When does Target charge for preorders?
By Britton Jewell · Last updated
Short answer: not when you order. Target puts a temporary hold on your card when you place a preorder, and that hold drops off after a few days. Seven days before the release date it places a new hold, and it charges your card only when the item ships or is ready for pickup, at the item's price on that day. If the release date moves, watch for Target's email asking you to confirm: if you don't answer it, Target cancels the preorder.
Who wrote this: Britton Jewell, a collectibles reseller who runs BuyHoldCollect. Everything below comes from Target's own help pages, which we link at each point (checked ). Your order confirmation is the final word for your order. More about us.
What happens to your card, step by step
| When | What you'll see |
|---|---|
| The day you preorder | An authorization hold for the estimated order total. It isn't a charge; it reserves the money. |
| A few days later | That first hold is removed. Your bank may take a few more days to release it. |
| 7 days before the release date | A new hold for the preorder. If it fails (say, the card expired), Target emails you to update your payment. Some orders can't be changed, and those may be cancelled. |
| When it ships or is ready for pickup | The actual charge, at the item's price that day. Any remaining hold drops off. |
Source: Target's preorder help page ("When will I be charged for a preorder item?"). If you ordered other items at the same time, those are charged when they ship, and the preorder gets its own new hold before release. An order can show several holds and charges at once; Target's authorization hold page explains why, and notes that PayPal holds can be renewed every 30 days.
Example: you preorder a figure on September 1 for a December 1 release. You'll see a hold on September 1 that disappears a few days later, nothing in October, a new hold around November 24, and the charge when Target ships it. Target aims to deliver on or shortly after the release date, and the release date isn't always the delivery date.
Will you pay the price you saw when you ordered?
Not necessarily. Target says it does a price check when a preorder is ready to ship and charges "the exact price of the item" at that time. If the price dropped after you ordered and is still lower when it ships, you pay less. If it dropped and then went back up before shipping, you pay the later price; Target won't go back and charge you the lowest one. Target's page doesn't promise to hold your original price if the price rises, either.
Preorders are also excluded from Target's Price Match Guarantee. Some stores do lock the price: Hasbro Pulse keeps the price you ordered at, and Best Buy gives you the lower of the two. For every store's rule, see when preorders get charged, store by store.
If the release date changes
Toy release dates slip often. When a vendor moves the date, Target emails the address on your Target account. If the email asks you to confirm that you still want the item, do it soon: Target says that if you don't confirm, it "must cancel your preorder." You won't be charged, but Target can't guarantee you'll be able to preorder it again (Target's release-date help). Check your spam folder whenever a release date moves. For the other ways preorders get cut, see why was my preorder cancelled?
Before an official date is set, Target shows "Release date to be announced", and some dates are placeholders until the vendor confirms them.
Cancelling a Target preorder
In the Target app, open the order and choose Cancel items. On Target.com, open the order and choose Request cancellation. The option only appears for items that haven't started processing for shipping. You won't be charged for a cancelled item, though the hold can sit on your card until your bank releases it (Target's cancel help).
Think before you cancel. Target sells a limited number of preorders for each item, and a cancelled preorder can't be reinstated. If the limit has been reached, you may not be able to order it again.
Getting it on release day
Shipped preorders arrive by the estimated delivery date in your confirmation email, which Target says is typically on or shortly after the release date. Release-day Order Pickup and Drive Up are only offered for select preorder items at select stores; Target says it's still testing them. If your item qualifies, you'll see the option on the product page and in your cart, and you'll get an email when it's ready.
If you missed the preorder
Once the preorder limit is reached, Target stops taking preorders. But Target also says that once all preorders have shipped, any remaining stock goes on sale normally. So a sold-out preorder can still show up as a regular "add to cart" item around release, without a preorder. For how restocks work in general, see will this action figure be restocked?, and for Target-only figures, what "exclusive" means.
Target Plus sellers
Some items on Target.com are sold by Target Plus partners, not Target. Target's authorization hold page says those items get their own holds and charges, separate from the Target part of your order. Check the "sold by" line on the product page so you know whose rules apply.
Quick answers
Does Target charge for preorders right away?
No. When you place the preorder, Target puts a temporary authorization hold on your card, which is removed a few days later. You're charged only when the item ships or is ready for pickup.
When does Target charge for a preorder?
When it ships or is ready for pickup. Seven days before the release date, Target places a new authorization hold for the preorder amount, then charges the card when the item ships, at the item's price on that day.
Why do I see two Target holds for one preorder?
The first hold is from the day you ordered and drops off after a few days; the second is the new hold Target places 7 days before release. Neither is a charge. The real charge posts when the item ships.
Does Target price match or price adjust preorders?
Preorders are excluded from Target's Price Match Guarantee. Instead, Target checks the price when the item is ready to ship and charges that price. If the price dropped and is still lower then, you pay less; if it dropped and went back up, you pay the later price.
What happens if a Target preorder's release date changes?
Target may email you asking you to confirm you still want it. If you don't confirm, Target cancels the preorder. You won't be charged, but you may not be able to preorder it again, so answer that email quickly.
Can I cancel a Target preorder?
Yes, in the Target app or on Target.com, as long as it hasn't started processing for shipping. You won't be charged. A cancelled preorder can't be reinstated, and if Target's preorder limit has been reached you may not be able to order it again.
New to terms like preorder, MSRP or exclusive? See our collector and reseller glossary.
Related: When do preorders get charged? Store-by-store · Why was my preorder cancelled? · What does "exclusive" mean on a figure? · Will this action figure be restocked or reprinted?
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Store policies change. This page is general information, not financial advice, and BuyHoldCollect isn't affiliated with Target. Quotes are from Target's help pages as of October 16, 2026.