Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
You might know that the Target RedCard offers a 5% discount on almost everything you buy at Target, but there are other cards that offer more rewards (up to 6%) and valuable benefits like extended warranty benefits.
These are the best credit cards to use at Target
The best credit cards to use at Target
| Card | Best use at Target |
|---|---|
 U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year. $95/year thereafter. | Get 6% cash back at your favorite stores (including Target.) The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card offers 6% cash back on the first $1,500 of combined eligible purchases at two retailers you choose. This is the best card for maximizing Target’s periodic 10% off Target gift cards promotion and for getting the highest rate of cash back at Target. More on the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card. |
 Target RedCard Mastercard Annual fee: $0 | Get a 5% discount on most things you buy at Target when you use your Target RedCard. Discount excludes certain gift cards, including Target gift cards. If you’re a Target shopper, this should be your default card. Use it for all groceries, clothing, household suppliers, and other consumables. More on the Target RedCard Mastercard. |
 U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card Annual fee: $400 | Get 3x on all purchases made using Apple Pay®, Google Pay™, and Samsung Pay. Plus get an extended warranty on eligible items. The points you earn can be redeemed for cash back (an effective 3% cash back at Target) or for travel (effectively 4.5% toward travel) If you don’t have the Target RedCard, this is a great card to maximize your rewards at Target. Be aware that you can’t use the card for the 10% off Target gift card promotion—U.S. Bank has shut down accounts of people buying even small amounts of gift cards. More on the U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card. |
 Chase Freedom Unlimited® Annual fee: $0 | Get 1.5% cash back rewards at Target, plus an extended warranty. The card earns 1.5% cash back on general purchases, plus it will extended the warranty of items with a qualifying original manufacturer’s warranty by an extra year. Use this card for electronics and other purchases at Target where having a warranty matters. Don’t use the card for household consumables or groceries at Target. Other cards offer better rewards. More on the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. |
 Chase Freedom Flex℠ Annual fee: $0 | (Target is not currently a bonus category on the Chase Freedom Flex℠) Get 5% cash back rewards at Target plus an extended warranty on eligible items when Target is a quarterly 5% bonus category on the Chase Freedom Flex℠. Use the card for all purchases at Target when Target is a rotating 5% bonus category on the Chase Freedom Flex℠. Historically, Target has been a bonus category at least once a year on this card. More on Chase Freedom Flex℠. |
Why not just use the Target RedCard?
If you are a frequent Target shopper, you probably have some variant of the Target RedCard in your wallet. The RedCard offers a 5% discount on most items you purchase at Target and Target.com. Plus, it includes some benefits like additional time to return items and free 2-days shipping on many items at Target.com. So why would you not just use the Target RedCard for every purchase? Isn’t the RedCard the best card to use at Target?
For some items, earning maximum cash back or getting the biggest discount may not be your priority. If you’re buying groceries, office supplies, or toilet paper, getting the biggest discount makes sense. But when you start purchasing durable goods—items like appliances, electronics, and furniture, the calculus changes.
If you purchase an item with a warranty, it can be well worth foregoing a small amount of rewards to be protected by a credit card extended warranty. Fortunately, you don’t have to give up many rewards if you stick with our list of the best cards to use at Target.
More on the best cards to use at Target
U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card: Up to 6% at Target
The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card lets you earn 6% cash back rewards on two retailers you choose, on up to $1,500 in combined purchases each quarter. The list of eligible merchants you can select from includes Target, making the card an even better choice to use for Target purchases than the Target RedCard.
Better yet, when Target runs its 10% off Target gift cards promotion, you should be able to earn 6% on Target gift card purchases, giving you an effective discount of 15.4% on the promotional Target gift cards.
U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card welcome bonus:
Get a $250 bonus after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening. And enjoy $0 annual fee the first year ($95/year thereafter).
Click here to learn more and apply.
Our take on the welcome bonus: This is the standard welcome bonus on this card. U.S. Bank isn’t known to increase the welcome bonus on this card.
The link above is a link directly to the bank’s website. We don’t make money when you use the above link, but we always show you the best offer.
U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card at a glance:
Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Rewards: 6% at the two retailers you choose, up to $1,500 spending per quarter. 3% in an everyday category on up to $1,5000 spending per quarter. 1.5% all other eligible purchases.
More about the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card
The U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card offers a unique and flexible take on rewards: 6% back on a limited amount of spending at your two favorite stores. The card has an introductory annual fee of $0 in the first year, and an ongoing annual fee of $95/year.
You get 6% cash back on the first $1,500 in combined purchases made at two retailers you choose. Popular retailers like Target, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Kohl’s, Home Depot and Ikea are among the choices. In addition, you can choose one 3% category (bills and home utilities, gas and EV charging stations, or Wholesale clubs) and you’ll earn 3% on the first $1,500 you spend at this retailer. All other purchases earn 1.5% cash back.
