Shoppers nationwide claim Target is their “personal happy place,” and we can wholeheartedly, 100% agree that it is our happiest of places to go, too. Target is bright, clean, organized and affordable, and it has everything to bring a bunch of cheer to your day — under one roof.
But just because the prices are reasonable doesn’t mean there aren’t even more ways to save at the popular retailer. Check out our expert tips so you can navigate the aisles of Target like a boss.
1. Join Target Circle
March 2024 update: Target is revamping its Target Circle loyalty program effective April 7.
Signing up for the Target Circle program (formerly Target Cartwheel) might be the easiest thing you’ll ever do — and it’s totally free, too. As a Circle member, you’ll earn 1% cash back for every eligible Target purchase (in-store, online and through the Target app) and receive periodic Target Circle Bonus opportunities for extra rewards.
Plus, you get special deals and perks like birthday discounts, early access to sales, personalized deals and votes for eligible nonprofit donations. If you forget to use your Target Circle ID on a purchase, you have seven days to add the receipt to your account.
Note: Target Circle earnings expire if you haven’t earned or redeemed rewards for one year.
Target Circle Member Perks
Target Circle Earnings
As a member of Target Circle, anytime you use a non-RedCard to pay for your purchases, you earn 1% of the eligible purchase price as Target Circle Earnings rewards. If you’re a Target Circle member and you use a RedCard to pay for your purchases, you’ll save 5% instead of getting the Target Circle 1% earnings.
Target Circle Bonus
Target Circle members can receive a Target Circle Bonus from time to time. It’s a personalized offer and a chance to earn extra Target Circle rewards by making qualifying purchases in-store or online, depending on the details of your offer. Find your active Target Circle Bonus through the Target app and on your Dashboard at Target.com.
Target Birthday Coupon
After you’ve signed up for Target Circle, make sure you include your birth date info. This pretty much guarantees Target gives you a birthday gift, usually a 5% discount on a future purchase during your birthday month. You’ll find your birthday reward in your Target Circle Wallet. It’s valid for 30 days after you receive it.
Starting April 7, you’ll have the option of signing up for Target’s newest program — Target Circle 360. You’ll get free same-day delivery from Shipt, plus its more than 100 retail partners, in as little as an hour. You’ll also get free two-day shipping and the option to deliver to your door — or someone else’s. From April 7 to May 18, you can sign up for Target Circle 360 for $49 for the first year, which is normally $99 a year.
2. Sign Up for a Target RedCard
March 2024 update: Target is revamping its Target Circle loyalty program, and that includes the Target RedCard. The benefits of having one haven’t changed (and have actually increased). Effective April 7, the name is changing to “Target Circle Card.”
Target’s Circle Card is your very best friend, and it comes two ways. As a debit card, it’s tied to your bank account. This version allows you to withdraw up to $40 in cash during checkout. As a credit card, it works like a credit card. You can choose which one you prefer, but if you apply for the credit card, it’s “subject to approval.” Regardless of which you choose, you’ll receive an extra 5% off your purchases, free shipping, and an extra 30 days to return any items.
Plus, there’s no annual fee, and you’ll get exclusive offers. If you decide to join Target 360, you’ll pay $49 rather than the regular $99 price (starting April 7).
3. Use Target’s Price Match Guarantee
Target offers shoppers its Price Match Guarantee on every in-store and online purchase. You can get a price match if you find an item for a lower price at one of Target’s select competitors, including price-matching on Amazon, either at the time you purchase the item or 14 days after your purchase. All you do is bring in proof of the lower price, and Target adjusts your purchase price.
4. Stack Your Coupons During Checkout
You can combine Target Circle offers with Target store coupons, manufacturer coupons and Target RedCard discounts, meaning it’s possible to save four ways on the same item.
If you’re checking out with Target Circle offers and coupons, have the cashier first ring up the items you’re buying. Next, have them scan the Target store coupons, followed by the manufacturer coupons. Then, have them scan your Target Circle member bar code, and finally, pay with your Target RedCard, which gives you 5% off instantly.
Savings Tip: If you bring your own bag to the store, Target gives you $. 05 off per bag used. It’s not a huge amount, but it adds to your potential savings.
5. Check the Weekly Target Sales Ad
Target runs weekly savings ads letting you know which goodies will be on sale. Most often, the sales run from Sunday to Saturday, with new product sales every Sunday. In addition, there may be special seasonal offers, like back-to-school or holiday savings.
6. Shop Annual Target Sales Events
There are certain times of the year when you can score the most savings and rack up the most cash back. These are those special times when you need to make it a point to shop at Target:
Target Baby Sale
The semiannual baby sale is a weeklong deals opportunity when Target slashes prices on baby gear. It happens in February and September.
Target Circle Week
Usually coinciding with Amazon’s Prime Day, Target offers its Circle Week (sometimes called “Deal Days”) to steer traffic away from the giant online retailer. In 2023, Circle Week happened in June and October, so check back when the event makes another appearance this year — potentially in July, depending on Amazon. You’ll find savings of up to 50% on electronics, clothing, home décor and more.
Black Friday Sale
Target announced its plans to close every Thanksgiving Day — forever. But that means plenty of deals will probably start popping up even before the official Turkey Day hits. Experienced shoppers know they find the best deals on electronics, toys, clothing and more during the Black Friday weekend.
So, as you’re cutting into that turkey, plan to carve out time to hit Target’s Black Friday sale, which might start early online. Mark your calendar for Nov. 28 this year, and check out the Target Black Friday ad as soon as it’s released.
