Target brings back car seat trade-in event with 20 percent bonus

Parents with outgrown or damaged car seats can turn them in at Target stores starting April 19 and walk away with a 20 percent Target Circle bonus for baby gear and family essentials. The trade-in window runs through May 2, and the bonus stays valid through May 16, giving shoppers a short runway to replace the seat, stroller or other basics they need next.

Target accepts infant seats, convertible seats, harness and booster seats, car seat bases, and even expired or damaged seats. Most stores are taking part, with select small-format locations excluded. Guests drop items at the boxes near Guest Services, scan into Target Circle, and receive one bonus per account. That bonus can be redeemed twice before it expires, either in store or online.

For Target workers, especially teams at the front end, in Guest Services, baby and store operations, the event is one of those promotions that changes the pace of a normal week. It tends to bring a burst of traffic from families who are already carrying a large, awkward item they need to unload, along with questions about eligibility, Circle sign-up and what counts as an eligible purchase. The offer applies to car seats, bases, travel systems, strollers and select baby home gear, including playards, high chairs, swings, rockers, bouncers, walkers, entertainers and jumpers, so the transaction can easily turn into a bigger basket at checkout.

Target has used the trade-in event every year since it launched in April 2016, and the company says it has recycled more than 3.5 million car seats, or about 1.2 million pounds of material. Through its recycling partners, those materials have been turned into pallets, plastic buckets, steel beams, carpet padding and select Brightroom items. The event also fits Target’s broader waste goal: zero waste to landfill in U.S. operations by 2030. In 2024, the company said it diverted 87 percent of operational waste and 53 percent of construction waste from landfill.

The car seat program has also become a familiar pattern for Target’s loyalty strategy, pairing a family chore with a savings pitch that can drive repeat trips across baby, wellness and home. Target made a similar move in 2024 with its Denim Take Back Event, offering 20 percent off new denim in exchange for used denim and citing the car seat program as part of that playbook.