MINNEAPOLIS — Target shoppers can now redeem gift cards via their mobile phone, rather than carrying the cards with them.

Shoppers save gift card information to a PIN-secure account on the Target.com mobile site; then, using a mobile phone with Internet capabilities, a shopper can retrieve gift card barcodes for scanning at checkout. They can also check balances at any time via the Target.com mobile site, and save multiple cards to their account and label each one for reference.

Target said it is the first major retailer with the ability to scan mobile barcodes in all of its stores. “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.

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