Thinking of applying for a job at Best Buy? One thing that might sway your decision one way or another is the Best Buy employee discount. Here’s everything you need to know about their discount, including items that are excluded and some insider tips that will maximize your savings.

What is the Best Buy Employee Discount?

The standard employee discount at Best Buy is Cost + 10%.

So if an item’s retail price is $100, and Best Buy paid $60 for it, you’ll get it for $66.

It should also be noted that you won’t qualify for their employee discount until you’ve worked at Best Buy for at least 3 months.

From the comments section, I am getting several people saying it’s actually cost + 5%. I’m wondering if it’s either changed or new employees start at 5%.

If you know for sure, please contact me. Thanks.

Do Some Products Not Qualify?

Unfortunately, yes.

You WON’T be able to get a discount on Geek Squad services, Apple products, most computers and tablets, movies, and smartphones.

See Also: 7 Mind-Blowing Ways to Save Money at Best Buy

What Items are a “Must-Buy” for Employees?

Because the discount is cost + 10%, the secret for scoring a great deal is knowing which items at Best Buy have the largest profit margin, which means they have a “low cost” to Best Buy.

Buy those and you can REALLY save some money, easily up to 50% off the retail price.

These items are not laptops and name-brand HDTV’s, but rather things like headphones, cables, cases, and other accessories.

Especially look for deals on Best Buy’s branded items as they have big margins. These include Insignia and Dynex HDTVs, Rocketfish cables, Geek Squad flash drives, and InIt cases.

Do Geek Squad Employees Score the Same Discount?

Yes, they’ll score the same discount as regular BB employees.

See Also: Apple Employee Discount: All Your Burning Questions Answered

Is There a Maximum Discount Percentage?

Best Buy recently topped their employee discount at 50%.

Anything Else You Should Know?

Why yes, there are several things worth knowing…

– Brands Can Limit Discounts – Brands that sell at Best Buy have the authority to limit the discount employees receive.

– Questionable Best Buy “Cost” – I’ve been told that you have to take the word for what Best Buy says is their “cost” on an item. Some employees have questioned their “cost” as inflated.

– Some Products Have a Smaller Discount – Be aware that some stuff has an employee discount, but it might be lower than cost + 10%. It will often be cost + 5% or 8%.

– Look for Free Stuff – Perhaps the coolest thing about working at Best Buy is the free stuff stores hand out to workers from time to time. Could be stuff that doesn’t sell, or new items that the brand is trying to promote.

Ask the Reader: Do you work at Best Buy or have you in the past? If so, what’s the largest Best Buy employee discount you’ve received?

By Kyle James

Photo credit to Mike Mozart.