5 credit cards that save you real money at Target

Target shoppers, listen up. If you're still swiping a card that earns a measly 1% back on everything, you're leaving money on the floor. The Points Guy pulled together the five best cards for Target purchases, just in time for Target Circle Deal Days on Oct. 6-7.

One catch first: Most Target locations code as general merchandise, not grocery stores. So that card you love for the supermarket probably won't earn bonus points here. A small number of Targets do code as grocery, but The Points Guy suggests making a small purchase and checking your statement to see how it codes. For everyone else, these are the cards worth carrying.

Capital One Venture X

• **Annual fee:** $395
• **Welcome bonus:** 75,000 bonus miles after $4,000 spend in first 3 months
• **Earning rate at Target:** 2 miles per dollar
• **Why it's good:** Yes, the fee stings. But you get a $300 annual travel credit through Capital One's portal, a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus, lounge access, and up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. The effective cost drops to about $95 a year. For frequent travelers who also shop at Target, the 2x miles on every purchase adds up fast.

Capital One Venture Rewards

• **Annual fee:** $95
• **Welcome bonus:** 75,000 bonus miles after $4,000 spend in first 3 months, plus a $300 hotel and vacation rental credit in the first year
• **Earning rate at Target:** 2 miles per dollar
• **Why it's good:** Same flat 2 miles per dollar as the Venture X, but half the annual fee. You also get up to $120 toward Global Entry or PreCheck. If you don't need lounge access or the anniversary bonus, this is the cleaner play.

Target Circle Card

• **Annual fee:** $0
• **Welcome bonus:** $75 in Target Circle Rewards upon approval
• **Earning rate at Target:** 5% savings on qualifying purchases
• **Why it's good:** This is the one card that gives you an immediate discount, not points to redeem later. 5% off every Target purchase, plus 5% off at in-store Starbucks, 30 extra days for returns, and free shipping on most online orders without the usual $35 minimum. The Points Guy notes the debit version is often smarter because it won't add to your Chase 5/24 count.

Discover it Cash Back

• **Annual fee:** $0
• **Welcome bonus:** Discover matches all cash back earned in the first year
• **Earning rate at Target:** 1% unlimited cash back (rotating 5% categories, but Target hasn't been included in Q4 2026)
• **Why it's good:** Without a rotating category, you're only getting 1% — unless you're in your first year, when the match effectively makes it 2%. The Points Guy says it's worth keeping for quarters when the bonus categories line up with your spending. For Target specifically, it's a backup card at best.

Chase Freedom Unlimited

• **Annual fee:** $0
• **Welcome bonus:** $200 cash back after $500 spend in first 3 months
• **Earning rate at Target:** 1.5% cash back
• **Why it's good:** A flat 1.5% back on everything, including Target. Pair it with a Chase Sapphire card, and The Points Guy values the combined return at about 3.1% through October 2026 valuations. No hoops, no categories.

**The takeaway:** If you want immediate savings and shop mostly at Target, the Target Circle Card's 5% discount is hard to beat. If you prefer flexible travel rewards, any of the Capital One cards give you 2 miles per dollar. And if you want something simple with no annual fee, the Freedom Unlimited is a solid fallback. Whatever you pick, The Points Guy recommends stacking with the Target Circle rewards program and clicking through a shopping portal when buying online.

• Capital One Venture X
• Chase Freedom Unlimited
• credit cards
• Discover it Cash Back
• Target
• Target Circle Card