About Target
Target Corporation is a major American retailer known for its “big box” general merchandise stores. Founded in 1962, it has grown to be one of the largest retailers in the United States. Target is recognized for its distinctive bullseye logo and the slogan, “Expect More. Pay Less,” reflecting its commitment to offering quality products at affordable prices.
The company places a strong emphasis on fashion and design compared to some competitors, often featuring exclusive designer collaborations. Target offers a vast array of products across numerous categories, including clothing, home goods, electronics, groceries, and essentials.
Target Affiliate Program Overview
The Target affiliate marketing program, known as Target Partners, allows affiliates to promote Target products through their content and earn a commission on qualifying sales. It is a free-to-join program and provides affiliates with the tools to create affiliate links for products across Target’s broad inventory.
| Factor | Description |
| Industry | Retail, E-commerce, General Merchandise |
| Product Type | Physical Products (Clothing, Home Goods, Electronics, Groceries, Toys, etc.) |
| Affiliate Program Type | Merchant/Retailer Program, hosted on an Affiliate Network |
Target Affiliate Program Offers
The Target Partners program provides affiliates with various tools and tracking mechanisms to help them promote products effectively and earn commissions. The cookie duration is relatively short but the program rewards affiliates for repeat purchases within that window.
| Factor | Description |
| Promotional Materials | Text links, Banners, Widgets, Creative assets |
| Affiliate Cookie Duration | 7 days |
| Accepted traffic source | Websites, Blogs, Social Media Platforms, Email (Generally, as long as it adheres to program terms) |
| Accepted countries | Primarily United States (as Target is a US-centric retailer) |
| Explicit Content | Not Accepted (Affiliates must adhere to brand safety and content guidelines) |
| Religious or political content | Not Accepted (Affiliates must adhere to brand safety and content guidelines) |
Target Affiliate Commissions & Payments
Target’s commission structure is based on the product category and is tiered, meaning the commission rate can increase as an affiliate’s sales volume grows. The program is managed through a third-party affiliate network, which handles the payments.
| Factor | Description |
| MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) | No, this is a standard affiliate marketing program. |
| Commission Rate | Up to 8% (varies by product category). Many categories fall between 1% and 5%. Some categories (like groceries, electronics, and toys) may offer 0% commission. |
| Commission Structure | Percentage of Sale (tiered structure—commission percentage can increase with sales volume). Commission is paid on any purchase made within the cookie duration, not just the first one. |
| Payout Frequency | Monthly, with a delay (payouts are generally validated and processed two months after the tracking month to account for returns/cancellations). |
| Payout Methods | Direct Deposit and PayPal (processed through the affiliate network, Impact). |
| Minimum Payout | Set by the affiliate network (Impact) but generally low (e.g., $10 – $50 minimum depending on payment method). |
Suitable Affiliates for Target Affiliate
The Target Partners program is suitable for a wide range of content creators and marketers whose audience regularly shops for or is interested in general merchandise, fashion, home goods, and everyday essentials. Its broad product catalog allows for integration into many niches.
- Bloggers: Especially lifestyle, fashion, home decor, parenting, budget shopping, and review bloggers.
- TikTokers/KOL/Influencers/YouTubers/Livestreamers: Creators who focus on “hauls” (showing off recent purchases), outfit try-ons, home makeovers, organizing, affordable finds, or product reviews are a great fit. Target Creators is a specific initiative geared towards social media affiliates.
- KOC (Key Opinion Consumers): Individuals who share authentic, everyday shopping experiences and product usage will resonate well with the Target brand.
- Video editors: Those who work with the creators mentioned above, helping to produce high-quality, engaging visual content that promotes Target products.
Target Affiliate Software
Target utilizes an established third-party platform for the management of its affiliate program.
Target’s affiliate program, Target Partners, is hosted and managed on the Impact affiliate marketing platform (formerly known as Impact Radius). They do not use in-house affiliate management software for this public program. Using a well-known platform like Impact allows for robust tracking, reporting, and payment processing.
3 Alternatives for Target Affiliate Program
The main alternatives to the Target program are other large general merchandise retailers with similar, vast product catalogs. Here, we compare Target with two of the most popular alternatives in the same sphere: Amazon Associates and Walmart Affiliate Program.
| Comparison Factor | Target Partners (Impact) | Amazon Associates | Walmart Affiliate Program (Impact) |
| Average Bill | Moderate (Known for general merchandise, designer collabs) | Low to High (Vast range of products and price points) | Moderate (Known for low prices, general merchandise) |
| Entry Fees | Free to join | Free to join | Free to join |
| Withdrawal Threshold | Set by Impact (typically low, e.g., $10 via Direct Deposit) | $10 (Direct Deposit/Gift Certificate), $100 (Check) | Set by Impact (typically low, e.g., $10 via Direct Deposit) |
| Payment Frequency | Monthly (with ~2 month delay for validation) | Monthly | Monthly (with ~2 month delay for validation) |
| Commission | Up to 8% (varies, with some 0% categories) | 1% to 4% (varies by category) | 1% to 4% (varies by category) |
| Conversion | High (Target is a trusted, well-known brand) | Very High (Extreme brand trust, one-click ordering) | High (Walmart is a trusted, well-known brand) |
| Marketing Materials | Text links, Banners, Widgets | SiteStripe, Banners, Product Links | Text links, Banners, Data feeds |