4 Target Perks You Probably Aren't Using but Should Be

Don't go shopping at Target again without reading this.

Shopping at Target can be a downright fun experience. The store offers a wide array of products, including clothes, groceries, and household items. And many are available at a great price, especially if you can catch them on clearance.

While Target generally has affordable items that allow you to keep your credit card bills down, you can actually improve your shopping experience and get even better deals if you're aware of some little-known Target perks that many people fail to take advantage of. Here are four of them.

1. Target RedCard benefits

Target RedCard allows you to pay for Target purchases and earn extra rewards in the process.

There are three different options to sign up for Target RedCard. You can get a credit card, which you can also use at other stores (but which may not make sense if you don't like applying for too many cards or aren't a fan of store cards). You can get a debit card linked to a checking account. Or you can get a reloadable account that you can put money onto for free at Target and spend anywhere that accepts Visa debit cards.

Target RedCard gets you 5% back every day on purchases you make at Target and at Target.com. It's completely free, and anyone can open a reloadable account even if they don't have good credit or a bank account they're comfortable linking to. You also get free two-day shipping when you shop online and extra time for returns.

2. Target Circle offers

Target Circle is a free loyalty program you can join at Target regardless of whether or not you have a Target RedCard.

Once you join, you'll get 1% back on Target purchases (if you don't get the extra cash back for being a Target RedCard member). You can claim your cash back simply by scanning your Target Circle barcode from your wallet in the Target app or by entering your phone number on the keypad when checking out.

You can also get exclusive Target Circle offers after joining the loyalty program. Just add the Circle offer to your app and scan your phone at checkout. You don't need to clip any coupons, and you can store up to 75 offers in your app.

3. Price matching

Target offers price matching if you buy a qualifying item in store and find it cheaper at a local competitor, on Target.com, or with certain online competitors. You have 14 days after you make a purchase to request a price match, and Target will adjust your cost.

Target also offers specialized holiday price matching which provides you with a longer period of time to match prices. For the 2022 year, any items purchased starting Oct. 6 could be price matched with other Target deals available through Dec. 24.

4. Birthday discounts

If you sign up for Target Circle and provide your birth date, you'll get 5% off a single purchase made within 30 days of your big day.

Each of these perks can help you save quite a bit of money when shopping at Target, so give them a try to have a better experience next time you visit.