Gift Card Guides
How to Check Your Target GiftCard Balance
Four ways to check a Target GiftCard balance — plus the replacement policy that makes Target unusual.
Opens Target’s official site in a new tab. Your card details are entered there, never here.
Short answer: Check a Target GiftCard balance at target.com/giftcard/check-balance using the 15-digit card number and the access number under the silver strip. You can also call 1-800-544-2943, which also reads out your last five transactions, or check saved cards in the Target app.
This is an independent guide. We are not Target and have no affiliation with it. We never ask for your card number or access number — enter those only on Target's own site, app, or phone line, all linked below.
- Under two minutesBalance in seconds
- Retailer tools onlyNever entered here
- Online, phone or storeFour ways to check
- Terms most guides skipExpiry, reloads, limits
What you need before you start
Every balance-check method except the in-store one asks for two things. Both are printed on the card itself — on the back of a physical card, or in the email for an eGift Card.
Method 2: Check online (fastest)
- Go to target.com/giftcard/check-balance.
- Enter the 15-digit card number.
- Gently remove the silver strip on the back of the card to reveal the access number, then enter it.
- Your balance appears on screen.
Signed in to a Target account? Saved cards show their balance under My Target → Gift cards with no need to re-enter anything.
Opens Target’s official site in a new tab. Your card details are entered there, never here.
Method 3: Check by phone
The automated line reads your balance back to you.
Method 4: Check in a Target store
Guest Services at any Target can check the balance for you. Bring the physical card or the eGiftCard email.
Method 1: Check in the Target app
Open the Target app, go to My Target → Settings → Gift cards and your saved cards show their current balances. This is the quickest route if you have already added the card to your account.
Target gift card rules worth knowing
Most guides stop at the balance check. These are the terms that actually catch people out.
- Expiry
- None. Target states GiftCards do not expire and do not lose value over time — even if an expiry date is printed on the card.
- Fees
- No fees, and standard shipping on physical cards is free.
- Where they work
- Target stores and target.com, plus Starbucks inside Target, Target Café, CVS Pharmacy inside Target, and Target Optical in store.
- Lost or stolen
- Replaceable — call 1-800-544-2943 with the original receipt. A partially used card is replaced for its remaining balance.
- Reloading
- Not reloadable. Target GiftCards cannot have value added.
- Cannot buy
- Other gift cards, digital video game downloads, Target Circle Card payments, or in-store Minute Clinic services.
- Per-order limit
- A maximum of 10 gift cards per transaction.
That replacement policy makes Target an outlier. Most retailers will not replace a lost card at all — Target will, if you kept the receipt. Worth holding on to it.
Avoid fake balance-check sites
A card number plus its access number is everything needed to spend the card. There is no password, no account, no verification step. Anyone who collects those two fields can drain the balance in minutes, and because a stolen balance is not replaced, the money is simply gone.
Search results for gift card balance queries are full of look-alike pages that host their own entry form. A legitimate guide — this one included — sends you to the retailer's own site to type those digits. If a page asks you to enter the number and PIN on that page, close it.
Frequently asked questions
Do Target GiftCards expire?
No. Target states they do not expire and do not lose value over time, even if an expiry date is printed on the card itself.
Where is the access number on a Target GiftCard?
Under the silver strip on the back. Remove it gently — the number underneath is required for any balance check or redemption.
Will Target replace a lost gift card?
Yes, with the original receipt. Call 1-800-544-2943. A partially used card is replaced for its remaining balance.
Can I use a Target GiftCard at Starbucks?
Yes, at Starbucks locations inside Target stores. It will not work at a standalone Starbucks.
Can I buy another gift card with a Target GiftCard?
No. Target GiftCards cannot be used to buy Visa, Mastercard, American Express, iTunes or other gift cards.
Can I reload a Target GiftCard?
No. Target GiftCards are not reloadable.
Other gift card guides
- Check your Sephora gift card balance
- Check your Ulta Beauty gift card balance
- Check your Macy's gift card balance
- Check your Nordstrom gift card balance
- Check your DSW gift card balance
Sources. Card terms summarised from Target's own published gift card pages: target.com/giftcard/check-balance and gift card terms & FAQs. Terms change — always confirm current terms with the retailer.