Staples is basically a one-stop shop for essentials, which can quickly lead to overspending. This hits especially hard when you find out shortly after purchase that a sale happened, and you could have saved a significant amount of money.
The good news is that you don’t have to make peace with bad timing. Staples’ price adjustment policy lets you claim the lower price and get some of your money back.
In this guide, we’ll clarify what this policy covers and how to request a price adjustment. We’ll also explain how Settlemate can track price drops for you and put the whole price adjustment process on autopilot.
What is a price adjustment?
Price adjustments let you claim the difference if an item you already bought drops in price within a specific time window. This policy is also sometimes referred to as price guarantee or price drop protection.
Most retailers set explicit rules about when and how price adjustments apply. Those rules usually specify:
- The eligible time window for claims (often 7–30 days after purchase)
- The requirement to submit proof of purchase, such as a receipt or order confirmation
- Restrictions on where the lower price must appear, such as the retailer’s website or in-store
- Requirements that the discounted product be identical to the original one and in stock
- Exclusions for clearance or special promotional events
Does Staples have a price adjustment policy?
Yes, Staples does offer price adjustments, and they’re regulated under its broader price matching guarantee for in-store purchases. This policy addresses two different processes:
- Price adjustments
- Price matching
Both fall under the same umbrella, but they work differently. Price adjustments apply when the price drops at Staples after you’ve already made a purchase. On the other hand, price matching applies when Staples matches a lower price from a qualifying competitor before or at the time of purchase.
Let’s illustrate this by comparing the two practices:
Note: Online orders don’t qualify for price adjustments or price matching.
How price adjustments work at Staples
If you buy something from a Staples store and then discover within 14 days that the same item is selling for less (either in-store or online), you can request a price adjustment refund.
Here are a few important details you need to keep in mind:
- The discounted product must be identical to the original in every way, including brand, size, color, quantity, model number, and warranty.
- The discounted product must be in stock at the time you request the adjustment.
- You’ll need the original receipt to claim the price difference.
Staples notes that it reserves the right to verify all details, including product specs and availability. If they can’t confirm the eligibility for a price adjustment to their satisfaction, they can decline the request.
What’s excluded from Staples price adjustments?
Staples excludes certain products and services from price adjustments, including:
- Clearance, closeout, or liquidation items
- Holiday sale pricing (including Black Friday and Cyber Monday)
- Gift cards and phone cards
- Shipping and postage
- Warranties and service plans that aren’t identical
- Tech services like device setup, data transfers, or repairs
- Printing services that don’t meet custom print requirements
- Products sold to Staples Business Advantage customers
- Out-of-stock items
- Products with pricing errors or typos
That’s not all. Even if an item qualifies, Staples applies additional restrictions:
- Adjustments are based on the pre-tax price.
- Quantity requirements must match (bulk pricing rules apply).
- Only one qualifying adjustment per product per customer per day is allowed.
How to get a Staples price adjustment or price match refund
Once you confirm your eligibility for a price adjustment, you can proceed with these steps to get your refund:
- Find your original receipt.
- Visit a Staples store, call 1-800-333-3330, or fill out the form on the website.
- Explain that you want a price adjustment.
Once they confirm your purchase qualifies, they will refund the difference.
Common challenges with manual price adjustments
It’s pretty great that retailers are offering customers the opportunity to recover some of their money through price adjustments. However, even though the concept sounds simple, going through the process can be frustrating.
Shoppers often struggle with the following:
- Spotting the price drop within the adjustment time window
- Keeping track of the policy’s fine print, especially since the rules frequently change
- Locating the receipt or order confirmation
- Reaching customer service in time, arguing their case with an agent, and getting the request approved
If these issues seem daunting, imagine how complex the process becomes when you try to monitor price drops across multiple items or memorize different retailers’ price adjustment policies.
The thing is, these challenges are exclusive to manual price adjustments. If you automate the process, you can skip the entire hassle and get the money you’re entitled to with no effort.
Price adjustment apps such as Settlemate monitor price drops for every purchase and automatically request eligible price adjustments on your behalf.
How Settlemate saves you hours and dollars
Chasing a $10 refund feels like a chore. But over a year, those small wins stack up—only if you track price drops consistently. The problem is, who actually has time to track and chase retailers after every purchase?
Let Settlemate Retail Savings Autopilot handle the monitoring and paperwork in the background so that you can recover the difference and keep your time.
Here’s how this works:
- Automated detection & monitoring: Settlemate tracks post-purchase price drops on products you’ve bought based on the receipts in your inbox.
- Hands-off claims: We generate and send the price adjustment refund request when eligible.
- No chats, no forms, no waits: You get a notification once your money is on its way back to you.
Download the app from the App Store or Google Play, or sign up via the web app, and make Settlemate Retail Savings Autopilot your set-it-and-forget-it refund assistant.
Settlemate stands behind its value with a simple promise: if the money you recover within the first year of using the app doesn’t cover your subscription costs, you’ll qualify for a full refund.
Frequently asked questions
What is Staples' return policy?
Staples lets you initiate returns within 30 days from the purchase or delivery date, or within 14 days for tech items. To qualify, the items need to be in their original package, in a saleable condition, and you must also provide the receipt.
Does Staples have a reward program?
Yes, Staples has a Staples Easy Rewards program that you can join for free. By becoming a member, you can earn points on purchases and redeem them for discounts.
What is Staples Business Advantage?
Staples Business (formerly called Staples Advantage) is Staples’ commercial division for business customers. It comes with special offers and services like contract pricing, bulk discounts, dedicated account support, and customized purchasing tools.
Which major retailers have price adjustment policies?
If you want to know which other popular retailers offer price adjustments, consult our guides:
