Last Updated: September 14, 2026
The fall Target Car Seat Trade-In Event is back September 20–October 3, 2026. You can trade in an unwanted car seat or base and receive a 20% off Target Circle Bonus to use through October 17.
But before you grab the first discounted seat, remember: the right deal on the wrong seat is still the wrong seat. We’ll walk you through how the event works, whether it’s time to retire your current seat, and how to find a replacement that fits your child, vehicle, budget, and everyday life.
Pro tip: Sign up for Target Circle (it's free) before you go to the store. You'll need a Target Circle account to claim your coupon, and you don't want to be fumbling with an app download while holding a dusty car seat at Guest Services.
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Don’t wait until the event begins and inventory starts moving. Use our Target Car Seat Finder to find best-fit options for your child, vehicle, and real life.
Target Car Seat Trade-In Event: Quick Facts
- Trade-in period: September 20–October 3, 2026
- Coupon redemption period: September 20–October 17, 2026
- Discount: 20% off an eligible car seat, stroller, travel system, or select baby gear
- Where: Participating Target stores
- Required: A free Target Circle account
- What: Trade in any car seat, expired, damaged, outgrown, unused, or even crashed, and get a 20% off coupon toward a new car seat, stroller, travel system, or select baby gear (coupon is good 9/20-10/17)
- How:
1️⃣Use our Car Seat Finder Quiz to prep your picks before you shop
2️⃣Drop your old car seat in the box
3️⃣Scan to get your 20% off coupon in the Target app
4️⃣Use our expert-reviewed links to compare your best-fit options and current prices to get the right seat at the best price - Why: Keep expired, damaged, crashed, or otherwise unusable seats out of circulation, reduce landfill waste, and save money on safer gear for your family
The Target Car Seat Trade-In Event can save you 20%. But the right deal on the wrong seat is still the wrong seat. Before you trade in your current car seat or grab the first discounted option, let’s make sure your child is ready for a new seat and that the one you choose fits your child, vehicle, budget, and everyday life.
Don’t start with what’s on sale. Start with what fits.
Answer a few quick questions and we’ll match you with Target car seats that fit your child, vehicle, budget, and everyday life.
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Target Car Seat Trade-in Event
Target will accept and recycle all types of car seats, including infant car seats, infant car seat bases, convertible car seats, combination seats, and booster seats, as well as car seats that are expired, damaged, or have been in a car crash.
After turning in your car seat or booster for recycling into the turn-in box at your local Target, Target Circle Members are eligible for a 20% off bonus coupon for various baby items. The designated drop-off box, usually found near the guest services desk, will have a QR barcode. Scan it and tap “Add to Target Circle Bonus.” Your 20% off bonus will be in your wallet in the Target Circle App.
What Can You Buy With the Target Car Seat Trade-In Coupon?
This is where it gets good. The 20% off Target Circle Bonus applies to more than just car seats!
Eligible items:
- Car seats (infant, convertible, all-in-one, booster)
- Car seat bases
- Travel systems
- Strollers
- Play yards
- High chairs
- Swings and rockers
- Bouncers
- Walkers
- Entertainers and jumpers
So if you've been eyeing a new stroller or your toddler's high chair is on its last legs, the trade-in coupon covers those too. The target stroller trade-in angle is one a lot of parents miss. You trade in a car seat but can use the coupon toward a stroller instead. If you know what you want, act quickly; inventory tends to get low fast. And, make sure you comparison shop. Some other retailers may discount prices further to compete. As always, all of the lowest car seat deals of the day can be found here.
When is the Target Car Seat Trade-in 2026 Program?
The fall 2026 Target Car Seat Trade-In Event runs from September 20 through October 3, 2026.
Bring an unwanted car seat or base to a participating Target store during that window and scan the QR code near the trade-in box to add the 20% Target Circle Bonus to your account.
You’ll have through October 17, 2026, to use the coupon on eligible car seats, strollers, travel systems, and select baby gear. You can redeem the coupon beginning September 20, so you don’t have to shop on the same day you trade in your seat.
Important: You must trade in your seat by October 3, but you have until October 17 to use the coupon.
What Type of Car Seat Qualifies for a Trade-in?
Target will recycle all types of car seats, including infant car seats, infant bases, convertible car seats, harness, and booster seats - yes, even booster seats! You can even turn in infant car seats based on that terrifying old seat you used in the 90s, which your mom has kept in the attic for some unknown reason. And it doesn’t matter if these items are expired, damaged, or stained - they’re getting recycled anyway!
Where Do I Bring My Old Car Seat to Trade in?
To participate in this event, you’ll need to go to participating Target stores! When you bring your car seat to trade-in, head to guest services. They’ll have large boxes for your car seat - you can’t miss them! Then, scan the QR code on the trade-in box, and your bonus coupon will be saved in your Target Circle Wallet!
