10 Ways to Ensure You Get the Absolute Lowest Price on Your Target Purchase

Target runs are practically a national pastime. You go in for a single bottle of shampoo and emerge an hour later with new throw pillows, three candles, a matching lounge set and a cart full of snacks. It’s easy to spend more than you planned when everything looks so appealing. But with a little bit of strategy, you can easily offset those impulse buys by maximizing your savings on every Target trip.

This guide breaks down exactly how to find the best deals, maximize rewards and combine store discounts. We’ll show you how to leverage the Target Circle loyalty program, navigate the Clearance sections and stack manufacturer coupons. Finally, we’ll reveal the ultimate savings strategy: How to layer all these store deals with Rakuten Cash Back so you get the absolute maximum value from every dollar you spend.

Here are 10 foolproof ways to systematically save money on your next Target shopping spree.

1. Join the Target Circle loyalty program

If you shop at Target and you’re not a member of Target Circle, you’re leaving money on the table. Target Circle is the store’s free loyalty program, and it’s the easiest way to ensure that you get discounts at Target.

You can join the program online or through the Target app. Once you’re in, you’ll get access to hundreds of automatic Target Circle Offers. In the past, you had to manually save every single offer in the app before checkout. Now, Target automatically applies the deals to your transaction when you scan your barcode at the register or shop online while logged into your account. The program also frequently drops personalized deals based on the category of items you buy most often, ensuring that your savings match your actual shopping habits.

2. Pay with a Target Circle Card

Formerly known as the RedCard, the Target Circle Card is a massive perk for frequent shoppers. It gives you an automatic 5% discount on almost every purchase you make, both in-store and online.

The best part is that you don’t have to open a new credit card to get the benefits. Target offers three versions of the card: a traditional credit card, a debit card that links directly to your existing checking account and a reloadable account. All three options give you the same 5% discount at checkout. Plus, cardholders get free shipping on online orders and an extra 30 days to return items. When you combine this 5% daily discount with other sales, the savings add up incredibly quickly.

3. Hunt for gift card promotions

One of Target’s most reliable ways to reward customers is through its gift card promotions. You will frequently see signs in the store or banners in the app offering deals such as buy three select household essential items, get a $10 Target gift card.

These promotions typically apply to household essentials you need to buy anyway, such as laundry detergent, toilet paper, diapers and pet food. Instead of just giving you a flat discount, Target hands you a gift card to use on your next purchase. Savvy shoppers hold onto these gift cards and roll them into their next transaction, essentially creating a continuous loop of savings. Just be sure you’re actually buying the specific quantities and brands listed in the offer to trigger the bonus.

4. Master the Clearance sections

If you want to find steep discounts, you need to know where to look. Target stores generally concentrate their clearance items on the endcaps (the shelves facing the outer aisles).

Clothing and shoes may be marked down within their specific departments, while home goods, electronics, toys and sporting equipment usually have dedicated clearance endcaps. The yellow clearance stickers tell you exactly what you are saving. An insider tip from seasoned shoppers and team members is to look at the number in the top right corner of the yellow sticker. It usually says 30, 50 or 70, indicating the percentage off the original price.

You can also shop a variety of category-specific clearance sections on Target’s website. You’ll find dedicated sections for deep discounts on toys, clothing, home goods, beauty items and more.

5. Take advantage of price matching

Target has a very generous price-match guarantee that can ensure you’re getting the lowest prices on your Target purchase. If you buy a qualifying item at Target and find it for less at select online competitors, in a local competitor’s printed ad or on Target.com within 14 days of your purchase, Target will match the price.

That means you don’t have to drive across town just because another big-box store has a vacuum on sale for $20 less. Simply bring your proof of the lower price to Target’s guest services desk. You can even price match at the time of purchase by showing the cashier the competitor’s current online price on your phone.

6. Stack manufacturer coupons with store deals

Target allows you to use manufacturer coupons on top of their own store deals. This is where couponing gets fun and highly lucrative.

If Target is running a sale on your favorite brand of cereal and you have a manufacturer coupon clipped from the Sunday paper or printed from a brand’s website, you can apply both to the same item. If that cereal also happens to be part of a buy-three-get-a-gift-card promotion, you are successfully stacking three different savings methods on a single product. The Target app sometimes includes digital manufacturer coupons as well, making it incredibly easy to apply them at checkout without carrying paper clippings.

7. Hit the seasonal and holiday sales

Timing is everything when you want to get the maximum value from every dollar you spend. Target rolls out massive savings during specific times of the year.

