Target confirms it will stop accepting popular payment methods starting July 15

TARGET has revealed that it will no longer accept personal checks as a valid form of payment.

According to the Minnesota-based retailer, personal checks are not the preferred payment method for most customers.

Target announced it will suspend the use of personal checks in the coming weeksCredits: Getty

The change comes as a small number of people use checksCredits: Getty

Target announced it will begin refusing checks starting July 15, joining other grocery stores that no longer accept the payment method.

“Target is committed to creating a simple and convenient checkout experience,” Target spokesman Brian Harper-Tibaldo said in an email to the Star Tribune.

“And that includes providing our customers with a variety of payment methods, including our new Target Circle Cards (formerly known as Target RedCard); cash; digital wallets; SNAP/EBT; buy now, pay later services; and credit and debit cards,” he added.

“Due to extremely low volumes, we will no longer be accepting personal checks as of July 15,” Harper-Tibaldo said.

“We have taken several steps to inform customers in advance to facilitate a simple and efficient payment experience.”

Target’s payment method change is expected to come after the retailer’s annual Target Circle Week sale, which begins July 7.

Even though in-store payment is not accepted, customers can still mail checks to pay their Target Circle credit card balance.

The use of checks has declined as many digital payment methods, such as card payments or PayPal, have increased in recent years.

Checks are often used to pay rent, make gifts or donations.

There are still a few retailers that accept personal checks at the cash register, but all major grocery stores have started to abandon them.

‘I’m sick of it,’ cries Target customer after finding cheap essentials being held by security in an effort to combat thieves

Some cash registers and devices, including self-checkout systems, cannot automatically read and process information on checks.

In an interview with the media outlet, Elisa Tavilla, director of direct debit consulting services for payments and banking consultancy Javelin Strategy & Research, said that physical payment causes “friction” when paying.

“At the point of sale, it certainly creates friction and can slow down the checkout process for other customers because it requires more manual entry,” Tavilla said.

Not only are retailers accepting personal checks less, but consumers are also using them less frequently.

Latest changes to the self-service payment system

Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategies to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.

Walmart customers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various stores were made accessible only to Walmart+ members.

Other customers reported that self-checkouts were closed at specific times and more cashiers were offered instead.

While consumers feared shoplifting was behind the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers were simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.

One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would end the much-discussed receipt checks.

However, this test phase was gradually abandoned.

At Target, items are limited to self-checkout.

Last fall, the brand explored new express self-checkout lanes at 200 stores with 10 items or less for added convenience.

Since March 2024, this policy has been extended to 2,000 stores in the United States.

In 2020, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta estimated that people used checks for only about 7% of all their transactions, or about three checks per month.

A 2023 study found that only 1% of shoppers prefer to use checks in stores and restaurants.

A 2023 Washington Post survey found that more than half of Americans had not written a check in the past month.

The changes to payment options come as Target has faced backlash over new rules surrounding self-checkout.

Target’s new rules state that express self-checkouts only allow purchases of 10 items or less.

In March 2024, Target expanded the change to 2,000 stores nationwide.

The Sun newspaper has contacted Target for comment.