Target Circle Week Is Happening Now: All the Perks You Get With a Membership

Target Circle Week, Target's biggest sale of the season, kicked off Sunday, April 7 and will continue through April 13, with deals on thousands of products. If you're a Circle rewards member, the discounts will automatically be applied.

The Target Circle rewards program received an upgrade this week. The large retailer will now offer three new membership options for shoppers, including its current free membership, retail payment card options and a new paid membership that includes same-day delivery -- I'll explain what comes with each of these below.

If you've never used Target Circle, it's easy to sign up. There are some great perks that come with being a rewards program member -- for instance, exclusive offers and savings.

I'll explain how Target Circle works to save you money and how you can earn cash back while you shop -- with and without a credit card. For more, check out these four ways to save on your next Target shopping spree.

What is Target Circle?

Target Circle is the retailer's loyalty program, which lets you earn 1% cash back on all your purchases at Target (more if you have the Target credit card). The program includes personalized offers and digital coupons that you wouldn't normally get without being a Circle member.

What you get with each membership

Starting in April, Target will have three different membership options for consumers. Here's what they are.

• Target Circle (free): This free membership option offers every member access to automatic deals applied at checkout, without the need to search for or add individual offers. Customers will still be able to earn Target Circle Rewards and save with personalized deals. 
• Target Circle Card: The Target Circle Card (previously known as the Target RedCard) will offer an extra 5% off every day, on top of Target Circle deals. Target Circle Card holders will also have access to no-rush returns and free two-day shipping on Target's site and cardholder special pricing for the paid membership.
• Target Circle 360 ($99 annually): Shoppers also can sign up for Target Circle 360, a new paid membership that includes unlimited free same-day delivery in as little as an hour with no delivery fees or markups and free two-day shipping. It also includes access to Shipt Marketplace, which offers same-day delivery from more than 100 retailers nationwide. 

As a special launch offer, from April 7 to May 18 customers can sign up for Target Circle 360 for $49 (save $50) for the first year. Target Circle Card holders have access to the $49 offer at any time. 

What you get with the free Target Circle membership

Having a Target Circle membership gets you benefits and deals that other shoppers don't get. Here's what they are.

• 1% earnings on every purchase you make at Target. You can use any cashback on future purchases.
• Birthday gift of 5% off your purchase.
• Digital coupons for specific store categories — 20% off baby clothes, for example, and 10% off beauty products.
• Personalized bonus offers — for example, you may get a deal that lets you make two qualifying purchases of $60 or more to earn a $10 reward in Target Circle earnings.
• Deals automatically applied during Target Circle Week.

You can use up to 75 offers at once. Note that all offers and earnings have an expiration date, so make sure you use them before it's too late.

How to sign up for Target Circle 

If you regularly shop at Target, there's really no reason not to sign up for its loyalty program. To sign up, visit target.com/circle and click Create account, then provide your email address, name and phone number. You'll also create a password at this time.

How to use Target Circle rewards

Once you've got a Target Circle account, you can begin using it at any time. Make sure you've activated any offers and coupons before you head to checkout. If you're in the store, you just need to enter your phone number on the keypad at checkout or scan your Target Circle barcode.

If you forget to enter your phone number at checkout, enter the receipt numbers on the Target Circle dashboard or use the app to scan the barcode.

If you're shopping online, just make sure you're signed in to your account before checking out. You should see all your discounts applied in your cart. 

How to redeem Target Circle earnings

After making purchases, you earn 1% cash back that you can use on future trips to the store. There's no purchase minimum to redeem your earnings, and you can use them at any time on anything you'd like. 

To redeem them in-store, head to the Wallet section in the Target app or online. Toggle the switch next to Target Circle earnings. It'll show you how much you have available to use on a purchase. You'll then select the box next to your earnings and click Save. Note that your earnings will expire if they aren't redeemed within one year.

If using online, you'll be given the option at checkout to apply your earnings. 

Bonus: You can even use your Target Circle earnings at Starbucks inside Target.

For more Target shopping tips, here's a Target clearance cheat sheet to help you get more and spend less. Also, if you're interested in Target's credit card, read this.