Target

Why I Downloaded Target

It was a random Tuesday afternoon when Sarah texted me a screenshot of her receipt showing she saved like $17 on just a few things. She’s always been the coupon queen, so I figured if she’s hyping the Target app, there must be something to it. I’m not someone who plans shopping trips — I usually just wander in for milk and leave with a cart full of stuff I didn’t need. But money’s been tight lately, and she said the app helps you stack deals and get free stuff basically. So I downloaded it on my iPhone 15 Pro while sitting on my couch, expecting it to be another clunky retail app I’d delete after a week. Three days later, here I am, writing about it because I actually had a few surprises.

Standout Features

Honestly, the Circle deals are what got me. You scan your barcode at checkout or just have it linked in the app, and it automatically applies offers. I saved $5 on a pack of Tide the first time I used it, which felt like winning a tiny lottery. The shopping list feature is also nice — you can type in stuff and it shows you what aisle it’s in for your specific store. I tested it on Wednesday at the Target on Elm Street, and it told me the paper towels were in aisle 4, which they were. That was kind of cool because I usually spend ten minutes wandering around like an idiot. The barcode scanner for price checks is handy too, especially when stuff doesn’t have a sticker. I scanned a random candle and it popped up with the price and whether it was on sale. No more guessing at the register if I’m about to get ripped off.

Daily Use Experience

I used it three days in a row because I kept forgetting stuff. The first day I just browsed the deals and added a few things to my list. I ended up buying a new phone case using the app’s checkout because I wanted to see if pickup worked. I selected in-store pickup, paid through Apple Pay, and drove over. When I got there, I tapped the “I’m here” button in the app, and a worker brought my order out in about four minutes. That was pretty smooth. Day two I used the app to reorder cat food I bought before — that was easy, just one tap and it remembered my brand. But day three it got a little annoying. I was standing in the cereal aisle trying to find a coupon that was supposed to be loaded, but the app kept spinning and then crashed. I had to restart my phone. It’s not a dealbreaker, but when you’re in a rush with a toddler whining, it’s frustrating. Most of the time it works fine, but not perfectly.

Cost Breakdown

The app itself is free, so no upfront cost. But they really want you to sign up for Target Circle, which is also free. You link your phone number and they track what you buy to give you personalized offers — that part doesn’t cost anything either. There’s also Target RedCard integration if you have their credit or debit card, which gives you 5% off everything. I don’t have one yet, but Sarah says it’s worth it if you shop there a lot. Shipping is free on orders over $35, otherwise it’s like $5.99. Same-day delivery through Shipt costs extra — I think it’s $9.99 per order or a yearly membership. I haven’t tried that because I live close to a store. So basically the app itself won’t cost you a dime, but it’ll definitely tempt you to spend more because you see all the deals. I already bought two things I didn’t plan to just because they were on sale.

Support Experience

So here’s where it got messy. On my second day, the app double-charged me for a bottle of shampoo. I saw two $6.99 charges in my bank, but only got one bottle. I tried the in-app chat support on Thursday evening. A bot answered first and asked me a bunch of automated questions that didn’t match my issue. After like ten minutes of typing “agent,” I finally got a real person named “Jessica.” She said she’d look into it and get back to me within 24 hours. Thirty-six hours later, I got an email asking me to confirm my order number — which I already provided in the chat. Then another day passed with nothing. I messaged again, and someone named “Mike” basically asked the same questions. It felt like they weren’t reading my history. I still haven’t gotten my $6.99 back. It’s not a huge amount, but it’s the principle. If this happens for a big purchase, I’d be really mad. Support feels like a slow, broken record.

Privacy Verdict

Look, I know Target is tracking everything I buy through Circle. They say it’s to give me better offers, and it does work — I got a coupon for a brand of granola I buy all the time. But it also feels a little creepy. The app asks for location permission to find your store and enable curbside pickup, which makes sense. It also wants camera access for the barcode scanner. I get that. But there’s a lot of fine print about sharing data with third parties for advertising. When I first opened the app, it asked me about all these “personalization” settings, and I just clicked accept because I wanted to get to the deals. If you care about privacy, you might want to dig into those settings. For me, I’m not thrilled about it, but I figure every retail app does this now. I’m not going to delete social media over it. But it’s worth knowing you’re the product, even for free diapers coupons.