While almost everybody knows about Target’s bargain prices and great offers, even those who have been shopping with them for years don’t know all the ins and outs of the company – particularly the return policy, which is something from which so many customers could benefit. Below are 18 little-known return policies that can help you get the best out of your Target shopping experience.
18. All Target brands can be returned for up to 365 days
On all its own brands, Target offers a full one-year satisfaction guarantee. The brand most people would’ve heard of in terms of this guarantee is the Cat & Jack clothing brand, but it applies to every Target brand, as long as you’ve kept your receipt. For example, you might buy a throw from the Hearth & Hand range; if it starts to wear out after eight months, just take it back and you’ll be given a new one. You might not get the same item, because the store has a high turnover of items, but you will get a replacement.
17. No tags? No problem!
As long as you keep your receipt, or you have the card with which you paid for your item, Target will take back used or unused goods even without the shop tags for between 90 and 120 days. Even if you’ve removed the tags and thrown them away, you can still go back and get a refund or exchange.
16. Target matches lower prices from competitors
Lots of stores will drop their prices to compete with other outlets, and Target does the same. Target doesn’t just watch its own prices, it looks out for those from other firms. Target offers a price match guarantee, which means that if you can find a single online outlet offering an item at a lower price than you paid at Target, they will refund you the difference.
15. Lost your receipt? No problem
Many of us tend to lose our receipt about five minutes after leaving a store; at Target, if you use your credit card, that won’t be a problem, you can still get an exchange or credit. If you use American Express, MasterCard, Visa, or Target REDcard, you’re covered; Target will be happy to take your card details and verify that you made the purchase. If you’re the type of person who can never remember what they’ve done with a receipt, use a credit card at Target and you won’t have to worry ever again.
14. Return beauty products, even if they’re open
This is a serious bugbear for those who like their cosmetic products. The majority of stores won’t let you return these products once they’ve been opened. Cosmetic products are frequently costly, which makes it a real gamble to try out new ones. Maybe it won’t suit you, or you’ll have a bad skin reaction to it, then you’re seriously out of pocket. At Target, this risk is eliminated, because the majority of beauty products bought either in a Target store or online may be returned, even if you’ve opened them, up to 90 days from the date of purchase, or 120 days if you used your RED card to buy them. That’s what we call an extremely good guarantee!
13. Get the sales discount, even after purchase
There’s nothing more annoying than buying an item at full price, then seeing the next day that a store has discounted it! This is not a problem with Target: if you see an item you’ve purchased discounted within 14 days, take your item and receipt into the store and you will be refunded the difference between what you paid and the discounted price. Pretty darn good guarantee!
12. Gift cards can be exchanged
If you love shopping at Target, but somebody gives you a gift card from another outlet, you may be able to get an exchange from Target. The store has a takeover program, where they will exchange any unwanted Costco, Nordstrom, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Fandango and Ann Taylor gift cards for Target credit (you may lose a small fee for the transaction).
11. Return up to $100 worth of goods within 365 days just with your driver’s license
You may think you can’t make a return if you paid in cash, or were gifted an item, but with Target you can still return or exchange provided the item cost less than $100. Take your driver’s license and the customer service operative will run a quick check to make sure you’re not a serial returner, just to protect the store against the return of stolen goods. If you used a credit card to pay, you can also take advantage of this service.
10. Don’t pay postage on returns
Many people don’t bother returning items due to the sheer hassle of having to take it back to the store for exchange or refund – this is something you don’t have to worry about with Target. The company’s return policy is notably generous and flexible on all items; if your purchase is worth more than $35, they’ll pay shipping and handling charges (for REDcard members, these charges are waived no matter what the order value).
9. You can make returns even for BOGO promotions
If you buy two items in a BOGO promotion, the cheaper item is always the one that’s discounted, so if you buy a $10 item and an $8 item, you’ll pay $14: the $10 item plus 50% ($4) of the $8 item. If you return either item, the saving you made is shared between the two items, so it’s treated as if you got half the discount on both, so you will get $8 for the $10 item or $6 for the $8 item. All the more reasons to do your shopping at Target.
8. You don’t have to return gift cards, but you lose the value of a return
Clearly, Target would be well out of pocket if they simply let people keep the full value of gift cards that were a reward for a purchase that they later returned. So what happens is this: you get to keep the gift card that came with your purchases, but the value of any returns is deducted. Example: you buy a $10 item and a $15 item and receive a free gift card. If you later return the $10 item, you get to keep the balance on the gift card, minus $10.
7. If you have a REDcard, you can enjoy 120 days returns
For those of you who like to spend a long time considering whether they want to keep a purchase, the REDcard could be useful. This card gives you an extension on the standard 90 days returns period to 120 days, so you’ve got an extra month to decide whether that item is really for you. Standard Target terms apply, so even with this extended grace period, your return will still be free if you want it.
6. No returns on games, movies or music, just exchanges
If you buy a movie or computer game, use them and go back to Target for a refund, you’ll be out of luck. Nevertheless, you can get an exchange on games, movies, music and open software, providing they are undamaged.
5. You might have to be patient on same-day returns
Target offering an amazing returns policy, but if you’ve lost your receipt and paid with a credit card, you may have to wait a little while for your return. The computer system at Target only shows credit card purchases 24 hours after they’ve been made, so an employee won’t be able to access your details straightaway. Hang on to your receipt if you think you might be returning an item that day, or go back the next day when your details will be available.
4. You may be able to get your shipping costs back
If you want to return any order purchased at Target.com, you can do this without charge at any Target outlet. What’s more, you could actually get your original shipping costs back along with your refund or exchange, though bear in mind that this is not applicable in all cases – though it never hurts to ask. If you received your order late, if it was defective, or it didn’t match up to what was advertised, ask customer services to return your shipping as well as the purchase price.
3. You don’t have to be there at dawn to get sale prices
With most stores, if an item is on sale, once it has sold out you’ve missed your chance. However, at Target, if the sale item has sold out, you can ask for a voucher; return to the store within 45 days and if the item has been restocked, even if it’s back to the pre-sale price, you will still receive the sale discount.
2. Go to the aisle ends for the best discounts
Some outlets will spread their clearance items at random across the store, but Target has a different policy. The shelves on the end of each aisle – a.k.a. “end caps” – where they keep the clearance items; it’ll pay you to make sure you don’t miss them. Who knows, that might be where you’ll make the best purchase of your day!
1. Get a discount for your own bag
Most stores now will charge you if you don’t bring your own bag, but Target actually rewards you. To try and make shopping more environmentally friendly, Target will knock five cents off your bill for each reusable bag you produce.
