| Benefits | Earning | FAQs | Joining | Redeeming | Circle vs. Target Circle Card | Target Circle 360 | Target Circle Week |
Virtually every major retailer has some kind of rewards program, and Target has one of our favorites. The chain’s free loyalty club, Target Circle, hooks members up with rewards for shopping, in addition to other deals and savings opportunities.
Target Circle has come a long way since it first launched in October 2019, replacing the old Cartwheel program. Last spring (2024), Target gave the program a major refresh, making it even more rewarding and easier to use. Target Circle is free to join, but if you want to upgrade to its paid tier Target Circle 360 there is a limited-time promo happening now. From March 16-29, you can get $50 off an annual subscription, just in time for Target Circle Week!
If you’re considering joining Target Circle, keep reading — we’ve put together a complete guide to literally everything you need to know about Target’s enticing rewards program.
The primary purpose of Target Circle is to reward loyal customers for shopping at Target. It works like this: After joining for free, Target Circle members get special member-only deals on qualifying purchases every time they shop at Target. These might include percent-back rewards that can be used towards a future Target purchase, BOGO offers, free-gift-card-with-purchase offers and that famous 10% off Target gift cards deal that comes along a couple times a year. Target Circle membership also gets you access to Target Circle Week, Target’s annual sale.
Circle membership includes these perks:
Signing up for Target Circle is free, quick and easy. There are three ways to join Target Circle:
When you sign up for Target Circle, expect to provide an email address and optional phone number. You will use your phone number to look up your account when shopping in-store.
If you are a member of Target Circle, here’s how can get those offers:
If you forget to do either of these things at checkout, you can use the Target app to retroactively enter the receipt for Target Circle rewards. Within seven days of purchase, use the app to scan your receipt or enter it manually to earn rewards on that purchase.
You need only be logged into your Target account to automatically get Target Circle offers.
If you link your Target Circle account to your Target app, you’ll automatically get valid offers applied.
When you earn Circle rewards from special offers or the 5% birthday offer, you can simply redeem these rewards like cash towards your purchase during your next visit to Target. Keep in mind that Target Circle Rewards expire if you haven’t earned or redeemed them in one year.
Here’s how you can redeem your Target Circle rewards:
At checkout, provide the phone number you signed up with or scan your Wallet in the Target app. At payment, either select your Target Circle balance or tell the sales associate you wish to redeem your Target Circle earnings. Your balance will be applied to your purchase. At a self-checkout station? Open the Target app, tap “Show My Barcode” and scan it.
Before checking out on Target.com, make sure you are signed into your account. During checkout, you can choose to apply your Target Circle earnings to your order.
During checkout on the Target app, choose to apply your Target Circle earnings to your order.
Keep in mind when you choose to redeem your rewards, you must redeem your full balance in the same transaction — you can’t choose to redeem only part of your balance. If your purchase total is less than your current rewards balance, you will be unable to access your remaining rewards balance until the transaction is completely processed.
The Target Circle rewards program is separate from a Target Circle
Other Target Circle
If you are a Target Circle
One key difference between the two programs is that Target Circle rewards must be redeemed during a future visit. By contrast, a Target Circle
* Limited-Time Promo: From March 16-29, you can get $50 off an annual subscription, just in time for Target Circle Week!
Target launched it’s paid service, Target Circle 360
Target Circle Week is Target’s sales exclusively for Target Circle members. Target’s first Circle Week of 2025 is landing in March this year starting this Sunday. The Spring 2025 Target Circle Week sale starts on Sunday, March 23 and runs through Saturday, March 29. If you are a Target Circle 360
Target Cartwheel no longer exists, and Target Circle replaced it as Target’s loyalty program in 2019.
For Target Circle members, coupons are applied automatically to your purchase. Clipping offers before checkout used to cause us anxiety and FOMO, and we’re glad that extra step is gone. There are a few caveats, though:
Target revamped the Target Circle program back in April 2024. One change was no more 1% back earnings on all purchases. While the old reliable 1% rewards are gone, you might still find percent-back bonus offers on select purchases.
Insider Tip: We offer cash back at Target through RetailMeNot. Currently we are offering 2% cash back through April 30, 2025. You can combine our cash back with other deals and sales.
You can use your Target Circle rewards on any purchase from Target, with a few exceptions. These are purchases you can’t buy with Target Circle rewards:
See the full list of excluded items in the Target Circle terms and conditions.
You earn Target Circle rewards on a wide variety of purchases made in Target stores, on Target.com or using the Target app, with a few exceptions.
These are purchases that don’t earn you Target Circle rewards:
See the full list of excluded items in the Target Circle terms and conditions.
In general, yes. Unless the terms of the offer forbid it, you can often stack Target Circle offers with other Target Circle offers and with other coupons. We recently stacked two Target Circle offers (5% off Burt’s Bees products AND a free $5 Target gift card when you purchase three Burt’s Bees products):
You can also often use Target Circle offers on top of manufacturer coupons (which you’ll find taped to Target products on shelves).
And don’t forget the ultimate stacking shopping hack: Combining Target Circle offers with cash back. By clicking through from RetailMeNot, you can automatically earn cash back on your Target online run (and redeem that cash via Venmo and PayPal). Check our Target page for the latest Target cash-back offer.
If you add your birth date to your Target Circle account before your birthday, Target will send you a special treat—a 5% off coupon! This discount will show up in your account on your birthday and will be valid for 30 days.
To use your birthday reward, just open the Target app and head to the Wallet tab. That’s where you’ll find your 5% off offer. The app will also show any restrictions or details about how to redeem it. When you’re ready to shop, simply apply the discount at checkout, whether you’re in-store or online.
Yes. Your Target Circle earnings will expire if you do not earn or redeem rewards for one year.
Target recently partnered with Ulta beauty store and has opened mini Ulta shops at 100 Target stores. The retailer says it plans to add Ulta mini shops to 800 Target locations.
As part of the partnership, Target lets members of Ulta Beauty Rewards — Ulta’s rewards program — connect their Ulta Beauty Rewards and Target Circle accounts. Linking these two accounts allows you to earn Ulta Rewards points and Target Circle rewards (assuming there’s an active relevant offer) every time you shop at Ulta mini shops inside Target. It’s a good way to save at Ulta and Target simultaneously.
No, there’s not a stand-alone Target Circle app. Target Circle is rolled into the Target app, so you can manage offers, stash gift cards, manage your Target Circle
The post Everything You Need To Know About Target Circle appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
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