Scale retail on Target.com.

Target DVS stands for direct vendor ship. When a guest orders on Target.com, the order goes to the vendor, and the vendor ships it from its own warehouse or 3PL straight to the guest. Target does not hold that stock. Target’s 1P vendors on DVS trade purchase orders, ship notices and invoices with Target over EDI. Target Plus partners also ship their own orders, but Target Plus is a separate marketplace program.

Target Plus is Target’s invite-only third-party marketplace on Target.com. Target picks who joins and says it looks for direct brand and authorized reseller partnerships. Partners list their products on Target.com, Target runs the checkout, and the partner ships each order from the US. In a July 2026 article, Target said it added dozens of new, hand-picked brands to Target Plus that summer.

Target sells products it buys from vendors. It stocks and ships them itself, or has vendors ship them directly through DVS. Target Plus is the marketplace side. Partner brands list their own products on Target.com, hold their own stock and ship orders to the guest. The shopper sees one Target.com checkout either way. The contracts, fees and systems behind the two are different.

A Target Plus partner is a brand or authorized reseller that Target has invited to sell on Target.com through its marketplace. The partner owns the inventory, builds listings to Target’s content rules, ships orders inside Target’s lead time and receives returns. Target runs checkout and the guest relationship. Commission and other terms are set in Target’s partner agreement.

Target Plus is invite-only. Brands can apply on Target’s Target Plus apply page, and Target decides who joins. Before you apply, check yourself against the published prerequisites: a US-registered business with a US address, a W-9, an EIN and a DUNS number, US-only shipping with UPS, USPS or FedEx, a 24-hour lead time and GS1 barcodes on every product. We help you check each item before you submit.

Target’s apply page lists them. You need a US-registered business with a US address, a W-9, an EIN (SSNs are not accepted) and a DUNS number. You ship with UPS, USPS or FedEx, fulfill only from the US, ship within 24 hours and deliver in 2 to 5 business days. You also need GS1 barcodes, grid size charts for wearables and UL WERCSmart registration for hazmat items.

Yes, if Target accepts them. In June 2024, Target and Shopify announced a partnership that lets Shopify merchants apply to Target Plus through Shopify’s Marketplace Connect app. Acceptance is still Target’s decision. Once accepted, Marketplace Connect can sync listings, stock and orders. Brands that run stock in an ERP or a custom catalog often need a direct integration instead.

Target does not publish any rule that links Target Plus sales to store placement. Store buying runs through Target’s merchant teams as a separate process. Treat Target Plus as an online channel on its own merits. If your products sell well there, you will have sales and review data to show a buyer later, but nobody can promise you shelf space.

Target’s 1P vendors, including DVS vendors, trade business documents with Target over EDI. The usual X12 set covers purchase orders, ship notices and invoices. Target gives each vendor the exact documents, versions and test steps during setup, in its vendor guides on Partners Online. We do not guess at those rules. We read your Target guide and build to it. Target Plus partners usually connect through Target’s API or a connector instead.

An 850 is the standard X12 EDI purchase order. When people say Target 850, they mean the purchase order Target sends to a vendor. It lists the items, quantities, prices and ship-to details. For a DVS vendor, an 850 can carry a guest order to ship. Your system reads the 850, creates the order and starts the pick.

The 856 is the X12 advance ship notice. It tells the buyer what shipped, in which carton and with which tracking number. The 810 is the X12 invoice, which the vendor sends to get paid. With the 850 purchase order, these three documents make up the basic order to payment loop that most vendors run with large US retailers, Target included.

EDI stands for electronic data interchange. It is a standard format for business documents like purchase orders and invoices, sent from one system to another instead of by email or typed into a portal. Large retailers use it because it handles high order volume with fewer typing errors. Most US retailers use the ANSI X12 standard, which gives each document a number, such as 850 for a purchase order.

No. Target Plus is a marketplace, so partners connect through Target’s own API or a connector such as Shopify Marketplace Connect. EDI is how Target’s 1P vendors, including DVS vendors, trade orders and invoices. Some brands do both: they sell to Target as a vendor over EDI and list other products on Target Plus. We work out which setup you need before any build starts.

Think of it as teaching two systems to talk. Your store or ERP (Shopify, Microsoft Business Central, NetSuite, SAP Business One, Odoo or another one) knows your products, prices and stock. Target needs that same list in its own format, and it sends orders back. We start with the setup papers Target gave you, then build the link: Marketplace Connect, Target’s API, or an EDI connection through your EDI provider. When an order comes in, it lands in your system without retyping, and your stock count updates on Target. Before you sign, we show it working on your own products.

Target’s apply page says every product needs a GS1 barcode: a 12-digit UPC or a 13-digit EAN. Codes with 11 or 14 digits are not valid. A GS1 barcode ties each product to your company prefix, so Target can match the item to the right brand. We check your full barcode list against these rules before you apply.

A buffer holds back a few units from the stock count you send to Target. If your warehouse sells the last units on another channel before the next sync, Target still shows zero instead of taking an order you cannot ship. We set buffers per product, based on how fast each item sells, and sync stock often enough that the buffer stays small.

Target’s apply page lists small-parcel, direct-to-consumer shipping with a 24-hour lead time, and delivery within 2 to 5 business days after shipping. You ship with UPS, USPS or FedEx, from the US only, with no international shipping. You also cannot use a competitor’s fulfillment service, so stock held in another retailer’s fulfillment program cannot fill these orders.

Usually yes, if the 3PL meets Target’s rules. It must ship from the US with UPS, USPS or FedEx inside the 24-hour lead time, and it cannot be a competitor’s fulfillment service. It also needs to receive returns, including palletized returns from a semi-truck. We connect the 3PL’s warehouse system so orders and tracking numbers move without manual entry.

Target’s apply page says partners must be able to receive returns at a business location, both single parcels and palletized returns delivered by semi-truck. That means you need a dock, or a 3PL that can take pallets. Ask Target about its current guest return options for marketplace items, because those terms sit in the partner agreement, not on a public page.

Target’s apply page gives a 70-day onboarding timeline. Inventory must be in place and trainings done by day 45. Target’s partner support calls run 8am to 5pm Central time, in English. Our integration work fits inside that window, so get your product data, barcodes and warehouse setup ready before Target starts the clock.

Target does not publish Target Plus commission rates. They are set in the partner agreement Target sends to accepted brands. Be careful with any fixed percentage you read online. Ask Target for the current terms in writing, then compare them with Amazon and Walmart fees on your own products before you decide.

It depends on your margin and your operations. Amazon and Walmart are open to most sellers and publish their fees. Target Plus is invite-only, with commission set in a private agreement and strict shipping and returns rules. Brands with a clean catalog, US stock and next-day shipping are the best fit. Compare all three on your own numbers first.

We quote a fixed price per phase in writing after scoping, for example readiness, then integration, then launch. Before you sign, we show working software on your own data. Each build includes defect cover for a stated period, and there is no monthly minimum. We never take a percentage of your sales.

It depends on your systems. A Shopify store using Marketplace Connect is mostly setup and product data work. A custom link from an ERP, or an EDI connection, takes longer because it needs field mapping and test orders. We give you a written timeline after scoping that fits inside Target’s 70-day onboarding window.