Target Now Offering Free Shipping On Orders Of $50 Or More

In an effort to cut out a bigger piece of the online retail pie, Target has announced that almost all Target.com orders that total at least $50 will qualify for free shipping.

The retailer had previously offered free shipping on select products, but the new policy applies to all but the largest and heaviest items available on the Target website.

The company says that shoppers had been confused by the old policy, as free shipping applied to some items but not all. Putting the $50 threshold in place is intended to make things more clear to visitors to Target.com.

Shoppers will still need to be mindful of the possibility of handling fees for certain items. For example, while smaller dining table sets don’t come with any additional charges, some sets — like this one — have handling fees that can tack on up to $60 to the price. And yet, this large, 7-piece outdoor dining set has no handling fee.

Likewise, this kid’s bed has no handling charge, while this much-cooler kid’s bed will cost an additional $40.

Most of the handling fees seem to involve furniture, which is about the largest thing you’ll buy at Target, since the store doesn’t really get into the full-size appliance business like some of its competition. TV shoppers will be happy to know that we couldn’t find a single TV in the Target.com selection that didn’t include free shipping.

The delivery window for Target.com orders is 3-5 business days. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune points out that this is faster than Walmart.com’s 6-9 day window for purchases that qualify for free shipping.

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