Does Ace Hardware Price Match? Here's What You Need To Know

With the holidays fast approaching, there are bound to be all kinds of great deals at your favorite hardware store. And sometimes, certain chains will honor the price of something in an ad for a competitor's store. But if your favorite place to shop is Ace Hardware, you may or may not be able to price match. That's because Ace operates under a cooperative model, meaning many stores are independently owned and operated and are free to set their own policies... including whether or not they offer price matching.

For shoppers hoping to save some extra money during Black Friday or Cyber Monday, Ace's varying policies from location to location can make the process confusing, especially with more Ace Hardware stores opening nationwide. Some affiliates will honor competitor price matching, while others limit matches exclusively to Ace's own online pricing. See some tool deals at Home Depot, but would rather shop at Ace to get your Ace Rewards points? Because there is no universal policy across all Ace Hardware locations, your best bet is to check with your local store to see if they'll price match before you head to checkout.

One example of an affiliate with a clear and generous policy is Rocky's Ace Hardware, an East Coast chain of Ace stores. Rocky's advertises a full price match guarantee on its site that promises to match a lower competitor price on identical items. Rocky's will match any competitor's price on the same brand and model, whether the competitor's price is advertised or not. The item must be new, in stock, not a limited quantity, and available to the general public at a local retail store. Rocky's will even refund the difference for up to 30 days after the purchase if you hold onto your original Rocky's receipt.

However, this policy is not universal. Some other Ace affiliates follow much stricter rules or do not match competitor pricing at all. Westlake Ace Hardware (a large multi-region chain with locations across the Midwest, East Coast, West Coast and the South) does not publicly list a competitor price match guarantee on its site. I called my local Westlake store, and they confirmed that they only match prices listed on Ace's own website, not prices from competing stores.

For shoppers who want the best deal (not to mention the best information about price matching at Ace), the most dependable choice is to call ahead. Because Ace Hardware stores operate independently, employees at your store of choice can let you know if they'll match competitor prices, match their website only, or offer no price matching at all.