If you’re still thinking of Target’s rewards program as just “Cartwheel,” you’re missing out on serious savings. Target rebranded and supercharged their program into Target Circle, and most moms have no idea about the hidden money-saving features buried in this free app.

After using Target Circle strategically for two years and saving over $1,200 annually, I’ve discovered features that Target doesn’t actively promote but can dramatically boost your savings. Here’s everything you need to know to maximize your Target trips.

What Happened to Cartwheel? (Quick Update)

Target Cartwheel officially became Target Circle in October 2019, but many shoppers still call it Cartwheel. The good news? All the money-saving features got better, plus Target added new ones that most people never discover.

If you had the old Cartwheel app, your account automatically transferred to Target Circle with all your savings history intact.

Target Circle Basics: Beyond the Obvious

The 1% Earnings Everyone Knows About

Every purchase earns 1% back in Target Circle earnings, redeemable on future purchases. But here’s what most people miss: these earnings never expire as long as you make at least one qualifying purchase every 12 months.

The Three Types of Circle Offers

1. Percentage Offers: 10% off specific brands or categories
2. Dollar Offers: $2 off when you spend $10 on select items
3. Gift Card Offers: Spend $50 on groceries, get a $10 Target gift card

Hidden Feature #1: The 30-Day Price Match Extension

What Target Doesn’t Tell You: Circle members get an extended 30-day price match window instead of the standard 14 days for non-members.

How to Use It:

1. Buy something at Target
2. Find it cheaper elsewhere within 30 days
3. Bring your receipt and proof of lower price
4. Get refunded the difference

Pro Tip: I screenshot competitor prices immediately after Target purchases. This saved me $47 on a car seat when Amazon dropped their price two weeks later.

Hidden Feature #2: Early Access to Sales

The Secret: Circle members get early access to major sales, sometimes 24-48 hours before the general public.

Where to Find It:

• Check the “Early Access” section in your app
• Enable push notifications for sale alerts
• Look for emails with “Circle Members Only” in the subject line

Best Sales for Early Access:

• Back-to-school supplies (July)
• Holiday decorations (November)
• Clearance events (January/February)

Hidden Feature #3: Personalized Bonus Offers

The Hidden Algorithm: Target tracks your shopping habits and creates custom bonus offers based on what you actually buy.

How to Trigger Better Offers:

1. Always use your Circle account when shopping
2. Shop consistently (even small purchases count)
3. Rate your purchases in the app
4. Complete the shopping surveys they occasionally send

Example Personal Offers I’ve Received:

• 20% off all baby products (after buying diapers regularly)
• $5 off $25 grocery purchase (I shop groceries weekly)
• 15% off home decor (bought several home items)

Hidden Feature #4: The “Deals” Tab Treasure Hunt

What Most Miss: The Deals tab isn’t just current offers—it shows upcoming deals you can save for later.

Hidden Sections to Check:

• “Coming Soon”: Preview next week’s offers
• “Last Chance”: Expiring offers (often the best ones)
• “For You”: Personalized deals based on your shopping history

Strategy: Save upcoming deals to your account before they go live. You can add offers up to 7 days before they activate.

Hidden Feature #5: Stacking Manufacturer Coupons

The Loophole: You can stack manufacturer coupons with Circle offers for maximum savings.

Triple Stack Method:

1. Circle offer (loaded to your account)
2. Manufacturer coupon (physical or digital)
3. Target store coupon (if available)

Real Example:

• Tide Pods: $11.99
• Circle offer: 20% off = $2.40 savings
• Manufacturer coupon: $2.00 off
• Final price: $7.59 (37% savings)

Hidden Feature #6: The Birthday Surprise Program

What It Is: Target gives Circle members a special birthday offer, but you have to enable it manually.

How to Activate:

1. Go to Account Settings in the app
2. Add your birthday to your profile
3. Enable birthday communications

Typical Birthday Offers:

• 5% off entire purchase
• $5 Target Circle earnings
• Special discounts on categories you shop most

Hidden Feature #7: RedCard Earnings Booster

The Multiplier Effect: Using a Target RedCard with Circle doesn’t just give you 5% off—it boosts your Circle earnings too.

How It Works:

• RedCard saves 5% immediately
• Circle still earns 1% on the discounted amount
• Special RedCard holder Circle offers (often 2-3x better)

RedCard + Circle Exclusive Offers I’ve Seen:

• 10% off grocery purchases (vs 5% for regular Circle)
• Double Circle earnings days
• Free shipping with no minimum (vs $35 minimum)

Hidden Feature #8: The Return Policy Extension

Secret Benefit: Circle members get extended return windows on many items.

Standard vs Circle Member Returns:

• Standard: 90 days
• Circle Member: 120 days on most items
• Circle + RedCard: Up to 1 year on Target-brand items

Pro Tip: Always keep receipts in the app using the “Receipt Lookup” feature. It saves everything digitally.

Hidden Feature #9: Local Store-Specific Offers

What Most Don’t Know: Some Circle offers are specific to your local store’s inventory and demographics.

How to Access:

1. Make sure location services are enabled
2. Check offers while physically at Target
3. Look for “Store Exclusive” tags on deals

Types of Local Offers:

• Clearance item promotions
• Local brand partnerships
• Weather-related deals (sunscreen in summer, etc.)

