it tells you the year and series.
- Our comparison page for the product. It shows every store's price side by side, so the staff can see you're not cherry-picking.
A script that works
"Hi, I'd like to buy this here today. The Good Guys has the same model, in stock, for $1,295. Here's the page. Can you match that?"
Be specific, be ready to buy, and be friendly. "Can you do better?" works better at the counter than at the online checkout, and on bigger purchases (TVs, laptops, appliances) staff often have more room than on phones.
Which store to match
The table below shows which stores are cheapest most often across everything we compare. If your favourite store isn't near the top, that's exactly when a price match pays.
| Store | Prices compared | Cheapest (or equal cheapest) | Typical gap when not |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat & Grill | 39 | 95% | +4% |
| Brisbane Hi-Fi | 13 | 92% | +57% |
| Vinyl Revival | 21 | 90% | +67% |
| BBQs & Outdoor | 51 | 90% | +8% |
| Billy Guyatts | 581 | 90% | +10% |
| Home Heat & BBQ | 28 | 89% | +0.5% |
| Horizon Leisure | 24 | 88% | +62% |
| The Hi-Fi Shop | 15 | 87% | +13% |
| The Audio Tailor | 22 | 86% | +11% |
| Weber | 29 | 86% | +29% |
| Eastwood Hi-Fi | 21 | 86% | +37% |
| Melbourne Hi-Fi | 25 | 84% | +17% |
| Alternative Brewing | 711 | 82% | +10% |
| Custom Home Theatre | 11 | 82% | +22% |
| Dipacci | 73 | 81% | +8% |
| Audio Trends | 87 | 77% | +11% |
| Barista Warehouse | 674 | 76% | +10% |
| Absolute Hi-Fi | 19 | 74% | +1% |
| BBQs Plus | 68 | 71% | +0.5% |
| West Coast Hi-Fi | 13 | 69% | +8% |
| BuyMobile | 29 | 69% | +10% |
| MSY / Umart | 564 | 66% | +11% |
| Georges Cameras | 99 | 66% | +4% |
| Mobileciti | 46 | 65% | +25% |
| Carlton Audio Visual | 20 | 65% | +11% |
| Audio Connection | 13 | 62% | +6% |
| PLE Computers | 371 | 61% | +11% |
| Klapp AV | 27 | 59% | +1% |
| digiDirect | 493 | 59% | +12% |
| Harvey Norman | 695 | 58% | +11% |
| Mwave | 464 | 58% | +13% |
| Tefal | 20 | 55% | +17% |
| Betta | 988 | 52% | +9% |
| Hobbyco | 248 | 50% | +11% |
| Tefal | 12 | 50% | +10% |
| Matchbox | 10 | 50% | +40% |
| Costco | 215 | 49% | +11% |
| The Good Guys | 1,271 | 49% | +9% |
| KitchenAid | 36 | 47% | +21% |
| Toot Toot Toys | 206 | 47% | +14% |
| The Audio Experts | 46 | 46% | +11% |
| Sydney Hi-Fi Mona Vale | 53 | 42% | +7% |
| Videoguys | 32 | 41% | +7% |
| HP Store | 40 | 40% | +20% |
| DJI Store | 17 | 35% | +0.2% |
| JB Hi-Fi | 1,387 | 34% | +11% |
| Camera Electronic | 110 | 33% | +7% |
| Ninja | 25 | 32% | +1.0% |
| Discount Toy Co | 394 | 31% | +13% |
| D1 Store | 31 | 29% | +0.1% |
| Apple Store | 120 | 27% | +3% |
| Blackboard Coffee | 15 | 27% | +38% |
| Ted's Cameras | 42 | 26% | +5% |
| Toyworld Warrnambool | 401 | 26% | +12% |
| Brick Builder | 437 | 26% | +23% |
| Brickville | 142 | 24% | +20% |
| Toyworld | 726 | 21% | +14% |
| BiRite | 785 | 20% | +10% |
| Toys R Us | 476 | 18% | +11% |
| Sonos | 17 | 18% | +1% |
| Austin Computers | 19 | 16% | +15% |
| The Playroom | 383 | 15% | +20% |
| amaysim | 33 | 15% | +12% |
| Toyworld Frankston | 53 | 15% | +25% |
| SharkNinja | 21 | 14% | +3% |
| Central Coast Coffee | 88 | 14% | +27% |
| Artisti Coffee Roasters | 42 | 12% | +40% |
| Samsung Store | 78 | 12% | +17% |
| Dark Star Coffee | 10 | 10% | +63% |
| Toyworld Bendigo | 387 | 10% | +17% |
| Toy Bricks | 181 | 7% | +15% |
| Bose | 18 | 6% | +0.5% |
| Coffee Beanery | 20 | 5% | +53% |
| Kidstuff | 331 | 2% | +44% |
Every product variant at least two of these stores had in stock today, at its outright price. Recalculated every morning.
Price match vs just buying elsewhere
A price match is worth it when the store you're in gives you something extra: same-day pickup, an easy return, a bundle, a trade-in, or a warranty claim you'd rather make in person. If none of that matters, buying from the cheaper store directly is quicker.
Before either, check whether the "cheap" price is actually low. Every product page here shows its price history, so you can see whether today's price is a real low or just the usual price with a sale sticker. Our guide to spotting a fake sale explains what to look for.
