Two things have likely contributed. One is the shift from boxed cards, which are a retail item, to activated-at-the-register cards, which are a set service price. For boxed cards, the retailer risks a $16 spend to make $4 upon a sale. For activated cards there is no cost to the retailer, they just make a 10% commission upon sale.
The second is likely to be the mass abuse that resulted from discounted points cards. A 1600 point card that ran $15 lost Target about a dollar each. The vast majority of them were sold to people buying them en masse to eBay later, or stock up for long periods of time. Target's retail models are smarter than you are, hence they stopped offering discounted cards.
The second is likely to be the mass abuse that resulted from discounted points cards. A 1600 point card that ran $15 lost Target about a dollar each. The vast majority of them were sold to people buying them en masse to eBay later, or stock up for long periods of time. Target's retail models are smarter than you are, hence they stopped offering discounted cards.
