Pros
- No membership fees
- $50 initial rewards bonus
- Qualify with fair credit
Cons
- High regular APR
Target Credit Card
- Get $50 off a future qualifying purchase over $50 when approved for a credit, debit or reloadable RedCard.
- Save 5% when you use your Redcard in-store or online at Target, at any in-store Starbucks location, specialty gift cards, shipt and drive up service.
Rewards Details
- Get $50 off a future qualifying purchase over $50 when approved for a credit, debit or reloadable RedCard.
- Save 5% when you use your Redcard in-store or online at Target, at any in-store Starbucks location, specialty gift cards, shipt and drive up service.
- Free 2-day shipping on hundreds of thousands of items at Target.com. Some market exclusions apply.
- Extended returns for 30 extra days at Target or Target.com.
- Exclusive extras, including special items and offers.
Additional Info
- Access your Target Credit Card - check your credit card account balance, make a payment, and review past statements.
- More Details & Reviews About Target Credit Card
Is the Target Credit Card Worth It?
The Target Credit Card is worth it for frequent Target customers with at least fair credit, as it provides a 5% discount at Target, in-store and online. The card also has a $0 annual fee and provides perks such as free shipping from Target.com and an extra 30 days to return any Target purchase.
What You Need to Do to Make the Target Credit Card Worthwhile
To make the Target Credit Card worthwhile, you will simply need to pay your balance in full every month by your due date. This will prevent interest from accruing at the card’s 29.95% (V) APR and ensure that you turn a profit from your rewards.
You should also take advantage of the card’s initial bonus of $50 off a future qualifying purchase over $50. You’ll receive a coupon with the card that you can scan at checkout or use through the Target app.
Since the Target Credit Card has a $0 annual fee, you don’t have to worry about spending a certain amount of money each year to break even.
Target Credit card Review Highlights
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5% discount On Most Target Purchases
Pretty much every purchase you make at Target and Target.com will be automatically discounted 5% if you pay with your RedCard. That’s an amazing benefit, considering everything you can buy at Target — from groceries to electronics. What’s more, this 5% discount can be combined with store coupons, including those from the Target-owned digital-coupon service, Cartwheel, and the 5% discount available via Target Subscriptions, a service that delivers everyday essentials according to a schedule of your choosing. But there are exceptions to this rule (see “The Lowlights” section below).
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30-Day Extension For Returns
The RedCard is your ticket to a wider return window, extending the standard timeframe during which you may exchange a given item by 30 days. With that being said, it’s important to note that this perk isn’t set in stone. Target reserves the right to discontinue this feature at any time, and the terms and conditions note that “purchases with a fixed return date” and “non-refundable items” are excluded.
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Free Shipping From Target.com
Any Target.com purchase paid for with your Target Credit Card, regardless of the amount, is eligible for free standard shipping to any U.S. state as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and certain military installations. You’ll obviously have to pay for expedited options, but as long as you’re not in a hurry, this account feature will definitely come in handy.
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Requires Only Fair/Limited Credit For Approval
As previously mentioned, you don’t need much credit experience to qualify for the Target Credit Card. That’s great in the sense that it can serve as a cost-effective credit-building vehicle for people who might otherwise be stuck overpaying for less attractive terms. If you’re curious about where your credit stands, you can get your credit score for free on WalletHub.
Target Credit Card Review Lowlights
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Above-Average Regular APR
The Target Credit Card sports a 29.95% (V) APR, which isn’t the highest on the market but certainly isn’t low, either. For context, the average interest rate for store credit cards is 30.16%, and the average for "fair credit" credit cards is 26.41%. With that in mind, it’s best to always pay your bill in full when using this card.
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No 0% Introductory Rates
The Target Credit Card won’t give you a break if you need extra time to pay off your purchases. It doesn’t offer any sort of reduced introductory interest rates on new purchases, and it doesn’t even allow balance transfers. Instead, the card’s above-average APR will apply from the jump if you don’t pay your bill in full. With that being said, you won’t be missing much if you have limited credit, as none of the other cards for which you would be likely to qualify offer 0% rates, either. But if you have above-average credit and wish to finance a big-ticket Target purchase, this offer obviously leaves a lot to be desired.
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5% Savings Exclude Prescriptions & Gift Cards
The fact that you won’t earn rewards when purchasing Target gift cards and Target prepaid cards makes sense. Otherwise, the RedCard rewards program would be all too easy to scam. But the presence of prescriptions and clinic services on the list of exclusions is a bit of a head-scratcher. And if they represent a significant portion of your Target spending, this particular shortcoming could ultimately be a deal-breaker.
Other Things To Consider About Target RedCard
Chip-and-PIN Security
The credit-card industry as a whole is currently engaged in a transformation from the magnetic-stripe security standard to protections based on embedded computer chips. But most credit cards have adopted a system known as chip-and-signature that is widely considered to be a half measure. It provides little benefit to consumers relative to magnetic-stripe credit cards, considering that all credit-card users benefit from $0 liability guarantees.
And it won’t work at automated payment terminals abroad, such as you might find in a European train station or parking garage. Only chip-and-PIN cards, like the Target Credit Card, provide such a benefit. Target was an early adopter of chip-and-PIN plastic following its infamous 2013 data breach. And though cardholders won’t benefit from chip-and-PIN’s global interoperability, its superior security should help keep your personal information safer.
Target Credit Card vs. the Competition
annual fee$0 | annual fee$0 | annual fee$0 | annual fee$39 |
rewards rate
| rewards rate
| rewards rate
| rewards rate
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bonus offer $50 | bonus offer N/A | bonus offer $50 gift card | bonus offer N/A |
Purchase Intro APRN/A | Purchase Intro APRN/A | Purchase Intro APRN/A | Purchase Intro APRN/A |
transfer intro aprN/A | transfer intro aprN/A | transfer intro aprN/A | transfer intro aprN/A |
Regular APR29.95% (V) | Regular APR19.48% or 29.99% (Variable) | Regular APR19.49% - 27.49% (V) | Regular APR29.99% (V) |
SponsoredApply Now | SponsoredApply Now |
Target Credit Card Review Methodology
This Target Credit Card review is based on WalletHub’s proprietary 100-point credit card rating system. By using a consistent methodology to evaluate the Target Credit Card and all other cards, WalletHub’s credit card experts make it easy for people to compare their options and find the best credit cards for their needs.
The WalletHub rating system uses 16 key metrics grouped into seven categories: Fees, Rewards, Two-year Cost, Interest Rates, Approval Requirements, Special Features, and Reviews. Each metric has a maximum number of points allocated to it, based on the metric’s importance as determined by our editors. The points are added up to create an overall rating for the Target Credit Card out of a maximum of 100 points, which is then converted to a 5-point scale.
Ratings for each category reflect how close Target Credit Card is to WalletHub’s definition of a 5-star credit card, which is based on market conditions and what we believe are reasonable terms. We compare Target Credit Card to that standard to give a numerical approximation of how reasonable and competitive its terms are compared to other cards.
To learn more about how WalletHub rates credit card offers, check out our full credit card review methodology.
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