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Buying guide · Tools and DIY•BlackFriday365 Team•Updated October 9, 2026

Home Depot vs Lowe's: clearance, returns and price matching

What each store publishes about returns, price matching and daily deals, and which clearance tips are only shopper reports.

The bottom line

On paper the two stores are close. Both give 90 days on most new, unused items, both give 48 hours on major appliances, and both skip clearance and holiday prices when price matching. The real difference is the deals. Home Depot runs a one-day, online-only Special Buy of the Day that resets at 3 AM ET. The clearance price-ending codes you see online are shopper reports, not store policy, and they disagree with each other. Compare the actual price on the exact item at both stores.

Policies side by side

Home Depot

Standard returns: 90 days with proof of purchase
Shorter windows: Major appliances: 48 hours. 30 days for furniture, gas-powered equipment, TVs and computers. A 7-day list covers air conditioners, dehumidifiers, gas generators, pumps, portable evaporation products and portable heaters (pumps and heaters added July 2026).
Card or account: 365 days with a Home Depot consumer or Pro Xtra credit card, or a commercial account
Price matching: Matches a competitor's lower price on an identical in-stock item at purchase. Does not match clearance, closeout, seasonal or Black Friday prices.
Daily deal: Special Buy of the Day: one-day, online-only deals that reset at 3 AM ET

Lowe's

Standard returns: 90 days for most new, unused items
Shorter windows: 48 hours for major appliances, air conditioners, evaporative coolers, paint sprayers and a few tools. 30 days for all TVs and electronics and some outdoor equipment.
Card or account: 365 days with a Lowe's Commercial Account, Business Advantage, Advantage Card, Business Rewards or MyLowe's Rewards credit card (30 days for items that normally have 48)
Price matching: Matches a listed competitor's lower price on an identical in-stock item. Excludes clearance, holiday sales, BOGO deals and warehouse-club prices. Price adjustment within 30 days of purchase with proof.
Daily deal: No Special Buy equivalent in our sources

Return rules change often. Home Depot added items to its short list in July 2026. Confirm the window for your item on the store's own page.

Which store fits you

If you...	Look at	Why
Buying a cordless tool or other general item	Either store	Both give 90 days on most new, unused items, so decide on price and which battery system you already own.
Want the one-day online deal	Home Depot	Special Buy of the Day is a Home Depot program. Deals are online only and last until the 3 AM ET reset.
Buying a major appliance	Either, but inspect first	Both give 48 hours to report damage or defects. Check it at delivery, not weeks later.
Buying a TV or electronics	Either	Both give 30 days. See our TV store comparison for other sellers.
Want a price match	Whichever has the lower regular price	Both match identical in-stock items but exclude clearance and holiday pricing. Lowe's also adjusts within 30 days.
Have a store credit card or commercial account	Check your card terms	Both stores offer a 365-day return window on purchases made with their own cards or commercial accounts.

Special Buy of the Day

Home Depot describes these as one-day, online-only sales. Its deals page says offers reset at 3 AM ET and run while supplies last. Fast free delivery depends on availability and leaves out major appliances. Nothing in Home Depot's own pages promises a certain discount size, a battery bonus or a holiday kit price. A deal is only worth it if it beats the regular price at both stores, so check Lowe's before you buy.

Clearance price endings: what is reported, not proven

Neither store publishes a price-ending code. What circulates comes from shoppers and former employees, and the stories differ. Treat all of it as a hint.

Home Depot .06: One report from a former employee says it marks a clearance item with about six weeks until its next price change. Another says it is roughly 50 percent off. These are not the same claim.
Home Depot .00, .02 and .03: Reports say .00 means an item just entered clearance, and that .02 or .03 means close to the lowest price. These are shopper reports only.
Lowe's: The sources we found point to yellow clearance tags, an "N" under the barcode for discontinued items and .02 endings for items near the end. Reports of .97 endings at Lowe's are mixed and we could not confirm them.

The practical rule: a markdown is good only if the price is lower than the same item elsewhere. A code does not tell you that.

Traps to avoid

Clearance and holiday prices don't price match. Both stores exclude them, so you can't use a competitor's Black Friday price at the register.
Appliance returns are 48 hours. Both stores want defects or damage reported within 48 hours of delivery. Inspect it on arrival.
Short lists differ by store. Air conditioners, generators and gas-powered gear sit on short return lists at one or both stores. Check before you buy outdoor equipment.
Special orders and custom items have their own rules. Home Depot lists a 15 percent restocking fee on special orders, and both stores limit returns on custom products.

Before you check out

Look up the exact model number at both stores and compare the full price, including any battery or charger.
Read the return window for that category, not just the 90-day headline.
Keep the receipt and write down the return deadline the day you buy.
For a major appliance, inspect it at delivery and report any problem within 48 hours.
If you use a store credit card or commercial account, confirm the 365-day window applies to your purchase.

How we put this guide together

We don't test products or stores. We compared each store's published return and deal information, plus reputable reporting on price matching and clearance, all listed below, on October 9, 2026. Several official pages block automated readers, so some policy details come from trade and consumer coverage of those pages. Policies change, so check the store's own page before you buy. We earn a commission on some purchases through our links; that never decides what we recommend.

Quick answers

What is Home Depot's Special Buy of the Day?

It is a one-day, online-only deal on a product that changes daily. Home Depot says its offers reset at 3 AM ET and run while supplies last. Fast free delivery is subject to availability and excludes major appliances.

Do the clearance price endings really work?

They are shopper and employee reports, not store policy, and the reports disagree. One source says a Home Depot .06 means a second markdown and about six weeks until the next change. Another says .06 is about 50 percent off. Neither store publishes these codes. Treat them as a hint, not a rule.

How long do I have to return a power tool?

Home Depot and Lowe's both give 90 days on most new, unused items. Some categories are shorter, such as gas-powered or some outdoor equipment, generators at Home Depot, air conditioners and major appliances. Check the exact category before you buy.

Does Home Depot or Lowe's price match during Black Friday?

Not on holiday pricing, according to the sources we checked. Home Depot excludes Black Friday, seasonal and clearance prices. Lowe's excludes clearance and holiday sales. Confirm at the register.

Which store has the better clearance?

We can't say. Neither store publishes a clearance schedule, and we did not find independent data comparing the two. Compare the actual price on the exact item at both stores.

Shopping for tools now?

See current tool deals, each store's page, and Black Friday ads as they come out.

Tool deals Home Depot Lowe's Black Friday ads

Sources

BlackFriday365 is independent and not affiliated with The Home Depot or Lowe's.