When Target will listen to the consumers?

[mikka1]

Frankly, I doubt Target cards are about lending at all.

The whole idea of them issuing debit cards along with credit cards supports this hypothesis IMO.

Target cards are about gathering data on individual shopping patterns and linking every single receipt (to extent it is possible) to a specific household/individual.

If you think nobody is watching you... you might just not look around well enough :-)

I think everyone here knows about Target Pregnancy predictor :-) (If not - read about it here - http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/02/16/how-target-figured-out-a-teen-girl-was-pregnant-b... )

How to make people to basically use their unique identity cards for every single purchase? Give them something no other payment method would give - 5% discount.

Now let's think about big ticket purchases. Target is a grocery store. They want to compete with other grocery stores for those buying milk, ice cream and toilet paper, but not with BB or Amazon for those shopping for a flat screen TV. You normally buy a TV once in a couple of years, but you buy milk every week or so. This is their ground that they want to be on, so that's why they don't want larger limits.

And they perfectly know that 5% is good enough for most people to just take any limit as granted and use the card PIFing it many times a statement period or even switching to the debit version.

I might obviously be wrong, but that is how I see this picture of Target world...

[Simply827]

Very good points mikka1. I know for sure Target keeps track of my purchases and sends me mailers and coupons based on it.

I've had a $200 limit RedCard since 2007. I signed up for the Debit Card when it first came out and I use that 95% of the time. While I would like a higher limit on my RedCard, I don't see much incentive to use it, except for a few times per year.

[youngandcreditwrthy]

Interesting lol...
That's a great APR on a co-branded bankcard.
Yeah, my GEs are pif cept 0% offers. Lol