They know me at my Target. I can be found roaming the aisles every Sunday afternoon while my husband hangs out with the kids and helps them finish up their homework for the week ahead. I usually start every trip with a treat to enjoy while I browse the Target app for deals: an iced vanilla latte from the in-store Starbucks. The staff starts making it as soon as I walk in and, get this, they even spell my name right! Yeah, they definitely know me. What can I say…it’s my favorite store.

I’ve been shopping at my Target for years now; at some point, I started to wonder if there was a way I could get rewarded for that kind of loyalty. You know how delis will give you a punch card to earn a free sandwich after you’ve eaten there ten times? Well, that’s what I wanted from Target. Basically, I wanted to know how to earn Target gift cards for being a frequent flyer down their aisles. To be honest, I thought my idea was merely a Target shopper’s dream—until recently. But, as it turns out, earning Target gift cards is actually a thing (and a lot of fun).

As a Target devotee, I already love the Target app—and I really love the savings I get by using it. But I recently discovered there are free shopping rewards apps you can use alongside the Target app to help you get even more out of every shopping trip! They turn going to Target into a cool scavenger hunt for points, which, most importantly, you can redeem for free gift cards. For budget shoppers like me, these rewards really hit the target (#sorrynotsorryforthepun).

How to Earn Target Gift Cards: First, Do Your Homework on Apps

So, you want to learn about how I earn Target gift cards using a free app? Step one is to do your homework (groan). I know, I know, but, just like we tell our kids, homework isn’t so bad if you really want that A. And who doesn’t want an A in earning free Target shopping sprees?

Here’s your homework to-do list:

• Download the Target app (if you haven’t already): This app lets you plan your trip, get the low-down on deals, order online, browse the weekly ad, and more. You can use it in-store to scan barcodes and get prices. It’s pretty darn handy to have as a shopping companion.
• Pick out a shopping rewards app: More on this below, but the CliffNotes version is that you want to choose a free shopping app that’s intuitive and easy to use alongside Target’s app, one that will help you earn points for the shopping you already do. It should also be fun! The one I use gives me points for scouting for and scanning new products, showcasing items that I might have otherwise missed. It makes my weekly trips to Target kind of like a game (as if going to Target wasn’t already fun enough). And, most importantly, all those rewards and points add up to, you guessed it, free Target gift cards. It’s like getting paid to shop!
• Put your Target and shopping rewards apps to work: What? You need a reason to go to Target? How about getting rewarded for shopping?

Okay, okay. Class is dismissed. Time to head out to the mama playground known as Target. But, before you go, I think it’s my turn to be put to the test. After all this talk about earning free Target gift cards, don’t you want to quiz me on my favorite shopping rewards app? Because, yeah, there’s an awesome app for that. And, I can point you to it so you can skip the research.

The Best App for Earning Free Target Gift Cards

When I first started studying up on shopping rewards apps, I knew the key would be to find one that complements the Target app I was already using. I wanted an app that was easy to use so it wouldn’t feel like a chore (the way collecting bundles of multiple rewards cards for every store I visited used to). After all, you get the most benefits from a rewards app you actually use so I had to find one that would blend with my long-established Sunday Target routine.

I also wanted to find one that was fun. There are a lot of rewards apps out there that will give you points and incentives for taking surveys (not my cup of iced vanilla latte, thank you very much). They may be easy to pair with the Target app, but I didn’t want to spend my precious alone time filling out survey after survey. That just feels like another task to check off my neverending to-do list.

Call me crazy, but I wanted points just for walking into Target (trust me, I never leave empty handed so I felt like this was well-deserved). I also wanted to be rewarded for scanning barcodes of both my favorite products and new finds and, of course, for all the goodies that make it up to the self-checkout with me. I wanted my Target app to tell me about weekly steals and deals, but I wanted my shopping rewards app to, well, reward me for rolling that red cart around. And, believe it or not, I found my dream app!

My favorite rewards app is called Shopkick, and how it works is pretty simple. Shopkick gives me points (which it calls kicks) for the shopping I already do—and turns every trip to Target into a treasure hunt that helps me earn free gift cards. I just rack up the kicks, then redeem them for codes I can use just like gift cards. Pro tip: you can also invite friends to use it and earn even more kicks! Plus, their social media is awesome. I’ve made some new mama-on-a-budget friends in the comments of their Facebook page.

So, get ready to reap your free Target gift card rewards. After all, now that Target’s combined its store app with its Cartwheel app into one mobile savings machine, all of us Target fanatics out there (woot, woot!) have a little more room in our lives—and on our phones—for a shopping rewards app to pair with the old classic. Can you tell I get as excited about scoring rewards in the aisles with Shopkick as I do about my weekly iced vanilla latte? I’ll raise my green-strawed cup to that!

Ready to combine the best free shopping rewards app with your trusty Target app? Download Shopkick for free and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered the rewards of shopping with us.

And, if you love social media as much as you love your local Target, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.