Target will soon stop accepting a once-common payment method in the United States

In a statement released by Target representatives, the company confirmed to outlets that it plans to completely stop accepting personal checks as payment in stores starting July 15.

According to a statement released by the Minnesota-based company, the national retailer cited “extremely low volumes” as the reason for the decision. Target did not appear to have made a public statement on its website as of Sunday, just days before the change was scheduled to be implemented. Scripps News reached out to the company for further clarification but did not immediately receive a response.

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Social media users appeared unsure about the decision, including in their responses to a Reddit post where a user took to the site to ask other users if there was a bigger reason why their elderly mother wasn’t able to use a check at a Target store like she had for decades, according to the author of the post.

The message was published months before the July 15 date that Target confirmed to some media outlets.

In a Federal Reserve study of payment method usage through 2022, the central bank noted that ACH transfers surpassed check usage as the highest-value noncash payment method in 2009 — but that grew to at least 72% of the “value of core noncash payments” by 2021, the Fed said in a report.

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Target has promoted other payment methods that customers can use in stores and online, including the company’s Target Circle cards, formerly called Target RedCards, and using cash or SNAP/EBT cards, or the company’s buy-now, pay-later services. Customers can also use their debit or credit cards, the company said.
As of Sunday, Target was still offering “personal checks” as an accepted form of payment by the company, listed on its website.