Target Mulls Paid Loyalty Program

Target could soon be following in the footsteps of competitors Amazon, Walmart and Kroger by introducing a paid membership program, according to reporting by Bloomberg and other media outlets quoting people familiar with the matter. Titled “Project Trident” internally, the new program could launch as soon as this year.

The retailer already offers its free Target Circle loyalty program, providing members with deals and rewards for purchases. A paid program would likely include other benefits, including incorporating services from Shipt, the grocery delivery business Target purchased in 2017.

Amazon operates the granddaddy of paid loyalty programs, Amazon Prime, which has been in operation for nearly 20 years and has more than 200 million members worldwide. Walmart debuted its Walmart+ program in September 2020, followed by Kroger’s Boost program in November 2021. CVS Pharmacy rebranded the paid portion of its loyalty program as ExtraCare Plus in January 2024, revealing that the paid program had 6.5 million members on top of the 74 million customers in the free program.

At press time Target had not responded to a request for comment.