Jenna McMahon | Updated

Target Lesson 2: How to Save Big by Stacking Coupons

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You can bring your Target couponing game to a new level with stacking. What exactly is coupon stacking? It’s when you use more than one discount on the same item. When you do it right, you can score serious deals on everything from groceries and beauty products to home goods and baby items.

Ready to turn your Target runs into major hauls? Let the KCL experts teach you how to stack and save like a pro.

KCL TIP:   Download the free Krazy Coupon Lady app to make saving at Target simple. And check out our Target deal breakdowns, telling you exactly what to buy and which coupons to use.

How to Coupon at Target: Coupon Stacking

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Here’s where you can really start saving at Target.

First, you should know that Target lets you stack multiple coupons on the same item. This includes a Target store coupon, Circle Bonus offer, a Circle item or category coupon, and a manufacturer coupon. They always subtract your Target circle offers first; then they’ll deduct any manufacturer coupons.

Before we get too far, let’s go over exactly what coupons you can stack at Target:

  • Target Circle Offers (Including Bonus Offers): The offers include both item and category coupons.

  • Manufacturer Coupons: These include the ones you’ll find in the Target app and the traditional ones from the newspaper or printed at home.

  • Target Store Coupons : These are the coupons not in Target Circle, which give you a certain amount off individual items or entire shopping categories. Examples include 30% off deodorant or 20% off men’s shoes.

  • Target Gift Card Deals: Look for offers like “Spend $100 on baby items, get a $30 Target gift card.”

  • Target Circle Card 5% discount: The 5% discount comes off your order total after all other deals and coupons have been factored in, including the value of any Target gift cards you receive.

Stack a Circle offer with a manufacturer coupon.

This is going to be your bread-and-butter stacking scenario at Target. The Target app is full of digital manufacturer coupons, creating many stacking opportunities.

Here’s an example of a basic stack:

Degree Deodorant
Online or In-Store Deal at Target
Degree Deodorant
As low as$2.37$4.9953% off
What to buy
1 Degree Deodorant, 2.6 oz, $4.99
Shipping: Free on orders of $35+
Pickup: Free

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Simple. The Circle coupon auto-applies; activate the manufacturer coupon by tapping the little green box next to the offer.

Manufacturer coupons are updated regularly on the Target app, so get in the habit of looking through them first and clicking “apply” to any you think you might use. That way, they get saved to your account and you won’t forget about them.

Also, keep in mind that manufacturer coupons apply after any Circle offers. So if you have a 20% off Circle offer and a $3 manufacturer coupon, they’ll first remove the 20% off, then the $3.

Stack a Circle category coupon with a Circle item coupon.

You can’t stack two Target Circle category coupons on the same item. For example, you can’t stack a 20% off women’s shoes category coupon with a 15% off apparel and shoes category coupon because they both fall under the same “Shoes” category. That’s a no-go.

But you absolutely can and should stack a Target Circle category coupon with a Target Circle item coupon. An example would be a category coupon for 25% off toys and an item coupon for 30% off Milton-Bradley board games. It works because the board game coupon is a brand offer, so you’re not stacking two category-level coupons.

Keep in mind that it's a rare stacking opportunity. But definitely keep an eye out for products that allow you to stack a category and item coupon.

Here's one example:

6 Starry Soda 12-Packs
Online or In-Store Deal at Target
6 Starry Soda 12-Packs
As low as$28.72$50.3443% off
What to buy
6 Starry Lemon Lime Soda, 12 oz 12 ct, $8.39
Pickup: Free
Price Summary
$4.79 each

Report an issue

Stack gift card promos with Circle offers.

Target offers some great weekly gift cards promos you should absolutely be stacking with Circle offers.

Recently, I stacked a “$15 Target gift card when you buy $50 on household items” promo with a Circle coupon for 20% off laundry detergent sheets, both of which auto-applied at checkout.

Just be aware that the Circle coupon savings could potentially drop you below the threshold to qualify for the gift card. This actually happened to me, and I had to add another item to my cart to bring the order total back above $50.

Here's an example of a promo and Circle offer stack:

2 Gain + 1 Tide
In-Store or Online Deal at Target
2 Gain + 1 Tide
As low as$21.82$41.9748% off
What to buy
1 Gain Flings Laundry Detergent Pacs, 60 ct, $15.99
1 Gain Flings Laundry Detergent Pacs, 42 ct, $12.99
1 Tide Pods Laundry Detergent Pacs, 42 ct, $12.99
Buy 3, get $10 Target gift card
Shipping: Free with Circle Card or on orders of $35+
Pickup: Free
Price Summary
Pay $31.82, get $10 Target gift card
$7.27 each / $0.15 per load

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But this isn't the case with manufacturer coupons. You can have your order total be $50.01 and then use a manufacturer coupon for laundry sheets and still get your $15 gift card.

4 Key Takeaways About Stacking

1. Target manufacturer coupons are gold : Launch the Target app and look for those digital manufacturer coupons. There are plenty of them, and they really add up quickly.

2. Target Circle item coupons aren't as common : When I was shopping my weekly list on the Target app, I didn’t find a single Circle item coupon I could use. Maybe it was just bad luck, but my guess is they‘re much more hit-or-miss.

3. Find good filler products : If you’re close to a Circle bonus or free gift card threshold, don’t just bail on it. Instead, look for low-cost filler items you actually need that’ll tip you over the edge. Just don’t grab random junk you’ll never use.

4. Target returns are unaffected: I was curious if combining Circle earnings, Ibotta, and manufacturer coupons would complicate returns, and I'm happy to report it didn't. Target still refunds your purchase price to the original payment method, no questions asked. The only thing you’ll lose is the Circle earnings you got from that item, but that’s fair.

KCL TIP: If you want even more offers to stack at Target, download the Ibotta and Fetch Rewards rebate apps for cash back on your purchases.

Go to Target Lesson 3