Target drive up requires a signed-in Target account — guest checkout does not unlock curbside pickup. Once the account is active, the target drive up flow is fast: shop in the app, select Drive Up at checkout, wait for the ready notification, pull into the Drive Up row and tap "I'm Here." The team member appears in minutes. The return-while-you-pickup mechanic is the most underused part of the service — it is documented below and worth a read even if you never plan to return anything.
App workflow for target drive up orders
Opening the Target app and browsing while signed in is the starting point for every target drive up transaction. Items that are eligible for curbside pickup display a Drive Up badge in the product listing. At checkout, selecting "Drive Up" as the fulfillment method shows the estimated ready time — usually one to two hours for standard in-stock items — and the designated store. After submitting the order, the shopper gets a confirmation notification and then a second "Order is ready" push notification when the picking team has staged the items.
Arriving at the store, the shopper pulls into a marked Drive Up parking space (signs typically indicate the numbered spaces along the front of the lot). Tapping "I'm Here" inside the app sends an alert to the team inside the warehouse. Most target drive up teams deliver the order to the car within two to five minutes of the tap, though timing varies with volume. The team member confirms the shopper's name and loads the bags into the designated space — trunk, back seat or wherever the shopper specifies in the app's parking notes field.
Eligible categories for target drive up
The majority of non-perishable, non-oversized merchandise carried by the chain is eligible for target drive up. This includes electronics, apparel, beauty, home, toys, sporting goods, baby gear and most grocery dry goods. Exclusions vary by location and by state law. Fresh and frozen grocery items are excluded at most target drive up locations because the short staging window creates food-safety complications. Alcohol is excluded in most states because age verification requirements at curbside are not consistent with state-specific compliance rules. Oversized items — furniture, large appliances — that require freight handling cannot be staged in the Drive Up corridor.
The app's checkout flow filters the cart before order submission. If an item in the cart is ineligible for target drive up, the checkout flow will flag it and offer either a switch to in-store pickup (which requires walking into the warehouse) or the option to continue with the eligible portion of the cart and handle the ineligible item separately.
Typical wait window and what affects it
A target drive up order placed for in-stock items during off-peak hours is often ready within one hour. During peak periods — weekend afternoons, the week before major holidays, back-to-school rush in late July and August — the ready window stretches to two or three hours. The app shows the current estimated ready time at the time of checkout and updates the estimate if conditions change. Shoppers who place target drive up orders the evening before a busy weekend morning sometimes find the order is staged before they wake up, which is a useful pattern for Saturday morning errands.
A target drive up order that passes its ready notification but is not picked up within three days is typically cancelled and the items restocked. The app shows the pickup deadline date inside the order details. Most customers pick up same-day or next-day, but the three-day window gives flexibility for travel or schedule changes.
The return-while-you-pickup mechanic
This is the target drive up feature that earns the most surprise from readers who encounter it for the first time. When a shopper arrives for a target drive up pickup and also has an eligible item to return, they can initiate the return inside the app on the same trip. The return flow opens under "Start a return" in the Drive Up arrival screen. The shopper selects the item from their order history, confirms the return reason and taps "I'm Here" for both the pickup and the return in the same session. The team member who brings out the order also collects the return item, processes it through the handheld device and the refund posts to the original payment method. The shopper never leaves the car for either transaction.
The return item must be within the standard return window and must be eligible for return (electronics with opened packaging, consumables and a few other categories have additional restrictions). The BBB's consumer tips on retail returns provide a general framework for understanding what governs return eligibility across retailers.
Drive Up step-by-step reference
| Drive Up step | What happens | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Place order in app | Cart checked for eligibility; Drive Up selected at checkout; order confirmed | Under 5 minutes |
| Order picking | Store team picks items from warehouse shelves and stages them in the Drive Up hold area | 30 minutes – 2 hours |
| Ready notification | Push notification sent; order available for pickup for up to 3 days | Immediate (notification) |
| Arrive and tap "I'm Here" | App sends alert to store team; shopper parks in Drive Up row | 1–2 minutes |
| Team member delivery | Associate confirms name, loads bags; return collected if initiated | 2–5 minutes |
| Refund (if return) | Return item scanned; refund posted to original payment method | 1–3 business days to post |
Target Circle and target drive up together
Target Circle offers apply to target drive up orders the same way they apply to in-store or online purchases. A signed-in Circle member sees applicable offers in the cart and they stack with any weekly-ad pricing. The 5 percent discount that comes with the Target Circle Card applies at the Drive Up payment step automatically. Because Drive Up requires a signed-in account, the offer application is automatic — there is no separate coupon entry or barcode scan required.
What hub readers have shared
I had no idea I could hand a return through the same Drive Up window. I had been making separate trips to customer service for months. Now one parking-lot stop handles both the pickup and the return. That single piece of information from the reading reference page paid for itself immediately.
— Niamheen P. LockmoorIIDrive-up reader · Hartford, CT
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Target account to use target drive up?
Yes. Target drive up requires a signed-in Target account on the mobile app. Guest checkout does not support curbside pickup. The account is free to create and is the same login used for Target Circle, the weekly ad and online shopping.
How long does a target drive up order take to be ready?
Most target drive up orders are ready within two hours of being placed, and many are staged within one hour for standard in-stock items. The app sends a push notification when the order is staged. During high-volume periods the window can extend; the app displays the current estimated ready time at checkout.
What categories are not eligible for target drive up?
Target drive up exclusions typically include alcohol (in most states), fresh and frozen grocery items (at most locations), oversized items that require freight shipping and items that require age verification beyond what the pickup workflow supports. The checkout flow flags ineligible items before order submission.
How does the return-while-you-pickup mechanic work?
When arriving for a target drive up pickup, shoppers can initiate a return through the app by selecting the return option before tapping "I'm Here." The team member who brings out the order also collects the return item and processes the refund — all without the shopper leaving the car. The return must be an eligible item within the standard return window.
Can I add items to a target drive up order after it is placed?
Yes, within a short window after placing a target drive up order. The app allows additions before the store team begins picking the order. Once the order enters the active-picking stage, additions are no longer possible for that transaction, but a separate drive up order can be placed for the missed items.