5. Credit Card Receivables

Credit card receivables are recorded net of an allowance for doubtful accounts and are our only significant class of receivables. Substantially all accounts continue to accrue finance charges until they are written off. All past due accounts were incurring finance charges at October 29, 2011, January 29, 2011, and October 30, 2010. Accounts are written off when they become 180 days past due.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The allowance for doubtful accounts is recognized in an amount equal to the anticipated future write-offs of existing receivables and includes provisions for uncollectible finance charges and other credit-related fees. We estimate future write-offs on the entire credit card portfolio collectively based on historical experience of delinquencies, risk scores, aging trends and industry risk trends.

(a) Write-offs include the principal amount of losses (excluding accrued and unpaid finance charges), and recoveries include current period principal collections on previously written-off balances. These amounts combined represent net write-offs.

Deterioration of the macroeconomic conditions in the United States would adversely affect the risk profile of our credit card receivables portfolio based on credit card holders’ ability to pay their balances. If such deterioration were to occur, it would lead to an increase in bad debt expense. The Corporation monitors both the credit quality and the delinquency status of the credit card receivables portfolio. We consider accounts 30 or more days past due as delinquent, and we update delinquency status daily. We also monitor risk in the portfolio by assigning internally-generated scores to each account and by periodically obtaining a statistically representative sample of current FICO scores, a nationally recognized credit scoring model. We update these FICO scores monthly. The credit-quality segmentation presented below is consistent with the approach used in determining our allowance for doubtful accounts.

Under certain circumstances, we offer cardholder payment plans that meet the accounting definition of a troubled debt restructuring (TDR). These plans modify finance charges, minimum payments and/or extend payment terms. Modified terms do not change the balance of the loan. These concessions are made on an individual cardholder basis for economic or legal reasons specific to each individual cardholder’s circumstances. Cardholders are not allowed additional charges while participating in a payment plan. As of October 29, 2011 and October 30, 2010 there were 125,875 and 155,836 modified contracts with outstanding receivables of $304 million and $421 million, respectively.

(a) Includes loans modified within the twelve months prior to each respective period end.

(b) Represents account balance at the time of default. We define default as not paying the full fixed payment amount for two consecutive billing cycles.

Receivables in cardholder payment plans that meet the definition of a TDR are treated consistently with other receivables in determining our allowance for doubtful accounts. Accounts that complete their assigned payment plan are removed from the TDR population. Payments received on troubled debt restructurings are first applied to finance charges and fees, then to the unpaid principal balance.

Funding for Credit Card Receivables

As a method of providing funding for our credit card receivables, we sell, on an ongoing basis, all of our consumer credit card receivables to Target Receivables LLC (TR LLC), formerly known as Target Receivables Corporation (TRC), a wholly owned, bankruptcy remote subsidiary. TR LLC then transfers the receivables to the Target Credit Card Master Trust (the Trust), which from time to time will sell debt securities to third parties, either directly or through a related trust. These debt securities represent undivided interests in the Trust assets. TR LLC uses the proceeds from the sale of debt securities and its share of collections on the receivables to pay the purchase price of the receivables to the Corporation.

We consolidate the receivables within the Trust and any debt securities issued by the Trust, or a related trust, in our Consolidated Statements of Financial Position based upon the applicable accounting guidance. The receivables transferred to the Trust are not available to general creditors of the Corporation.

During 2006 and 2007, we sold an interest in our credit card receivables by issuing a Variable Funding Certificate. Parties who hold the Variable Funding Certificate receive interest at a variable short-term market rate. The Variable Funding Certificate matures in 2012 and 2013.

In the second quarter of 2008, we sold an interest in our credit card receivables to JPMorgan Chase (JPMC). The interest sold represented 47 percent of the receivables portfolio at the time of the transaction. In the event of a decrease in the receivables principal amount such that JPMC’s interest in the entire portfolio would exceed 47 percent for three consecutive months, TR LLC (using the cash flows from the assets in the Trust) would be required to pay JPMC a pro rata amount of principal collections such that the portion owned by JPMC would not exceed 47 percent, unless JPMC provides a waiver. Conversely, at the option of the Corporation, JPMC may be required to fund an increase in the portfolio to maintain their 47 percent interest up to a maximum principal balance of $4.2 billion. Due to declines in gross credit card receivables, TR LLC repaid JPMC $226 million and $530 million during the first nine months of 2011 and 2010, respectively.

If a three-month average of monthly finance charge excess (JPMC’s pro rata share of finance charge collections less write-offs and specified expenses) is less than 2 percent of the outstanding principal balance of JPMC’s interest, the Corporation must implement mutually agreed-upon underwriting strategies. If the three-month average finance charge excess falls below 1 percent of the outstanding principal balance of JPMC’s interest, JPMC may compel the Corporation to implement underwriting and collections activities, provided those activities are compatible with the Corporation’s systems, as well as consistent with similar credit card receivable portfolios managed by JPMC. If the Corporation fails to implement the activities, JPMC has the right to cause the accelerated repayment of the note payable issued in the transaction. As noted in the preceding paragraph, payments would be made solely from the Trust assets. We have the right to prepay the principal balance on the note payable to JPMC through January 31, 2012. If we elect to prepay the outstanding balance, we will be required to pay a make-whole premium ranging from $85 million to $95 million, dependent upon the prepayment date.

All interests in our Credit Card Receivables issued by the Trust are accounted for as secured borrowings. Interest and principal payments are satisfied provided the cash flows from the Trust assets are sufficient and are nonrecourse to the general assets of the Corporation. If the cash flows are less than the periodic interest, the available amount, if any, is paid with respect to interest. Interest shortfalls will be paid to the extent subsequent cash flows from the assets in the Trust are sufficient. Future principal payments will be made from the third party’s pro rata share of cash flows from the Trust assets.

(a) The debt balance for the 2008 Series is net of a 7% discount from JPMC. The unamortized portion of this discount was $69 million, $107 million and $119 million as of October 29, 2011, January 29, 2011, and October 30, 2010, respectively.