Target safely recycles these crashed, damaged, expired, and unwanted car seats with Ecotech™ Car Seat Recycling to make pallets, plastic buckets, and construction materials. This keeps unusable car seats out of resale shops, donation bins, and landfills! Really, it’s the best of both worlds!
Does Target Accept Expired Car Seats?
Yes, and honestly, this is the whole point of the program.
Car seats expire. Every single one has an expiration date stamped on it, usually on a white sticker on the bottom or back of the seat. Most seats expire 6-10 years after manufacture, depending on the brand.
Here's the thing most parents don't realize: an expired car seat may not protect your child in a crash. Every car seat has a manufacturer-defined usable life. The expiration date accounts for factors such as expected wear, replacement-part availability, changing standards, and how long the manufacturer supports that model. Check the label and manual or contact the manufacturer rather than guessing based on how the seat looks.
Target accepts:
- Expired car seats
- Damaged car seats
- Car seats involved in a crash, whether or not the manufacturer requires replacement
- Car seats you've simply outgrown
- Car seats with missing parts
From a safety perspective: If your car seat has been involved in a crash, check both the manufacturer’s instructions and NHTSA’s minor-crash criteria before using it again. Some manufacturers require replacement after any crash, while others follow NHTSA’s guidance. If the seat needs to be replaced, the trade-in event is a convenient way to recycle it.
How to Know if Your Car Seat is Expired?
Car seats expire. Just like any other product, the materials break down over time, and safety standards change with technological advancement in the industry. If you’ve already used your car seat for a couple of children or got it as a hand-me-down, always double-check the expiration date! You definitely do not want to be using an expired car seat. And this is the perfect occasion to exchange it for a new car seat that fits your child, vehicle, and needs at a bargain price.
Every car seat manufacturer puts their expiration date in a different place. Usually, the manufacture date is on a white sticker stuck to the bottom or back of the seat or on the base. If you’re lucky, the expiration date will be right there on the same sticker, but if not, cross-reference your manual to find the car seat’s usable lifespan. Having trouble finding the expiration date? Don’t give up! You can always call the manufacturer for help finding this information. Knowing that important date is essential to keep your kiddos safe in their seat!
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Should You Reuse or Recycle Your Child’s Car Seat?
If you have a car seat you’ve been looking to get rid of, maybe a car seat trade-in event wasn’t exactly what you had in mind to get the gear off your hands.
Maybe you were hoping to sell it online, give it to a friend, or donate it to someone in need. Or perhaps you weren’t planning on ditching it at all, and you would reuse it for the next baby! These can all be great options – but not for every seat.
Many factors go into deciding whether you should recycle or reuse that pricey car seat. If your car seat is expired, damaged, or missing parts, it should NOT be reused for your next baby or given to a friend. Additionally, if the car seat has ever gotten into a crash, traveled under a plane unprotected, or is soiled beyond cleaning, you should choose to recycle in a car seat exchange like this one (after you consult your manual to confirm that your seat isn’t usable anymore!).
Remember, if your car seat is not safe for your child, it’s not safe for anyone else’s either!
If you don’t need that prized Target coupon for your own upcoming baby gear purchase, you can always use the coupon to purchase a brand-new item to donate locally. Because the coupon is in your personal Target Circle account, you cannot share it with anyone.
What can I use the 20% bonus on?
Target’s car seat trade-in event takes any car seat in exchange for a 20% off bonus coupon on select baby gear. You must have the Target Circle app to participate, so download it before heading to the store. Target will let you use this coupon on a new car seat, car seat base, travel system, stroller, or select baby home gear. Select baby home gear includes play yards, high chairs, swings, rockers, bouncers, walkers, entertainers, and jumpers. And, as most parents know, that is a great discount if you’re buying any of these pricey big-ticket items!
Take the time to research the best car seat before you buy. Check out some of our favorite infant, convertible, forward-facing and booster seats. You may also be interested in researching the best-fit car seats to fit three-across or those that are the most compact.
Target’s Car Seat Trade-In program makes a positive impact on both children’s safety and the sustainability of our environment.
If you don’t live in a country or area with Target, you can check if there is anywhere locally where you can recycle your seat. If recycling isn’t an option and you must dispose of your car seat, follow the steps here. This will ensure no one pulls the car seat out of the trash to use it. (Seriously, people have told us horror stories about this on Instagram!)
The Target Trade-In Event can be a smart way to retire an unusable seat and save on what your family needs next. Just remember: a discount shouldn’t decide when your child changes stages or which seat you buy. Start with your child, your vehicle, and your everyday needs, then use the coupon on the seat that fits all three.
Shopping at Target? Use our Target Car Seat Finder to get a personalized shortlist before inventory starts disappearing.
