Does Target Take Apple Pay?

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Founded in 1960, Target has grown to be one of the most popular retail chains in the United States. The company is massive, operating a network of more than 1,900 stores and employing more than 350,000 people around the world.

But all stores are susceptible to data breaches that can put your financial information at risk — that’s where mobile wallets like Apple Pay come in. Apple Pay doesn’t share your credit or debit card numbers or identity information with merchants, making it impossible for fraudsters to hack merchant databases and steal your data. Moreover, since Apple Pay securely encrypts all data, you won’t have to worry about wrongdoers walking by with scanners. 

But does Target take Apple Pay? Yes, Target does accept Apple Pay.

Can You Pay at Target With Your Phone?

You can use any contactless payment method, not just Apple Pay, at all Target locations. Target supports payments from all major mobile wallets, including Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. The company also accepts a range of other contactless payments, including credit and debit cards with the contactless pay symbol and wearables like the Apple Watch and Fitbit Pay.

Target also explains on its contact page that you may notice that the last four numbers of your payment method may appear incorrect on your receipt if you use digital payment options like Apple Pay. That’s because the app tokenizes your payment information; the merchant never gets your real credit card number — it’s one way that Apple Pay helps to keep your information secure.

How To Use Apple Pay at Target

It’s easy to use Apple Pay or any other mobile wallet at Target. Follow these steps:

1. Shop around a Target store to find the products you’d like to buy. 
2. Go to the checkout line and start the process as you would any other transaction. 
3. When it’s time to pay, open the Apple Pay app on your phone and hold your smartphone over the credit card terminal. 
4. Follow the prompts. You can choose to follow the prompts on your mobile device or on the card reader, whichever is more comfortable for you.

What Other Methods of Payment Does Target Accept?

Target accepts a wide range of payment methods in its stores, including:

• Cash
• Credit cards
• Debit cards
• Target store cards
• Gift cards
• Target app payments
• Mobile wallets
• Target temporary slips
• Gift certificates
• Merchant vouchers
• Personal checks
• Rebate checks
• WIC
• AliPay — in approved stores only
• Campus Cash — in approved stores only

If you shop online, you may also be able to pay with third-party installment plans like Affirm, Sezzle, Afterpay and more.

Other Stores

Target might not be your retailer of choice, but if you prefer to use Apple Pay at the register, you need to know ahead of time whether it will be accepted.

Does Walmart Take Apple Pay?

No, Walmart does not accept Apple Pay. It offers its own alternative, Walmart Pay, and does not have any plans to implement Apple Pay in the future.

Does Dollar General Take Apple Pay?

Dollar General also does not accept Apple Pay in its stores — in fact, Dollar General does not accept any digital wallets. It does, however, offer its own payment app: DG GO! Customers who prefer using their phone to pay for their purchases are limited to that app at Dollar General. Also note that not all stores are currently able to accept payments via the DG GO! app.

Final Take

No matter how you plan to pay, chances are that Target accepts it. However, with the increasing number of credit card fraud events and the still-fresh fears of COVID-19, Apple Pay is a secure, contactless option for transactions at Target.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.

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