When the Target App Fails: What Happened and What Shoppers Should Do

On December 19, 2025, Target’s mobile app and parts of its website experienced an intermittent system outage that left thousands of shoppers unable to view orders, complete checkout, or use digital gift cards. Outage-tracking services recorded a sharp spike in reports early that morning, and the company posted messages on its social accounts acknowledging the problem and saying teams were working on a fix, while stores continued to operate in person.

What happened, and when

The disruption began on the morning of December 19, 2025, with user reports surfacing shortly after dawn. Outage trackers showed a rapid rise in incidents, with reports climbing into the thousands within hours. Customers described a range of symptoms, including: app crashes, error messages when trying to view order history, missing confirmation emails, stalled curbside pickup and drive-up fulfillment, and trouble adding or redeeming gift cards.

Target’s customer-facing accounts confirmed a “system issue” and advised guests to try transactions again later, while noting stores remained open. Some users saw their bank accounts show pending authorizations, even when there was no visible order in the app, which added to confusion and concern.

Who was affected

• Shoppers trying to place last-minute holiday orders, especially pickup and same-day options.
• Customers who reported pending charges or drained gift-card balances with no confirmation.
• Store teams, who had to manage pickup and returns while in-store systems and fulfillment tools showed degraded performance.

A quick snapshot of the impact:

What Target said, and how it responded

Target posted updates on its social channels acknowledging intermittent digital issues and apologizing for the disruption, while saying teams were actively working on a resolution. The guidance from the retailer emphasized that physical stores were open and that customers should avoid placing duplicate orders while systems were unstable.

From the company perspective, officials framed the outage as a technical problem their teams were addressing, and they encouraged guests to wait for restoration rather than reattempt purchases immediately.

“We’re aware of intermittent issues with our digital experience and a fix is underway,” the company said in a customer update.

At the same time, shoppers and employees described long waits and inconsistent experiences, with some orders later appearing in histories after delays, and others needing follow-up with customer service or stores.

How widespread was the outage

Outage monitoring sites and local media showed a broad geographic footprint, with notable concentrations of reports in several U.S. metro areas. Incident counts peaked in the thousands during the morning and early afternoon reporting windows before gradually declining as systems stabilized. The pattern of reports, and the public company messages, indicate this was an intermittent but wide-reaching interruption rather than a localized glitch.

Why this matters now

The outage occurred in the final week before Christmas, a period of unusually high digital traffic for retail. When online ordering, mobile pickup, and same-day delivery are core operational channels, interruptions can cascade into customer frustration, inventory mismatches, and heavier burdens on store employees. Pending authorizations and missing confirmations also create uncertainty for consumers who need proof of purchase for gift-giving and return windows.

What shoppers should do now

If you were affected, follow these practical steps:

• Pause before you reorder, because duplicate purchases create bigger headaches.
• Check your bank or card statement for an actual charge, not just a pending authorization, as pending holds often drop automatically.
• Keep screenshots of any app errors, the time you placed an order, and bank transaction screens, to share with customer service if needed.
• Open the app, force-close it, and try again later, rather than repeatedly attempting payment attempts during a known outage.
• If you need a purchase urgently, consider visiting a nearby store in person, where checkout systems may still be functioning.
• Contact your bank if a pending authorization looks unusual or persists beyond the normal window for your card type.

Sample message to customer service

```json
{
"name": "Jane Doe",
"date_time": "2025-12-19 09:12 AM ET",
"payment_method": "Visa ending in 1234",
"amount": "$89.95",
"issue": "Charged but no order confirmation or order history",
"screenshots_attached": true
}
```

Providing those details speeds up review by support teams.

Troubleshooting checklist for your device

• Update the Target app to the latest version, or reinstall it.
• Clear the app cache or browser cache, and restart the phone.
• Try a different connection, such as switching from Wi-Fi to cellular data.
• Try logging in via the website from another device, or use an incognito/private window.
• Confirm your email spam folder for missed confirmation messages.

Multiple viewpoints

Customers criticized the timing and the lack of immediate clarity about charges, saying the outage left them unsure whether to re-order or wait. Employees raised operational concerns about fulfilling in-store and curbside orders while backend systems lagged. Target, for its part, stressed it was fixing a technical issue, reminded customers that stores were open, and advised guests not to place duplicate orders while engineers worked.

Industry analysts generally treat outages during peak seasons as costly and reputationally sensitive, but they also note that complex, large-scale e-commerce systems depend on many interlocking components, including third-party payment processors and fulfillment software, which can multiply the impact of a single failure point.

Historical context and risk management

Large retailers periodically face outages that interrupt checkout, pickup, or fulfillment systems. Target itself experienced a notable register outage in mid-June 2019 that affected store checkouts nationwide, a reminder that even mature systems can suffer interruptions. Retailers typically respond by hardening infrastructure, investing in failover capacity, and improving vendor monitoring, but no system is immune to unexpected faults.

If you were charged but have no confirmation

• Watch for the authorization hold to clear, which can take a few days depending on the payment method.
• If a charge posts and you have no record of the order after the systems are restored, contact Target customer service and, if necessary, your card issuer to dispute the charge.
• Request that Target review transaction logs once its systems are fully operational, and ask for a reference number for any follow-up.

What to watch for next

• Official updates from Target’s customer service channels, which will note when the issue is resolved and whether affected customers need to take action.
• Your bank or card statement for the final status of any authorizations.
• If you placed a pickup or delivery order that initially disappeared, check your order history over the following 24 to 48 hours, and bring screenshots to guest services if the order never appears.

Bottom line

An intermittent outage on December 19, 2025, interrupted Target’s app and web services at a crucial time for holiday shoppers, producing confusion about orders and payments. The immediate priorities for customers are to avoid duplicate purchases, document any errors or pending charges, and follow Target and bank guidance while systems are restored. For the company and the retail industry, the episode is another reminder that digital resilience matters, particularly during peak shopping windows when a few hours of downtime can ripple into significant customer frustration.

If you want, I can draft a short message you can send to Target support with the key details to speed up a resolution, or walk you through checking whether an authorization is likely to convert into a posted charge.