5. Credit Card Receivables

Historically, our credit card receivables were recorded at par value less an allowance for doubtful accounts. Effective October 27, 2012, our consumer credit card receivables are recorded at the lower of cost (par) or fair value because they are classified as held for sale. Lower of cost (par) or fair value was determined on a segmented basis using the delinquency and credit-quality segmentation we have historically used to help determine the allowance for doubtful accounts.  Many nondelinquent balances are recorded at cost (par) because fair value exceeds cost.  Delinquent balances are generally recorded at fair value, which reflects our expectation of losses on these receivables.  Refer to Note 3 for more information on our credit card receivables transaction.

Credit card receivables are our only significant class of financing receivables. Substantially all past-due accounts accrue finance charges until they are written off. Accounts are written off when they become 180 days past due.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Historically, we recognized an allowance for doubtful accounts in an amount equal to the anticipated future write-offs of existing receivables and uncollectible finance charges and other credit-related fees. We estimated future write-offs on the entire credit card portfolio collectively based on historical experience of delinquencies, risk scores, aging trends and industry risk trends. We continue to recognize an allowance for doubtful accounts and bad debt expense within our Credit Card Segment, which allows us to evaluate the performance of the portfolio. The allowance for doubtful accounts is eliminated in consolidation to present the receivables at the lower of cost (par) or fair value.

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

We monitor 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 obtaining current FICO scores, a nationally recognized credit scoring model, for a statistically representative sample of accounts each month. The credit-quality segmentation presented below is consistent with the approach we use to determine the allowance for doubtful accounts in our Credit Card Segment.

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), 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. The receivables transferred to the Trust are not available to general creditors of the Corporation.

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.

In March 2012, we amended the 2006/2007 Series Variable Funding Certificate to obtain additional funding of $500 million and to extend the maturity to 2013. Parties who hold the Variable Funding Certificate receive interest at a variable short-term market rate. We will repay this borrowing at par concurrent with the closing of the credit card receivables transaction described in Note 3.