When does Best Buy charge for preorders?
By Britton Jewell · Last updated
Short answer: when it ships. Best Buy doesn't charge your card when you preorder, and if the price changes before release you pay whichever is lower: the price you ordered at or the new one. You can cancel any time before it ships. Best Buy's official preorder FAQ is written for video games, music and electronics; it doesn't publish separate rules for other products.
Who wrote this: Britton Jewell, a collectibles reseller who runs BuyHoldCollect. Everything below comes from Best Buy's own help pages, which we link at each point (checked ). Where we use answers from Best Buy's product Q&A instead of a policy page, we say so. Your order confirmation is the final word for your order. More about us.
When you're charged
Best Buy's preorder FAQ says: "You will not be charged at the time you place the pre-order. Only when your item ships will your credit card be charged." A card is still required to place the order, so make sure it won't expire before the item is due to ship. If you add in-stock items to the same order, "you will be charged for each item as it ships."
Answers in Best Buy's product Q&A also mention a temporary hold when you order that drops off later, and say preorders paid with PayPal are charged right away. Those come from Q&A answers, not a Best Buy policy page, so treat them as likely rather than certain. A hold that appears and disappears isn't a charge (see when preorders get charged, store by store).
You pay the lower of two prices
If the price changes after you order, "you will always receive the lower of the two prices." Best Buy's own example: order at $49.99 and the price drops to $39.99, you pay $39.99; order at $49.99 and it rises to $59.99, you still pay $49.99. The FAQ calls it "our lowest prerelease price." That protects you whichever way the price moves. Hasbro Pulse protects you if the price goes up; Amazon and Walmart protect you if it drops, and only on badged listings (see when Amazon charges for preorders).
Best Buy's Price Match Guarantee is a separate thing, and it doesn't help with preorders. It covers products that are "immediately available," it excludes competitors' "pre-order offers," and it never covers items sold by Marketplace sellers.
Cancelling and returns
"You can cancel your order any time before it ships." If it has shipped and you change your mind, you can return it unopened, but "you may be charged for the return shipping" (preorder FAQ). Best Buy doesn't send a reminder before a preorder ships; you only hear from it if something changes, such as the release date. If the date moves or the item is cancelled by the publisher, Best Buy emails you. For other reasons preorders get cut, see why was my preorder cancelled?
If a box arrives damaged, the return window is shorter than at many stores: 15 days from delivery for most customers (see my toy arrived with a damaged box).
Release day, pickup and limits
- Best Buy aims to deliver "on, or around" the release date. For games, it says ground shipping usually arrives 3 to 5 business days after release, rarely up to 10, and Two Day or One Day shipping costs extra but arrives sooner.
- Only select preorders can be picked up in store on release day; the product page says which.
- Some preorders have a per-customer limit, such as "Limit per customer: 2," shown on the product page.
- If Best Buy adds a bonus offer after you order, your preorder gets it too.
Source: Best Buy's preorder FAQ.
Marketplace sellers
Some items on BestBuy.com are "Sold & shipped by" a Marketplace seller, not Best Buy. Best Buy's preorder FAQ describes its own items, and its price match excludes Marketplace products entirely. Check the seller line on the product page before you preorder, and contact that seller through your Best Buy account about their charge and cancel rules.
Quick answers
Does Best Buy charge for preorders right away?
No. Best Buy's preorder FAQ says you won't be charged when you place the preorder, only when the item ships. If you order other items with it, each item is charged as it ships.
What if the price of my Best Buy preorder changes?
You pay the lower price. Best Buy says that if a preorder's price drops you're charged the new lower price, and if it rises you still pay the price you ordered at.
Does Best Buy's price match cover preorders?
No. Best Buy's Price Match Guarantee covers products that are immediately available and excludes competitors' preorder offers and Marketplace sellers. The preorder's own lower-of-two-prices rule is what protects you.
Can I cancel a Best Buy preorder?
Yes, any time before it ships. After it ships, you can return it unopened, but you may be charged for return shipping.
Will my Best Buy preorder arrive on release day?
Not necessarily. Best Buy says games ship as soon as they're released and should arrive within 3 to 5 business days with ground shipping, rarely up to 10. Paying for Two Day or One Day shipping speeds it up, and select items offer store pickup.
New to terms like preorder, MSRP or exclusive? See our collector and reseller glossary.
Related: When do preorders get charged? Store-by-store · When does Amazon charge for preorders? · When does GameStop charge for preorders? · Why was my preorder cancelled?
Get new pages when they're published
Store policies change. This page is general information, not financial advice, and BuyHoldCollect isn't affiliated with Best Buy. Quotes are from Best Buy's help pages as of October 20, 2026.