How Much Does a Home Pregnancy Test Cost?

Last Updated on December 29, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Home pregnancy tests are used to find the presence of the hCG, human chorionic gonadotropin, which is a pregnancy hormone, in a sample of urine. During pregnancy, the leaves of hCG rise, which makes the home tests pick up on this, just like the pregnancy tests that you get in a doctor’s office, as long as they are used as you’re instructed.

Women who think they might be pregnant, go for the Home pregnancy tests as their first choice. If the first home pregnancy test suggests pregnancy, you can repeat it and if both tests show the same result, then you should consult your doctor immediately and get proper prenatal care.

How Much Does a Home Pregnancy Test Cost?

The cost of a home pregnancy test is anywhere between $2 and $20 for a simple over-the-counter urine test strip, depending on where you purchase it from and its brand. A blood test for pregnancy done in a local doctor’s office, on the other hand, will cost between $50 and $200 for the test alone, on top of which you will also have to consider the cost of the doctor’s visit.

Online labs will usually charge around $49 for a pregnancy blood test, according to VeryWell.com.

According to VeryWell.com, an online lab will charge $49 for a pregnancy blood test.

Note: For the Planned Parenthood Pregnancy Test, the price is based on an income sliding scale and includes the visit.

Pregnancy test overview

When you buy a test strip, you will also get a cup for urine collection and detailed instructions for use. To make sure you’re getting accurate and reliable results, be sure to read and follow the directions you find on the package. For best results, you should pee on a stick and then wait about five seconds. The test should also be done four days before your period. If you get one line on the stick it means you’re not pregnant, while two lines mean that you are pregnant.

You might also like our articles on the cost of the Sequenom MaternT21 test, Karyotype test, or HSG test.

As said above, the home pregnancy test measures the hCG in your urine. It takes about 14 days from when you conceive for the hCG to show up in your urine. The test will detect the hormone and show a positive result if any levels are present.

While the home pregnancy test only shows whether you are pregnant or not, the blood hCG test will give specific hCG levels found in your blood. These blood results are used by your doctor to get a better idea of your pregnancy and track your numbers. These tests will help the doctor predict multiples or miscarriages.

When you’re set on getting a home pregnancy test and you don’t want to get the test at the local doctor’s office, a simple test can be found at big retailers like Amazon, grocery stores, and drug stores.

What are the extra costs?

There are some pregnancy tests that are sold in a package containing ovulation tests as well. These tests are meant to help women see when it’s best to try to get pregnant. Combination packs are useful when trying to get pregnant, although they will be a little more expensive.

You might be required by your doctor to get a test that gives a more accurate result if you notice that the at-home tests aren’t working properly. If you go to the doctor’s office for a test, expect a fee of $75 without insurance for both the visit and the test fee.

Important things to consider

It’s always better to take a pregnancy test as soon as you wake up, in the morning. It should be the first time you need to go to the bathroom on that day. This is because it will be easier to detect your pregnancy, as you’ll have higher levels of hCG.

Pregnancy tests vary considerably from one brand to another. As the steps needed will also differ, you’ll want to make sure you read and understand the directions written on the back of the label before you proceed.

Pregnancy tests done at local doctor’s offices are the most accurate.

If the pregnancy test leaves you with unanswered questions you can call the number found on the back of the box, as there you’ll get all of the appropriate answers.

The test can be affected by medication like fertility drugs.

How accurate are home pregnancy tests?

Recent studies say that some tests aren’t as sensitive as you might think to diagnose pregnancy for people who just missed their periods, even though most tests claim a 99% accuracy, according to the Mayo Clinic. This is why it is best to wait one week after your missed period before you consider taking a test.

How soon after conception can you get a test?

According to the instructions found on most tests, you can take the test three to four days before your period, but most experts still recommend that you wait for your period to start and if it’s late, take one week after it is due.

What can cause a false positive pregnancy test?

1. Using the test improperly is the most common reason why a test will give out a false positive result. If you don’t follow directions to a T you have a big risk of getting a false positive.
2. You can also get a false positive or a false negative test result if the test is expired.
3. If you don’t read the test within its timeframe, you also risk triggering a false positive result. It happens quite a lot for the line to appear on the test over time, as evaporation happens.
4. You can get a “chemical pregnancy” if you’re testing yourself too early. According to fertility experts, 70% of conceptions end in miscarriage and most people don’t even realize this happens when it’s early in the conception phase. This is why it might be better to wait for a week after you’ve missed the period, even though it is tempting to look for results as soon as possible.
5. Prescriptions can also alter the results. These include Promethazine, tranquilizers, diuretic drugs, Anticonvulsants, Phenothiazine, and so on. Any drugs containing hCG will affect the reading levels in one way or another.
6. Don’t clean the cup with soap before using it when taking a urine pregnancy test, as the urine may get contaminated. Detergent and soap are known to contaminate urine samples when you don’t wash them completely.

Top brands to consider:

• Wondfo
• Medline
• First Response
• E.P.T.
• Clearblue

How can I save money?

There are coupons for most products in most stores. You can even check in the weekly ads and online for discounts.

Dollar stores might be another great place to look for discounts. According to recent studies, dollar store pregnancy tests are just as reliable and effective as name brands.

Consider buying a kit with more than one test if you think you’ll need more than one test. You can even find packs of tests with 20 to 50 strips.