Target GiftCard buyer guide: redeeming, where it works and what it can’t buy
A Target GiftCard is about as simple as a store card gets — no expiry, no fees, works in every Target store and on Target.com. The fine print is in the edges: the shops-within-the-shop it covers (Starbucks, CVS), the things it quietly can’t pay for, the access number you need even at a register, and the fact that Target only exists in the United States.
Three ways to redeem a Target GiftCard
Every route needs two things: the card number and the access number. Target is explicit that the access number is required both in store and online. On a plastic card it sits under the silver strip on the back; for an eGiftCard it is in the card you open inside your Target.com account.
In a Target store
Give the card to the cashier or use it at self-checkout. You can pay all or part of the bill with it, and combine up to 10 gift cards in one transaction. Target always applies gift cards first, before charging a credit or debit card, so the card is drained before your bank card is touched. The same card works at the Starbucks counter, Target Café and the CVS Pharmacy inside a Target store.
Online at Target.com
At checkout, add the gift card as a payment method and enter the number and access number. The 10-card limit applies online too. Orders paid with a Target GiftCard still qualify for free standard shipping; faster shipping options can cost extra.
In the Target app Wallet
Saved cards live in the Wallet tab of the Target app (and under gift cards in your Target.com account). You can keep up to 20 Target GiftCards there. One quirk: if you lose the access number of a saved card, you can’t request it in the app — you have to sign in on Target.com, open the card under gift cards and choose “Get access number”, and Target emails it to the address on your account.
Digital delivery
Target eGiftCards are usually delivered within four hours, and you can schedule delivery up to three months ahead. Email and mobile cards must be opened in a Target.com account before they can be viewed or spent, so a recipient without an account will need to create one. If a card never arrives, Target.com Guest Services (1-800-591-3869) can resend it.
Can you use a Target GiftCard outside the US?
In person, no — there is simply no Target abroad. Target describes its 2,000+ stores as being in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with no stores in other countries. The card is denominated in US dollars and is built for that network.
| Where you are | What works |
|---|---|
| Any US state or Washington, D.C. | Stores and Target.com, no restrictions beyond the usual ones |
| Puerto Rico and other US territories | No stores, but Target.com can ship many items there by standard mail — product pages say when an item can’t ship. Expedited shipping isn’t offered. |
| APO / FPO / DPO addresses | Target.com orders by standard US mail; heavy items, food and some batteries are restricted |
| Canada, Mexico, Europe or anywhere else | No stores, and Target.com doesn’t ship outside the US or to freight forwarders. You can spend the card on an order delivered to a US address or a US parcel pickup point. |
So if you’re sending a card to someone who lives abroad, it only makes sense if they have a US address or visit regularly. For international teams, a card that works where people actually shop is the better gift — our guide to rewarding remote teams across countries covers the options and the tax side.
What a Target GiftCard can and can’t buy
It covers almost everything on the shelves, including alcohol where sale is legal, plus the in-store partners above. Target’s exclusion list is short but worth reading before you plan a purchase:
- Visa, Mastercard and American Express gift cards and other prepaid cards — not allowed
- Specialty gift cards (gaming, music, restaurants), iTunes cards and digital video game downloads — not allowed
- Other Target GiftCards — you can’t use one to buy another
- Target Circle Card payments, MinuteClinic services and online Target Optical orders — not allowed
Target GiftCards also don’t earn the 5% Target Circle Card discount when you buy them, and they aren’t reloadable. GiftCard orders can’t use Order Pickup.
Expiry, fees and the law behind them
Target’s own wording is that the cards don’t expire and don’t lose value over time, even if an expiry date is printed on the card. That is more generous than the federal floor: under the CARD Act rules in Regulation E (12 CFR 1005.20), a store gift card’s funds can’t expire sooner than five years after the card was issued or last loaded, and inactivity fees are only allowed after 12 months with no activity. Target charges neither. Note that promotional cards handed out with a purchase are treated differently by the law and by Target’s return rules.
Returns and refunds
Gift cards themselves are final sale — Target won’t take them back or exchange them for cash except where the law requires it. If you return something you paid for with a Target GiftCard, the money comes back as a new Target eGiftCard, not onto the original plastic. And if you return an item that came with a free promotional gift card, you keep the card but its value is taken off your refund.
Common problems and fixes
“The barcode won’t scan”
A store can replace a card if the barcode is intact and the access number is legible. If the barcode itself is damaged, call 1-800-544-2943 with your original receipt.
“I lost the card”
Call the same number with the original receipt. Target replaces partially used cards for the remaining balance — another reason to keep receipts, and to save cards to your Wallet as soon as you get them.
“The card was declined or deactivated”
Target reserves the right to reject or deactivate cards to prevent fraud or abuse. Cards bought from unofficial resellers are the usual casualties. Start by checking the balance on Target’s own site; if it shows zero on a card you never used, contact Target with your receipt.
Scams to know about
If you gave a card to a scammer, call Target straight away with the receipt, then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Employers handing out cards should brief staff on the “boss needs gift cards” script in particular — it targets exactly the people who run bulk gift card programs.
How to check your balance
Online at Target.com, in the app Wallet, or at any register. Our step-by-step guide covers every route and the access-number gotchas: how to check a Target gift card balance.
Target GiftCard FAQ
Can I use a Target GiftCard at Starbucks?
Yes, at the Starbucks inside a Target store — that’s the location Target lists. Don’t count on it at a standalone Starbucks, which runs its own card program.
Can I use it in Canada?
No. Target has no stores outside the US, and Target.com doesn’t ship to Canadian addresses or freight forwarders. You could only use it for an order delivered to a US address.
How many gift cards can I use on one order?
Up to 10 per transaction, in store or online.
Does a Target GiftCard expire if it has a date printed on it?
No. Target says its GiftCards don’t expire or lose value, even if an expiry date is printed on the card.
Can I add money to my Target GiftCard?
No. Target lists its GiftCards as not reloadable — buy a new card instead.
Are Target GiftCards taxable when an employer gives them?
In the US, generally yes — gift cards count as cash-equivalent wages. See are gift cards taxable to employees or run the achievement award tax checker.
Who wrote this and how it was checked
Builds Rewordin’s employee rewards and gift card delivery, and writes our gift card guides.
- Target Help — Target GiftCards
- Target Help — Rules for redeeming a Target GiftCard
- Target Help — Finding your GiftCard access number
- Target Help — Returns
- Target Help — Target Circle Card 5% discount exclusions
- Target Help — Ship to home
- Target Corporate — About Target
- 12 CFR 1005.20 — gift card rules (Cornell LII)
- FTC — Gift card scams