Hidden Feature #10: The Survey-to-Savings Pipeline

The Hidden Connection: Those post-purchase surveys actually unlock additional offers.

Survey Strategy:

• Always complete the 2-minute surveys
• Rate products honestly (5 stars when deserved)
• Provide specific feedback in comment sections

Survey Rewards I’ve Earned:

• $2 Target Circle earnings for detailed review
• 10% off next baby purchase survey
• Early access to new product launches

Advanced Circle Strategies

The Shopping List Price Tracker

Add items to your Target app shopping list, and it’ll notify you when they go on sale or have Circle offers.

The Barcode Scanner Hack

Use the in-app barcode scanner to instantly see if items have hidden Circle offers not displayed on shelf tags.

The Gift Card Multiplication

Buy discounted gift cards during Circle bonus events, then use them during other promotions for compound savings.

Maximizing Circle Earnings Throughout the Year

January-March: New Year Reset

• 20% off organizational products
• Fitness equipment deals
• Tax season office supplies

April-June: Spring Savings

• Outdoor furniture offers
• Graduation gift promotions
• Summer clothing previews

July-September: Back-to-School Gold Mine

• School supply bonuses (often 15-25% off)
• College dorm room deals
• Fall fashion early access

October-December: Holiday Powerhouse

• Toy promotion stackables
• Gift card bonus events
• Holiday decoration clearances

Troubleshooting Common Circle Issues

“Offer Didn’t Apply at Checkout”

Solution: Check that you scanned your barcode or entered phone number before payment processed.

“Can’t Find the Offer I Saved”

Solution: Check the “Saved Offers” section, not just current deals. Saved offers expire after 30 days if unused.

“Personalized Offers Stopped Appearing”

Solution: Make sure you’re shopping consistently and completing post-purchase actions (surveys, ratings).

Circle vs Competitor Apps: Why Target Wins

Target Circle vs Walmart+

• Circle is free; Walmart+ costs $98/year
• Circle offers are more frequent and varied
• Target’s return policy is more generous

Target Circle vs Amazon Prime

• Circle focuses on in-store savings; Prime is shipping-focused
• Circle offers immediate usability; Prime requires planning
• Circle works without subscription fees

Monthly Circle Maximization Checklist

Week 1:

• [ ] Check for new personalized offers
• [ ] Save upcoming deals for later in month
• [ ] Complete any pending surveys

Week 2:

• [ ] Use barcode scanner on regular purchases
• [ ] Check for local store-specific deals
• [ ] Review and rate recent purchases

Week 3:

• [ ] Look for expiring offers in “Last Chance”
• [ ] Plan major purchases around bonus events
• [ ] Update shopping list with sale notifications

Week 4:

• [ ] Redeem accumulated Circle earnings
• [ ] Screenshot competitor prices for future price matches
• [ ] Plan next month’s strategy based on upcoming sales

When Circle Isn’t Worth the Effort

Skip the Complex Strategies If:

• You shop at Target less than twice monthly
• You prefer simple, straightforward shopping
• You’re already maximizing savings at other stores

Simpler Circle Approach:

• Just scan your barcode at checkout for 1% earnings
• Check the app before major purchases
• Use obvious percentage-off deals when you see them

Combining Circle with Other Money-Saving Methods

Stack with Cashback Apps:

• Ibotta often has Target-specific offers
• Rakuten gives cashback on Target.com orders
• Receipt scanning apps like Fetch work with Target purchases

Credit Card Rewards:

• Use a 2% cashback card for non-RedCard purchases
• Category bonus cards often include Target in “department store” categories
• Some cards offer 5% rotating categories that include Target

Real Family Savings Examples

Johnson Family (4 members):

• Monthly Target spending: $300
• Circle savings: $45/month (15% average)
• Annual savings: $540

Martinez Family (2 adults, 1 child):

• Monthly Target spending: $150
• Circle savings: $22/month (14.7% average)
• Annual savings: $264

Setting Realistic Circle Savings Goals

Beginner (First 3 months):

• Goal: 10% average savings
• Focus: Learning to add offers before shopping
• Time investment: 5 minutes before each Target trip

Intermediate (Months 4-12):

• Goal: 15% average savings
• Focus: Stacking offers and using personalized deals
• Time investment: 10 minutes weekly planning

Advanced (Year 2+):

• Goal: 20%+ average savings
• Focus: Strategic timing and maximum stacking
• Time investment: 15 minutes monthly strategizing

The Bottom Line: Is Target Circle Worth It?

Yes, if you:

• Shop at Target at least twice monthly
• Buy regular household necessities there
• Don’t mind spending 5-10 minutes planning before trips

The average Circle user saves 12-18% per shopping trip with minimal effort beyond scanning their barcode and checking for obvious deals.

For families spending $200+ monthly at Target, that’s $24-36 in monthly savings, or $288-432 annually—definitely worth the free app download.

Ready to maximize your Target savings? Download the Target Circle app today, add your phone number to your account, and start with the simple strategy of checking for deals before your next Target run. Your wallet will thank you.