Let’s talk about couponing at Target. If you’re new to couponing at Target and want a hands-on, straightforward guide, you’re in the right place. Target makes it surprisingly simple to start saving money — even if you’ve never clipped a coupon in your life.
You won’t need a binder full of inserts or hours of research. With just a few quick tips from the KCL experts, you can start saving on your everyday Target purchases.
1. Download the Target app and The Krazy Coupon Lady app.
Download the free Target app as it will be your HQ when finding and adding coupons to your order. They’ll ask for your name and email address, and that’s it.
You’ll also definitely want to get the free Krazy Coupon Lady app and let our experts do some of the Target legwork for you. We'll sift through all the new Circle offers that get released every Sunday. And in our app, you'll be able to check out the Target weekly deal matchup, which is published each Saturday. We take the Target weekly ad and find the best deals for you, along with any matching coupons.
2. Join Target Circle for free.
Once you have an account, you’ll want to join Target Circle so you can access all the deals and coupons. How does Target Circle work? Basically, you earn rewards toward future purchases every time you shop at Target. Plus, you get to access exclusive deals for bigger savings. Using Target Circle is especially easy with the Target app, but you can reap the benefits however you choose to shop.
Target Circle benefits include Circle Rewards, Circle Bonus offers, and Circle deals that apply automatically at checkout.
3. Use Target coupons to save.
There’s Target Circle, Target Circle Card (formerly known as the Red Card), and Circle 360, to name a few. It can be a little confusing at first, so here’s a simple breakdown.
Target Circle
This is their free loyalty program, previously known as Cartwheel. Once you join, you’ll gain access to a bunch of cool Circle discounts and coupons, including free Target gift card promotions.
Circle 360
Target Circle 360 is the paid version of Target Circle. It costs $10.99 per month, or $99 annually. The biggest benefits include free same-day delivery on orders over $35, free 2-day shipping on thousands of items, and an extra 30-day return window. If you’re new to Target Circle, I suggest getting familiar with it first before you dive into the paid version.
Target Circle Card
This is their branded payment card. You can get it as a credit card, debit card, or reloadable prepaid card. It was called the Target Red Card, but they changed the name in 2024 to put everything under the Circle umbrella. All three versions of the Circle Card offer a 5% discount at Target and Target.com that lets you stack deals with coupons.
Manufacturer Coupons
These are your old-fashioned paper coupons, printable coupons, and digital coupons (via Target Circle) within the Target app and website that are created by the company that makes the product. The thing to remember here is that paper manufacturer coupons can only be used in-store, while digital manufacturer coupons can be used in-store as well as online and via the app.
To use digital manufacturer coupons on the Target app or website, you’ll need to activate them on the product page under “Available deals” or on the Target Circle Deals page. Just tap the box next to the offer, which makes it green and saves it to your account.
Item and Category Target Circle Coupons
This will be the most confusing part for most newbies, but stick with me for a minute.
Target Circle has a bunch of different types of coupons. Some are for specific items, and some are for a group of similar items within the same shopping category. These will automatically get applied to your purchase just by being a Target Circle member. You'll find percent-off deals (20% off Annie's), dollar-off deals ($2 off Colgate), BOGO discounts (buy one, get one free shave gel), and Circle price drop deals ($3.49 for a bag of Good & Gather apples.)
The best way to find these deals on the Target app and website is to search for the product you want to buy. Then tap “Target Circle Deals” which will quickly filter your search for everything with a Circle discount attached.
Gift Card Circle Deals
Target Circle gives away gift cards when you spend a certain amount on a specific shopping category. These offers are auto-applied, and they update weekly.
Here are a couple of deals we've seen recently: get a $30 Target gift card when you spend $100 on select baby care items, and get a $15 gift card when you spend $50 on household items.
Target Circle Bonus Offers
I love the personalized Bonus offers because they pop up at the top of the app when you open it and are super easy to find. Just remember that you have to activate them to your account for the discount to apply.
Target Store Coupons
Yes, Target also has store coupons that aren't related to Target Circle. These coupons can be found on the Target website, and we also track them here at KCL. You’ll most likely find them for a certain amount off an entire shopping category: things like 20% off children's apparel or 30% off kitchen and dining items.
How to Redeem Target Coupons
If you’re shopping in-store, all you have to do is have the cashier scan your Wallet barcode in the Target app. That’s how the system knows to apply your saved Circle offers. I like to set a reminder on my phone when I walk in the store in case I forget, because they won’t retroactively apply your discounts if you forget.
When shopping online, be sure to add any manufacturer coupons and bonus offers in the Target app or website before you check out. All other Target Circle discounts, including free gift card deals, will automatically apply, and you’ll see the discounts come off your online order summary right before you pay.