Cyber Monday Sale
Cyber Monday is one of the last times to score big discounts on holiday gifts. And Target’s Cyber Monday rarely disappoints. Past Cyber Monday deals have included major savings on Christmas décor, $50 off Apple AirPods Pro, and $50 off the Xbox Series S with a $50 Target gift card, to name a few. Mark your calendar for Dec. 2 this year.
7. Shop During No-Tax Weekends
Most states offer a weekend of shopping that’s (almost) 100% tax-free. It comes around at different times, depending on your state, but a lot of states hold theirs in the weeks before back-to-school rolls around. Since it includes clothing, backpacks and school supplies under $100, the no-tax weekend is a perfect opportunity to get heaps of stuff without the 8% or so added to your purchase. And it applies both online and in stores. Find out when your state’s next tax-free weekend happens.
8. Shop Target’s Car Seat Trade-In Event for 20% Off
If you’re a parent or a soon-to-be parent, then you know how often your offspring outgrows clothes, shoes and car seats. But car seats also come with expiration dates. To ensure your child is the safest every time they’re riding in a car, Target offers its Car Seat Trade-In Program and 20% discounts along with it. All you have to do is bring in your old or expired car seat, and Target gives you 20% off towards a new one. Look for Target’s Car Seat Trade-In Event during the spring and fall.
9. Get a Completion Discount on Your Target Gift Registry
For those planning a wedding or having a baby, Target is the first place you should register. If you don’t get the one thing (or several things) that are on your wedding or baby registry, then Target gives you a 15% completion discount for any registered item.
10. Shop Target Clearance Merchandise
It’s not just inside a Target store where you can find crazy clearance deals, like during the Target Clearance Run. Target’s online clearance section often offers 50% off or more of thousands of items throughout the store.
In stores, you can find clearance merch usually at either end of the aisles for most items, and for women’s clothes, it’s at the very back wall, typically close to the dressing rooms.
11. Shop Target Dollar Spot
Target’s Dollar Spot or Bullseye’s Playground is right at the store’s entrance and is a great place to peruse, as items in this section typically start at just $1. It’s a very dangerous section to shop, or so we’ve been told. It used to be available online, but apparently not anymore.
12. Get a Target Military Discount
While Target doesn’t offer a year-round military discount, the retailer does celebrate service members. Target offers U.S. active-duty military personnel, veterans and their families discounts from time to time, usually around the 4th of July and Veterans Day in November.
If you qualify, keep an eye out for this year’s military discounts. Starting June 25 and lasting through July 4, Target will offer a 10% discount for current military, veterans and family members.
13. Get a Target Student Discount
When Target kicks off its back-to-school festivities, it offers college students a discount to furnish their dorm and grab other necessities they’ll need as they head off. In 2022, Target bumped the usual 15% student discount up to 20%. To get the discount, you must be a Target Circle member and enrolled in college. It’s typically available for a one-time purchase.
14. Get a Target Teacher Discount
The Target Teacher Prep Event kicked off in 2023 on July 16 and through Aug. 26, which was four weeks shorter than in 2022. This back-to-school event will save teachers an extra 15% on one purchase for everything to prep their classrooms for during the upcoming school year.
The discount applies to all K-12 teachers, home-school teachers, day care and early childhood learning center teachers, university or college professors and vocational/trade/technical schoolteachers. You must be a Target Circle member and get verified through the same method as college students.
15. Use In-Store and Online Target Promo Codes
There are countless savings options available at RetailMeNot for Target shoppers. These range from discounts on specific items to percentage-off savings. These offers change all the time, which makes it important to check back to learn about new offers. Another savings tool from RetailMeNot is Deal Finder. This browser extension automatically finds and applies the best Target discounts online for you. So easy.
16. Shop Ulta at Target for Beauty Deals and Rewards
Combine your two loves: Target Circle and Ultamate Rewards. Hopefully, you’re already an Ulta Ultamate Rewards member, and if you aren’t, why not? It’s free to join, just like Target Circle, and you get the same amazing benefits at Target as you would if you were shipping at Ulta. They also offered every event Ulta has all year at Target, including the 21 Days of Beauty in the spring and fall. It’s a win-win. Find out when Ulta is throwing one of its spectacular events throughout the year.
17. How To Get Free Shipping at Target
Getting free shipping on top of the other Target discounts above is the cherry on top of any shopping experience. Because no one wants to pay for shipping, these are the best ways to get free shipping and still have your precious Target gear in hand:
Free 2-Day Shipping
This is the easiest way to get free shipping at Target.com. Just spend $35 or more on eligible merchandise and choose Target’s two-day shipping option, and voilà, you just earned free shipping. Plus, you also get free returns for items that just don’t quite fit the bill.
In-Store Pickup
Another great way to get free shipping and save money at Target is to use the in-store pickup option. Many times, you can pick up purchased items the same day you order.
Drive-Up Pickup
Using Target’s drive-up option is a free way to get your online order without paying for shipping, and it’s super simple to use. All you do is download the Target App to use it. And if you choose to pick up your order in-store when you check out, you can always switch to the Target curbside option through the app. Target also offers the option of ordering Starbucks to-go with your drive-up order.
Ship-to-Store
Target can ship an order you make online directly to your local store, and you can pick it up at your convenience once it’s ready. The ship-to-store option is perfect around the holidays, so gifts stay secret. It’s also handy if you’re concerned about the security of the delivery. Your item arrives roughly one day after it would have if you had shipped it directly to your house.
Same-Day Delivery
Getting your Target gear the same day without leaving the house might be the greatest thing ever. It’s $99 a year and can be used as frequently as you need a Target fix. Or, you can pay $9.99 per delivery, so it all really depends on how often you think you’ll use it. This option is available on orders over $35.
The post Your Everything Guide To Saving at Target in 2024 appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
