Target apparently feels that physical gift cards are passe. According to a press release, the retail giant will now offer Mobile GiftCards.
By taking advantage of Target's mobile technology, customers can save GiftCard information to a PIN-secure account on the Target.com mobile site. Customers will need a mobile phone with Internet capabilities, which they can then use to retrieve GiftCard barcodes for scanning at checkout.
Customers can access their Target Mobile GiftCards to add value at store registers and check GiftCard balances at any time via the Target.com mobile site. In addition, Target Mobile GiftCard functionality allows guests to save multiple GiftCards to their account and label each one for reference.
"The addition of Mobile GiftCards to our suite of mobile shopping solutions further simplifies the Target experience for our guests," said Steve Eastman, president of Target.com, in a press release.
Target's point-of-sale scanning technology makes the Target Mobile GiftCard possible. In addition to using the new Mobile GiftCards, Target customers can check product availability and store locations, manage their Target gift registry and lists, browse the weekly ad and receive text and e-mail notifications of promotions.