U.S. Bank does not provide any additional information on benefits of the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card. Additional card benefits may be available through Visa Signature. See your card’s Guide to Benefits for details.
Learn more about the U.S. Bank Shopper Cash Rewards® Visa Signature® Card in our overview of the Shopper Cash Rewards card.
Target RedCard: A 5% discount on almost everything you buy at Target and Target.com
If you’re a Target shopper, the Target RedCard should be your first choice of a credit card to use at Target. The card offers an instant 5% discount on most items you will buy. That makes it ideal for groceries, clothing, and household consumables.
Unfortunately the card doesn’t offer an extended warranty benefit, which is likely more valuable than the 5% discount if you’re purchasing electronics or other expensive items. Also, when Target runs its periodic 10% off Target gift cards promotion, you’ll want to use another card—the Target RedCard‘s 5% discount doesn’t apply to Target gift cards.
Target RedCard Mastercard welcome bonus:
Save $50 on a future qualifying purchases of over $50 when approved for a credit or debit RedCard.
Our take on the welcome bonus: The Target RedCard frequently offers a similar bonus for new cardmembers. If Target isn’t currently offering a welcome bonus, just wait a few weeks and they’ll launch a new offer. $50 off of $50 matches the largest offer we’ve seen on this card.
The link above is a direct link. We don’t make any money when you use the link above, but we’ll always show you the best offer.
Target RedCard™ Mastercard at a glance:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% discount at Target and Target.com. 2% on dining and gas. 1% everywhere else.
Benefits: Free 2-day shipping at Target.com. Additional 30 days to return at Target.
About the Target RedCard
The Target RedCard™ Mastercard offers a generous discount at Target and Target.com. The card carries no annual fee.
The RedCard’s flagship rewards come in the form of a 5% discount on most purchases at Target and Target.com. You’ll also get 2% on dining and gas purchases and 1% everywhere else you use the card. Rewards for spending on purchases outside of Target come in the form of a Target gift card, rather than cash back.
Cardmembers also get a few extra perks when shopping at Target and Target.com. These include an extra 30 days to return or exchange items you buy at Target and free 2-day shipping on hundreds of thousands of items at Target.com. The Target RedCard Mastercard has no annual fee.
Rewards of the Target RedCard™ Mastercard
| 5% | Discount at Target and Target.com | |
| 2%* | Dining | |
| 2%* | Gas | |
| 1%* | Everywhere else |
*Rewards are earned as credit toward a Target gift card
Learn more about the Target Red Card from our card overview.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card: 3x points and an extended warranty when you use your mobile wallet
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card can earn you up to 3% cash back or 4.5% toward travel on your Target purchases. Here’s how: Target accepts Apple Pay® and other mobile wallet payments in-store, which means you can get 3x points when you use your Altitude Reserve to pay in-store using a mobile wallet. The points you earn can be redeemed for either cash back at 1 cent per point or for travel rewards through the Altitude Rewards Center for 1.5 cents each.
There’s one purchase at Target that you should never use the Altitude Reserve for: Gift cards. U.S. Bank’s terms say that you won’t earn 3x rewards on mobile wallet purchases if you buy gift cards and the bank has a history of shutting down accounts for even one gift card purchase made using a mobile wallet.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card welcome bonus:
Earn 50,000 bonus points worth $750 on travel. Just spend $4,500 in the first 90 days of account opening.
Click here to learn more and apply.
The link above is a link directly to the bank’s website. We don’t make money when you use the above link, but we always show you the best offer.
U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card at a glance:
Annual fee: $400
Rewards: 5x prepaid hotels and car rentals booked through portal. 3x mobile wallet purchases. 1x other eligible purchases.
Benefits: Priority Pass (8 visits). Trusted Traveler credit.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®: 1.5% rewards plus extended warranty with no annual fee
The strongest argument against using the Target RedCard for every purchase at Target is that the card doesn’t have a credit card extended warranty benefit. If you buy an expensive item like a television, iPad, or cell phone at Target, it’s probably a good idea to give up a small amount of rewards to get extended warranty coverage for an additional year with another card.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is our pick for a card with no annual fee if you want to get extended warranty coverage on items you purchase at Target. Chase’s extended warranty benefit gives you an extra year of warranty protection on items that have a manufacturer’s warranty of 3 years or less. Don’t use it to buy your groceries and household consumables at Target—other cards earn better rewards—but if you’re buying electronics, it’s a great choice.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Welcome bonuses
Before you apply through the links below, be sure to see our coverage of the best welcome bonus on this card. There may be a better offer in-branch.
Our take on the welcome bonuses: The $200 after $500 offer is the standard offer on this card. The 1.5% additional cash back offer can technically be maximized for more rewards, but you’ll need to spend $20,000 on the card over the course of the year to get the full value.
