How Long Does It Take For Target Debit To Post

Target debit cards are great for people who shop at Target a lot. The discounts are good, and a debit card is usually safer than a credit card for frequent shoppers. It’s harder to spend more than you meant to on accident with a debit card.

But, Target debit cards are a little different from the debit card you get from your bank. Even if you link them directly to a bank account, it can take longer for charges to hit your account, which can cause problems.

Here’s what you need to know about Target Debit cards, when the charges hit, how they work, and where you can use them.

How Long Does Target Debit Take To Process?

Generally, it takes 3-4 business days for Target Debit to post, meaning weekends and bank holidays don’t count.

Why does it take so much longer for a Target Debit Card to post than for other debit cards? This is mostly because your Target Debit Card isn’t being processed the same way a normal debit card is.

The processing time on a normal debit card is almost instant. You can usually see the charge on your account within five minutes.

But when you’re using your Target Debit Card, it’s more like having a plastic check. The charges process the same way a check does, and the slight delay between making a charge and having it show up on your account is perfectly normal.

You need to keep track of your charges so you don’t accidentally spend too much and wind up with chargeback fees!

Can I Use My Target RedCard Debit Anywhere?

No. Partially because Target debit cards aren’t like normal debit cards and partially because Target wants to incentivize customers to return to their store for as many of their purchasing needs as possible.

Thus, the reasons include that RedCard charges are a little different, and many other retailers don’t accept checks as a form of payment anymore (your RedCard acts more like a check than a traditional debit card). Therefore, processing a RedCard would be pretty different for most other retailers.

Still, if you’re a regular Target shopper, they can be a good idea and can even help you budget if you keep a limit on the card. Plus, the 5% discount can be a big plus for many shoppers, especially if you buy a lot of items from Target.

Can You Overdraft A Target Debit Card?

Yes. Unfortunately, the delay in posting charges can cause an overdraft to the linked account if you aren’t careful about how much money you have in your account and how much you’ve been spending.

The bad thing about getting an overdraft when using a Target debit card is that you can get hit with two different kinds of charges on the card. One is from your bank, which is a typical overdraft fee.

If you notice that the account is over-drafted before the end of the business day, you can potentially move money from a different account into the over-drafted one to avoid the fee. However, that only works if you can transfer the money before the fee hits your account, usually at midnight on the same day as the overdraft.

The other fee you might have to deal with is a chargeback fee from Target. The fee is because a failed transaction can cost them money and may also mean that you need to reimburse Target for the original charge that didn’t go through.

That’s a lot of potential charges for one failed transaction, so it’s important to keep on top of your bank balance and make sure your RedCard isn’t going to cause an accidental overdraft if there are delays in your charges hitting the account.

Can There Be Additional Delays In Posting A RedCard Charge?

Sometimes. RedCard charges will usually post within three days, but it’s possible for there to be an additional delay. There aren’t any specific reasons for additional delays. It can be anything from system errors to the timing of the charge getting caught online.

However, if you paid for something with your RedCard and didn’t see the charge within about a week, you should contact customer service and see if there’s something else going on. Contacting them sooner rather than waiting for them to contact you can help you avoid additional charges or your card potentially not working if there is a problem in the system.