What happens to Target Circle rewards when the owner dies
Target Corporation rewards are forfeited under the program's terms when the account is closed
Target Guest Relations
Target Guest Relations (no dedicated deceased-member process; account closure via Guest Relations)
Target does not publish a timeline for closing a deceased member's account because it has no dedicated deceased-member process; closure runs through Guest Relations on a case-by-case basis. Two time limits are published and matter for executors: Target Circle Rewards expire one year after the last earn or redemption, and Target may delete an account that has not participated for more than one year. A Target Circle 360 membership keeps billing until it is canceled.
When a Target Circle account holder dies, rewards are forfeited under Target Corporation's terms. The account balance has no transferable value, and there is no formal process for heirs to claim rewards.
Families have occasionally received goodwill accommodations from Target Corporation, but these are not part of the published terms and cannot be relied upon.
What to do
After a Target Circle account holder's death, here is how to proceed:
- •Signing in to the deceased's Target account and using the Membership section of the account page (if you have access)
- •Contacting Target Guest Relations to request closure of the account and cancellation of the membership
Required Documents
- Death certificate (Target does not publish a documentation list; provide one if Guest Relations requests it to close the account)
- The deceased's Target account email address or the phone number on file, to help locate the account
- For the Target Circle Card: documentation required by the card issuer to close or settle the financial account
Timeline
Target does not publish a timeline for closing a deceased member's account because it has no dedicated deceased-member process; closure runs through Guest Relations on a case-by-case basis. Two time limits are published and matter for executors: Target Circle Rewards expire one year after the last earn or redemption, and Target may delete an account that has not participated for more than one year. A Target Circle 360 membership keeps billing until it is canceled.
Frequently asked questions
No. Target Circle Bonuses and Rewards are valid only for the fully enrolled member who earned them and cannot be shared, copied, or transferred to another person or account. Because they are personal to the account holder, they are effectively forfeited at death rather than passing to an heir. Redeem any usable Rewards before the account is closed.
Yes. Target states that Target Circle Rewards expire after one year if you have not earned or redeemed them, measured from your last qualifying activity. Target also reserves the right to delete a Target Circle account that has not participated for more than a year. So an inactive account's Rewards can lapse before anyone manages the estate.
A Target Circle 360 membership and its benefits are non-transferable, so the membership ends with the account holder and cannot pass to a family member. The membership remains in effect until it is canceled and the fee is non-refundable, so an executor should cancel it to stop billing, either through the Membership section of the account page or by contacting Target Guest Relations.
Target does not publish a dedicated deceased-member or bereavement workflow. To close a deceased person's Target account, cancel an active Target Circle 360 membership, and stop any recurring charges, contact Target Guest Relations and ask what documentation, such as a death certificate, the representative requires.
The Target Circle Card (the 5% debit, credit, or Mastercard product) is a financial account, not a loyalty balance. It is closed and settled by the card issuer rather than transferred to a family member. Handle it with the estate's other financial accounts by contacting the issuer to report the death, separately from closing the Target Circle loyalty account.
Under the official terms, rewards have no value after the account holder dies. The only way to preserve the value of Target Circle rewards is to redeem, transfer, or share them while the account is active.
Sources
Data sourced from Target Corporation primary sources (6 pages reviewed). How we research.
Target Guest Relations
Target Guest Relations (no dedicated deceased-member process; account closure via Guest Relations)
Target does not publish a timeline for closing a deceased member's account because it has no dedicated deceased-member process; closure runs through Guest Relations on a case-by-case basis. Two time limits are published and matter for executors: Target Circle Rewards expire one year after the last earn or redemption, and Target may delete an account that has not participated for more than one year. A Target Circle 360 membership keeps billing until it is canceled.