Back-to-school season in August brings incredible deals on clothing, electronics and dorm essentials. Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer the deepest discounts of the year on televisions, kitchen appliances and toys. Target also hosts its own special savings events, such as Target Circle Week, throughout the year, during which members get exclusive access to sweeping discounts across the entire store. If you have a major purchase coming up, waiting a few weeks for one of these seasonal events can save you a significant amount of cash.

8. Complete Target Circle bonuses

In addition to standard percentage-off deals, Target Circle frequently offers members personalized bonuses. These are goal-oriented challenges that reward you with a Target gift card or a discount to use on a future purchase.

Your app may, for example, offer a $15 reward when you make three qualifying purchases of $40 or more. If you already plan to do your grocery and household shopping at Target, simply activating this bonus and tracking your progress is a completely free way to earn extra money. You can track your progress right in the app, and the reward is automatically added to your wallet once you complete the required trips.

9. Use registry-completion discounts

If you’re getting married or having a baby, creating a registry at Target comes with a fantastic built-in perk. After your event date passes, Target provides a 15% completion discount that applies to almost anything remaining on your registry. 

It’s the perfect opportunity to buy that expensive stroller, car seat or stand mixer that nobody gifted you. You can use the completion discount twice, once for an online order and once for an in-store shopping trip. Savvy shoppers make sure to add everything they could possibly need to their registry right before the event date to ensure that those items qualify for the 15% price drop.

10. Maximize your rewards with Rakuten Cash Back

You’ve applied your Target Circle offers, stacked your manufacturer coupons and swiped your Target Circle card. Now it’s time for the final, most impactful step: getting Rakuten Cash Back.

Rakuten is the smartest way to guarantee you’re getting rewarded for your Target purchases. Instead of just settling for the store discounts, you can earn a percentage of your purchase back in real money. Whether you’re stocking up on groceries, buying furniture or taking advantage of same-day delivery, Rakuten layers on top of your other savings methods to put money back in your pocket.

How to stack Target deals with Rakuten Cash Back

Combining all possible discounts and Rakuten Cash Back is surprisingly simple. Your goal is to apply your store-level discounts first, and then let Rakuten work its magic on the final purchase amount.

Here is the exact process to maximize your value:

• Open the Rakuten website, Rakuten app or Rakuten browser extension and search for Target.
• Click the Shop Now button to be securely routed to Target’s website.
• Log in to your Target account so your Target Circle offers apply automatically.
• Add items to your cart, making sure you meet the requirements for any gift card promotions or Target Circle bonuses.
• Pay with your Target Circle card to get an automatic 5% off.

Because you started your Target shopping journey with Rakuten, you’ll earn Cash Back on your final purchase total. It’s the perfect combination of instant discounts at checkout and a rewarding Cash Back check sent your way later.

Frequently Asked Questions

What day of the week do Target deals end?

Target’s weekly ad and standard store sales typically run from Sunday to Saturday. Most weekly deals end on Saturday night when the store closes, or at 11:59 p.m. PT online. The new deals for the following week go live on Sunday morning.

Is Target Circle worth it for frequent shoppers?

Absolutely. Target Circle is completely free to join and automatically applies available discounts to your purchases. Frequent shoppers benefit the most because the program tracks your purchase history to send you personalized offers and bonuses for the items you buy most often.

How does the Target Circle program work?

You join by creating an account on the Target app or website. When you shop in-store, you scan the barcode in your app at the register or enter your phone number on the keypad. The system automatically applies any available Target Circle offers to your transaction. Online purchases automatically receive the discounts as long as you’re logged in.

Can you stack Target bonuses?

Yes, you can stack several types of savings. You can combine a store sale price with a Target Circle offer, a manufacturer coupon and your 5% Target Circle card discount all on the same item, and then earn Rakuten Cash Back on top of it.

Does a Target Circle bonus go before or after discounts?

Target calculates your progress toward a bonus based on the total after Target Circle offers and store coupons are applied, but before your 5% Target Circle card discount is subtracted.

How do I get discounts at Target?

The easiest ways to get discounts are joining Target Circle for automatic deals, shopping clearance sections, using a Target Circle card for 5% off every day and shopping through Rakuten to earn Cash Back on your orders.

Can you combine a Target registry coupon with other coupons?

Yes, you can combine your 15% registry-completion discount with manufacturer coupons, Target Circle offers and your 5% Target Circle card discount to maximize your savings on big-ticket items.