Breaking: Last Day To Load Target RedCard is Tomorrow!

For those of you that have a Target RedCard, colloquially known as the “RedBird,” tomorrow will be the last day to load it with a credit card, via a report from Dan’s Deals.

It appears that a memo has gone out to numerous Target stores advising them of the change, and that credit cards will no longer be allowed for loads starting tomorrow, May 6th.

The Red Card can be loaded up to $2,500 a day, for up to $5,000 a month. If you have a Red Card, and haven’t completed your $5,000 worth of spending this month, I suggest making sure to visit a Target tonight.

Will this effect debit card loads? 

At this time, I don’t think so. You should still be able to load your Red Card with a debit card (with a PIN), though this will only be able to be done in-store.

Since the Red Card cannot be loaded with a credit card, is it best to switch to Serve?

Yes. Since a Serve can be loaded at Walmarts, which also have automated Money Center machines, you’re probably better off with this, rather than always having to see a person at Target. Serve can be loaded up to $5,000 a month using a PIN enabled debit card, though previously was also able to accept $1,000 in online loading via a credit card (this has since been removed as a feature).

Will the registers be hard coded to not accept credit cards?

I’m not sure, though my initial feeling is that they will not be hard coded, and it will be up to employees to enforce the credit card rule. That said, you may still find employees or stores willing to complete the loads with a credit card. Over the next few weeks, however, I would suspect the systems to be loaded against credit cards to prevent this from happening.