Many people love shopping at Target, but it can be easy to overspend even if you stick to your shopping list. Luckily, there are ways to get samples for free to discover new brands and save money at the cash register.
Even though the company no longer runs the Target Sample Spot Program, there are still many ways to get free stuff from the retailer.
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How to Get Free Target Samples
If you love getting free items and discounts on products, you can do it with ease. Here are seven ways you can get free samples or discounts at Target.
1. Shop with the REDCard Debit Card
The REDCard is a must-have for regular shoppers since it helps you save money at Target on every purchase.
This debit card has no annual fee, doesn’t require a credit check, and links to a checking account to immediately pay for purchases.
With the REDCard, you can enjoy these perks:
- Five percent off in-store and online purchases
- Exclusive offers for extra savings
- Free shipping on most items
- Additional 30 days for returns and exchanges
The five percent discount also applies to in-store Starbucks and specialty gift card purchases. These extra discounts make it easy to save money on various purchases.
2. Shop With Ibotta
Ibotta is a cash back app that you can use when you shop for groceries and regular household items.
Here is a step-by-step look at how the app earns rewards:
- Activate offers in the app
- Buy participating items
- Scan your store receipt to receive credit
- Redeem rewards once you reach a $20 balance
You can use this rewards app when shopping at Target in-store and online. The app also works at most grocery stores and many online stores to maximize other purchases.
It’s possible to start redeeming your rewards for PayPal cash or gift cards with a $20 balance. You can also earn up to $5 when you upload your first receipt.
Better yet, you can save five percent if you make your purchase with your Target REDCard and redeem coupons.
Read our Ibotta review to learn more.
3. Create a Baby Registry
If you’re having a baby, creating a Target registry should be on top of your to-do list. Target offers free two-day shipping for purchases over $35 along with a ton of baby items.
Creating a registry is free and offers these perks:
- Welcome kit ($150+ value)
- Registry coupon (15 percent discount on unpurchased items)
- Free registry returns for up to one year
- Exclusive deals with Target Circle
In addition to adding baby items from Target, the registry has a universal registry tool to include products from your other favorite stores.
The welcome kit provides more than $150 worth of coupons and free samples of baby stuff, including samples of free baby formula.
You can get free baby stuff and test products before your baby arrives.
The extended return policy and being able to buy non-gift items at a discount are nice perks as well, making Target one of the top baby registry sites to use.
*Related: Read our guide on how to get free diapers to help stretch your budget.
4. Take Surveys
Taking surveys online is a great way to make some extra money during your spare time without a lot of effort. Most online surveys take less than 20 minutes to complete.
Many paid online surveys let you take multiple surveys each day to earn rewards regularly. Most sites offer multiple redemption options, including Target gift cards and PayPal cash to buy free stuff on your next shopping trip.
These survey platforms make it easy to earn rewards:
- Survey Junkie: Take multiple daily surveys and redeem points for cash or rewards with a $10 balance. You can also earn cash by installing the SJ Pulse app to share your device usage habits.
- Pinecone Research: Pinecone Research is one of the higher paying survey sites. Each survey pays $3. There is no redemption minimum, so you can redeem your rewards right away for PayPal cash.
- Swagbucks: Swagbucks offers multiple daily surveys. Redemptions for cash and gift cards start at $5. It’s also possible to earn points by shopping online, redeeming coupons, and completing online activities.
These platforms may let you request free samples for popular items. You even can earn rewards points by signing up for these offers.
While you won’t become wealthy taking surveys, they are an easy way to earn some cash in your free time. It’s also worth noting that many survey sites run promotions, letting you get free Target gift cards.
5. Get the Target Beauty Box
If you’re interested in scoring free makeup samples by mail, the Beauty Box one of the best ways to get free Target samples without surveys.
You have to pay for the box, but the value of the items in the box is higher than what you paid for originally.
Each box comes with a variety of samples for things like perfume, makeup, cheap razors, and other personal care items. There’s a $7 box containing $28 worth of products and a $10 box with a $50 value, so it’s not a bad deal.
The store offers different sample boxes each month and may not always be available. There are also offers to get things for free when buying participating items.
6. Use the Circle App
The Circle app (formerly known as Cartwheel) is one of the best ways to save money on in-store purchases. You probably won’t get free stuff at Target, but you will save money and earn discounts.
*Do you collect stickers or love to decorate with them? Read our guide on companies that send you free stickers by mail and grow your collection.*
The offers on the app change regularly, and you can get discounts and coupons for various items.
Exclusive app benefits include:
- Up to 50 percent discounts on products
- Save five percent on one shopping trip on your birthday
- Earn one percent cash back to redeem on future purchases
You can enjoy these benefits by scanning your app barcode at checkout, scanning your receipts, and shopping online.
7. Use Social Media
Stores like Target love to use social media to share discounts. You can follow Target on each social media platform to learn about deals and discounts.
Some of the platforms to consider include:
You can take this a step further by using Reddit, an online forum site. Reddit has various sub-forums, known as subreddits, where you can find niche discussions, including how to find free samples and items from Target.
The two main subreddits for finding free stuff from Target are:
- r/freebies
- r/freebiesandsamples
Simply go to one of those subreddits and type in “Target free samples.” This will take you to a list of all the posts with people discussing what they’ve done to get free items from Target.
You can also do this to find discounts and freebies for any store where you like to shop.
Bottom Line
It’s easy to take advantage of the ways to get samples from Target for free. Offers are available for online and local purchases.
You can try several of them to maximize your savings and spend less money.
What are some of your favorite ways to save when shopping?
Choncé is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI), personal finance freelance writer, and blogger who focuses on helping others manage their money better in order to live a life with more possibilities and fewer limitations. Her work has been featured on Business Insider, LendingTree, Credit Sesame, and Barclaycard.
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