Offer #1: Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The link above is a referral link. If you use this link, someone in our community may earn points. We always show you the best offer, regardless of our ability to earn a commission.
Offer #2: card_name: bonus_miles_full
The link above is our affiliate link. We are showing you this offer in addition to the 5% offer above because there are some people who might prefer this offer.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® at a glance:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% travel through Chase Travel℠. 3% dining. 3% drugstore. 1.5% all other purchases
About the Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® offers cardmembers 1.5% rewards on all purchases. It is the essential “everywhere else card” in the Chase Ultimate Rewards® ecosystem.
Although the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is marketed as a “1.5% everywhere” card, it offers plenty of bonus spending categories. You get 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% on dining at restaurants including eligible takeout and delivery, and 3% on drugstore purchases. Although rewards are marketed as cash back, the card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points behind the scenes, which can be transferred to a premium Ultimate Rewards® card and redeemed for greater value.
For a card with no annual fee, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® comes with a healthy set of benefits, including purchase protection, extended warranty, secondary auto rental collision damage waiver insurance, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Rewards
| 5% | Travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® | |
| 5% | Lyft rides (through March 31, 2025) | |
| 3% | Dining, including eligible takeout and delivery | |
| 3% | Drugstore purchases | |
| 1.5% | All other purchases |
Learn more about the Chase Freedom Unlimited® from our overview of the card.
Chase Freedom Flex℠: Occasional 5% cash back at Target, plus extended warranty
Just like with the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, you use the Chase Freedom Flex℠ to get an extended warranty. Go ahead and use your Target RedCard for groceries, but if you need warranty coverage, use a card with a robust extended warranty benefit.
Normally, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ only offers 1% rewards at Target, but occasionally that changes. When the Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers 5% rewards at Target through its rotating categories, the card quickly becomes the best card to use at Target. That’s because the card offers rewards that match the Target Card’s 5% discount and it gives you an extra year of extended warranty, to boot!
About the Chase Freedom Flex℠
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is Chase’s take on the 5% rotating category card, offering increased rewards in limited-time categories that are announced quarterly. The Chase Freedom Flex℠ has no annual fee.
The Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers 5% back on up to $1,500 spent each quarter in rotating bonus quarterly categories. Categories have historically included purchases at grocery stores, Amazon.com, gas stations and big box retailers. In addition, the card offers 3% cash back on restaurants and drugstore purchases and 1% cash back on everything else. All rewards are earned as Ultimate Rewards points, but can be redeemed for cash back.
In addition to cash back rewards, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ offers a generous suite of benefits for a card with no annual fee. The card protects your purchases with Purchase Protection, Extended Warranty Protection, and Cell Phone Protection and it offers protection for your travels with secondary auto rental collision damage waiver insurance and trip cancellation/interruption insurance.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ rewards
| 5% | Travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ | |
| 5% | Lyft rides (through March 31, 2025) | |
| 3% | Dining, including eligible takeout and delivery | |
| 3% | Drugstore purchases | |
| 1.5% | All other purchases |
Chase Freedom Flex℠ welcome bonus:
Before you apply through the link below, be sure to see our coverage of the best welcome bonus on this card. There may be a better offer in-branch.
Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Click here to learn more and apply for the Chase Freedom Flex℠.
Our take on the welcome bonus: $200 after $500 is the standard welcome bonus on this card.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Chase Freedom Flex℠ at a glance:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% in rotating categories (up to $1,500 in combined purchases per quarter). 5% travel through Chase. 3% dining. 3% drugstores. 1% other purchases.
Benefits: Extended warranty. Purchase protection. Cell phone protection.
Frequently asked questions
For most purchases, you should probably use the Target RedCard, which gives a 5% discount on most items you purchase at Target and Target.com. But it can be a good idea to use a card with an extended warranty benefit for durable goods. It’s probably worth sacrificing part of your discount in order to get an extra year of warranty protection on electronics, appliances, and furniture.
Technically, the RedCard gives you a 5% discount, rather than 5% rewards at Target. You can earn 5% rewards occasionally when you use a rotating category card like the Chase Freedom Flex℠ when Target is included in the card’s quarterly categories.
The Target RedCard is issued in several variants. The prepaid card, in-store credit card, and debit card can be used only at Target. The RedCard Mastercard can be used elsewhere, though its rewards outside of Target are mediocre.
Target Circle is a no-cost rewards program that you can sign up for as a Target shopper. You can earn 1% rewards on most purchases through the program and get targeted discounts and promotions. If you shop at Target, you should sign up for Target Circle. You’ll also need to be a Target Circle member to get Target’s periodic 10% discount on Target gift cards.
The Target RedCard Mastercard is Target’s store-branded credit card. The card offers a 5% discount on most items you purchase from Target and is a credit card that can be used at other retailers.
Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.