John Lewis has built its reputation on fairness, with transparent pricing, dependable quality, and a promise that customers won’t be left feeling short-changed.
So, when a product you’ve already bought suddenly costs less, it’s natural to wonder whether John Lewis will recoup the difference, and how much effort it takes to get the refund.
The good news is that the retailer has its version of a price adjustment policy. In this guide, we’ll examine the John Lewis price drop guarantee and explain the criteria for submitting a claim. We’ll also show you how Settlemate streamlines the refund request process, saving you valuable time and effort.
What is a price adjustment?
If you purchase an item and its price drops shortly afterwards, a price adjustment (sometimes called price drop protection) allows you to get the difference refunded while keeping the product.
Price adjustments aren’t just customer-friendly gestures. They also serve practical business goals. Here’s how everyone wins with this popular retail strategy:
However, price adjustments come with specific rules. While they differ by retailer, here are some common denominators:
- Time window: The request must usually be made within a set number of days after purchase or delivery. Most retailers allow between 7 and 14 days, though some are more generous, offering up to 30 days.
- Item specification: The original and discounted items must typically be identical in size, color, style, and model.
- Proof of purchase: An order number or receipt is necessary to verify the purchase.
- Stock availability: In most cases, the exact same item must be available for purchase at the lower price when you make the request.
- Exclusions: Clearance items, promo-code purchases, and special sales are typically not eligible for price adjustment refunds.
- Number of adjustments per item: You can usually request only one price adjustment per item, but some retailers allow multiple refunds as long as you’re within the eligibility window.
Warning: Retailers can change their policies without notice. You should double-check if you’re still eligible for a refund before you submit a claim, even if you’ve managed to do it successfully before.
What is John Lewis' price drop refund policy?
John Lewis offers a Price Promise that covers in-store and online purchases. The policy gives you a fairly narrow window to reclaim the difference if the price drops shortly after purchase. For online orders, you can submit a request even before you receive the item.
You can request a John Lewis price drop refund if all of the following apply:
- The purchase was made within the last seven days: For online purchases, the 7-day window starts from the date you placed the order, not the delivery or collection date.
- The items are identical: The discounted product must match the original one in terms of make, size, color, and specifications.
- The item is in stock and ready for delivery: Price matches apply only to items currently available for purchase.
- The discount meets the eligibility criteria: John Lewis price guarantee applies to seasonal offers and standard promotions, but not to:
- Clearance items
- Multi-buy deals
- Members-only prices
- Flash sales
- Prices reduced with promo codes
- Exclusive or trade prices
How John Lewis' price drop works
To make a price adjustment request at John Lewis, you need to:
- Fill out the Price Promise form
- Provide proof of the lower price, such as a screenshot or photo
- Include your original order details
If your claim is approved, the refund is issued to your original payment method. Banks typically take up to five days to process the refund.
If you paid in cash, by gift card, or voucher in-store, you’ll need to visit a John Lewis shop to request a refund.
Why does the manual price adjustment process work against busy shoppers?
Many people give up on manual price adjustments long before a retailer ever refuses to issue a refund.
The most common reason is the sheer time and effort these processes can take. Since you typically don’t receive price drop alerts from a retailer, you have to actively monitor the prices after every purchase to make sure you don’t miss the refund window.
Then comes the eligibility complexity. Checking whether a price adjustment claim is worth attempting usually means digging through policy pages, screenshots, receipts, and product listings. Even if it is, the tango with the customer service can delay the process until the price adjustment window closes.
These hurdles would make most people question the effort-to-reward ratio, especially for small price differences. As a result, they simply absorb the loss and move on.
However, leave a small amount on the table enough times, and it will turn into a sizable sum that you’re simply giving away.
Luckily, the success of price adjustment claims doesn’t have to depend on shoppers being hyper-vigilant, organized, and persistent. An app like Settlemate takes the burden off your back entirely by automatically tracking price drops and submitting adjustment claims on your behalf.
How Settlemate turns “maybe later” into money back
You can’t memorize every store policy or check websites for price drops every single day. And, you don’t have to anymore.
Settlemate Retail Savings Autopilot quietly and consistently manages your potential price adjustment payouts in the background so you don’t end up leaving easy money behind.
How it works:
- Secure & private access: Log in seamlessly via Apple or Google, with all your data encrypted end-to-end and never shared without your consent.
- Automatic receipt scanning: Let Settlemate parse your email to auto-detect eligible purchases (no manual entry needed).
- Hands-off claim management: We generate and send a price adjustment refund request for any purchases you’re eligible for.
- Refund confirmation: You get the difference back without lifting a finger.
- Money-back guarantee: Settlemate’s generous refund policy ensures you get your money back if your subscription doesn’t deliver more financial benefit than it costs in the first 12 months of service.
Let Settlemate Retail Savings Autopilot turn your receipts into refunds. You can start by downloading Settlemate on the App Store or Google Play today.
Frequently asked questions
Does John Lewis have a price match guarantee?
Yes, John Lewis’s Price Promise policy, often referred to as Never Knowingly Undersold, includes the post-purchase price adjustment and competitor price matching.
The retailer regularly checks prices against its 23 leading competitors, such as Asos, Marks and Spencer, and Smyths, and it may automatically adjust prices when it finds a lower one. But if you spot a better price yourself, you can ask John Lewis to match it before you buy an item. You can also request a refund for the difference if you find the same item cheaper within seven days of placing your order.
The same rules apply as for price adjustments: the lower-priced item must be identical to the original one and currently in stock. Additionally, the item must be sold directly by the competitor, not by third-party or marketplace sellers.
What is the refund policy for John Lewis?
John Lewis has a customer-friendly return and refund policy with a few clear conditions:
- You can return most items within 30 days for a refund or exchange, as long as they’re in original condition.
- You need to provide proof of purchase.
- Items purchased between October 1 and December 24 can be returned until January 23.
- Refunds are issued to the original payment method within 14 days of processing the return.
- Large items typically incur a collection fee unless they’re faulty or damaged.
- If you discover the product is faulty within 30 days of purchase, you’re entitled to a refund or exchange.
How long does it take John Lewis to review a claim?
John Lewis typically processes claims within 48 hours.
What other brands have price adjustment policies?
Most major brands have their own versions of price drop guarantees. Check out our guides for some of the most popular retailers:
