topic Re: Target Card - Interesting in Credit Cards

Target Card - Interesting

TiggerDat — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 14:11:55 GMT

Did you know that if you have a Target card, but not a big enough limit to buy something, that as long as you used the card for a portion of the limit, you still get the 5% discount?

I called them to ask about my limit, since I got their weekly email about what is on sale, and I noticed some good deals on TVs. They told me that if my limit was big enough, and it isn't (no surprise there right?), that I could split tender it and still get the 5% discount on the full purchase price. I did ask how much I had to put on the card. The reply was that they would like you to put as much as you could on the card. I asked if I could only put $5 on the card and still get the full amount of the discount. I was told yeah that as long as some part of it was put on the card, you got the full 5% discount.

So don't fret about your Target limit being small, you can always get the full 5% as long as some part of the payment is done with the Target card. So just another reason to use the Target card and get the full benefits of the discount.

Re: Target Card - Interesting

ddemari — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 14:33:22 GMT

Yup, onetime I called Target a whiles back in hopes I could get somewhere on a CLI. I told the lady I wanted to buy a tv for 600 dollars and my limit is 300.

She informed me I could use the card for say 250, get my 5% off the entire purchase and use a different form of payment for the rest.

Re: Target Card - Interesting

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 14:41:57 GMT

That is extremely interesting. So one could "double dip" and get the full 5% back on a $500 item by paying, say, $250 of it with the Red card and then getting an additional 5% on the $250 that's left over by using, say, a Sallie Mae, for example. That's a 7.5% return. Not bad at all!

Re: Target Card - Interesting

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 15:14:21 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
That is extremely interesting. So one could "double dip" and get the full 5% back on a $500 item by paying, say, $250 of it with the Red card and then getting an additional 5% on the $250 that's left over by using, say, a Sallie Mae, for example. That's a 7.5% return. Not bad at all!

Someone posted last week (on the prepaid card) that the loophole was closed. But interesting. Now does it stack on Target cards. I have three Redbirds, pay a third with each, 15% off? Doubt it but would be interesting

Re: Target Card - Interesting

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 15:18:28 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
That is extremely interesting. So one could "double dip" and get the full 5% back on a $500 item by paying, say, $250 of it with the Red card and then getting an additional 5% on the $250 that's left over by using, say, a Sallie Mae, for example. That's a 7.5% return. Not bad at all!

Absolutely. Tricks of the trade.

Re: Target Card - Interesting

BtheDiva — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 15:23:57 GMT

Yep. It works online too. I did it just the other day. Had 3 gift cards and my Targetcard. It recognized my RedCard, but also charged against my gift card balance. I was worried about how it would calculate the 5% and free shipping. It took the 5% off my total purchase and of course my shipping was totally free!

Re: Target Card - Interesting

MASTERNC — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 17:46:47 GMT

@TiggerDat wrote:
Did you know that if you have a Target card, but not a big enough limit to buy something, that as long as you used the card for a portion of the limit, you still get the 5% discount?

I called them to ask about my limit, since I got their weekly email about what is on sale, and I noticed some good deals on TVs. They told me that if my limit was big enough, and it isn't (no surprise there right?), that I could split tender it and still get the 5% discount on the full purchase price. I did ask how much I had to put on the card. The reply was that they would like you to put as much as you could on the card. I asked if I could only put $5 on the card and still get the full amount of the discount. I was told yeah that as long as some part of it was put on the card, you got the full 5% discount.

So don't fret about your Target limit being small, you can always get the full 5% as long as some part of the payment is done with the Target card. So just another reason to use the Target card and get the full benefits of the discount.

Lowe's is the same way. I've used gift cards and paid the difference with the Lowe's credit card, and received 5% off the total purchase (not just what I charged).

Re: Target Card - Interesting

ryox03 — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 17:57:21 GMT

I would have never thought of that. Thanks for the tip!

Re: Target Card - Interesting

kdm31091 — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 18:37:37 GMT

It's nice of them to do this because nearly no one with a credit redcard has a limit high enough to buy a high end TV. Most limits are $300-$800 or so. That's why I just use the debit version, as there is no real advantage to the credit unless you just want the tradeline.

Re: Target Card - Interesting

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 20:44:38 GMT

@kdm31091 wrote:
It's nice of them to do this because nearly no one with a credit redcard has a limit high enough to buy a high end TV. Most limits are $300-$800 or so. That's why I just use the debit version, as there is no real advantage to the credit unless you just want the tradeline.

Are most REDcard limts really that low?

Re: Target Card - Interesting

kdm31091 — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 20:54:29 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@kdm31091 wrote:
It's nice of them to do this because nearly no one with a credit redcard has a limit high enough to buy a high end TV. Most limits are $300-$800 or so. That's why I just use the debit version, as there is no real advantage to the credit unless you just want the tradeline.
Are most REDcard limts really that low?

Yep, of course there are exceptions but most people are definitely under $1k and have been that way for years and years. Some have $1-2k but it seems very rare.

Re: Target Card - Interesting

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 21:20:08 GMT

@kdm31091 wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@kdm31091 wrote:
It's nice of them to do this because nearly no one with a credit redcard has a limit high enough to buy a high end TV. Most limits are $300-$800 or so. That's why I just use the debit version, as there is no real advantage to the credit unless you just want the tradeline.
Are most REDcard limts really that low?
Yep, of course there are exceptions but most people are definitely under $1k and have been that way for years and years. Some have $1-2k but it seems very rare.

My wife opened one up about six years ago, and it has a much higher CL. Still don't know why though. I know she never asked for a CLI.

Re: Target Card - Interesting

lisbonic — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 01:46:19 GMT

MY Target card started at $500, then went to $600, $750, $900 and now $1k without me requesting.

Re: Target Card - Interesting

Sharingan — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 03:21:33 GMT

I remember this "perk" being recommended to me by CSRs when I called to close my Target card years ago. I had no interest in keeping their card with its ridiculous limit, regardless of the 5% discount. I probably spend 30 bucks every 4 months or so there now. I do believe I would still have their card today if I had the Target Visa though. I know that it's limits could go fairly high with good credit. I recall a few relatives having 10-15k+ lines on it.

Re: Target Card - Interesting

onstar — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 08:01:01 GMT

@lisbonic wrote:
MY Target card started at $500, then went to $600, $750, $900 and now $1k without me requesting.

Mine took a similar journey (I think), and it's now at $1,100.
Definitely too low to buy a high end TV.

Once when I paid part with REDcard and part with another CC, I got the 5% off on only the RED portion.

Guess I'll try this again to see if things have changed.

Re: Target Card - Interesting

TiggerDat — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 10:43:51 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
That is extremely interesting. So one could "double dip" and get the full 5% back on a $500 item by paying, say, $250 of it with the Red card and then getting an additional 5% on the $250 that's left over by using, say, a Sallie Mae, for example. That's a 7.5% return. Not bad at all!

You could probably get that up to about 9.9% by only charging $5 on the Red Card and the rest on the 5% cash back card and then you would really maximize the rewards.

I have to caution you though. If only one person does this, then they might think that person and weird and not think anything of it.

If three people did it, they might think it is an organization, but still not think anything of it.

Now what if 50 people a day did it. If 50 people a day walked into Target and plunked down their Red Card and got their 5% discount and only charged $5 of their purchase and then used another card for the rest, they might think it is a revolution. And that is what it is, a revolution, it's the Target Discount No Credit limit increase movement. Fifty people a day, going into Target and only charging $5 ont their Red Card and the rest on their best rewards card, then it's a revolution. And all you have to do to join is walk right in to Target and sing I want to only charge $5 of my purchase on my Red Card and pay the rest with my best rewards card.

(Sorry my mother used to listen to Arlo Guthrie and when I started to reply to this Alice's Restaurant just popped into my head.)

Re: Target Card - Interesting

Anonymous — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 12:12:07 GMT

@lisbonic wrote:
MY Target card started at $500, then went to $600, $750, $900 and now $1k without me requesting.

Our CL is $14k. I don't remember if we ever got an automatic CLI, but I know we have never requested one. In fact, the website keeps asking us to update our salary information in order to be eligible for automatic CLIs, and I never bothered to do it since we only use the card now for the 5% off.

Re: Target Card - Interesting

TiggerDat — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 12:22:55 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@lisbonic wrote:
MY Target card started at $500, then went to $600, $750, $900 and now $1k without me requesting.
Our CL is $14k. I don't remember if we ever got an automatic CLI, but I know we have never requested one. In fact, the website keeps asking us to update our salary information in order to be eligible for automatic CLIs, and I never bothered to do it since we only use the card now for the 5% off.

Is it the Visa/MC one?

If it is just the regular Red Card, then you are in the upper 0.01% of cardholders I would imagine.

Re: Target Card - Interesting

onstar — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 17:18:17 GMT

@onstar wrote:
@lisbonic wrote:
MY Target card started at $500, then went to $600, $750, $900 and now $1k without me requesting.
Mine took a similar journey (I think), and it's now at $1,100.
Definitely too low to buy a high end TV.

Once when I paid part with REDcard and part with another CC, I got the 5% off on only the RED portion.
Guess I'll try this again to see if things have changed.

Went to Target twice yesterday and tried this. Both times, only the REDcard portion gave me 5% off. Each time, the bill was >$20 and I put about $2 on the REDcard. The 5% savings was under 10 cents for each transaction.

#FAIL

Re: Target Card - Interesting

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 18:25:59 GMT

I have a RedCard (not the Visa/MC version) with a 3,000 limit. I've never been able to get it any higher than that, though. The tip about splitting the card difference for the discount is very helpful. I'll definitely have to do that on my next trip there.