The Minnesota-based company issued a brief statement after social media lit up with reports Sunday evening of big backups and closed cash registers in the checkout lines at various Target retail stores.
"Target has identified an issue impacting checkout at some of our U.S. stores,'' spokeswoman Molly Snider said in an email. "The glitch is causing delays
at some checkouts, but is not in any way related to a security issue.''
"We apologize to anyone impacted, and we are working with guests in stores where the issue has not yet been resolved to accommodate their needs,'' she said.
Long lines and the inability to pay for their purchases saw an outcry on social media, with customers in at least five different states and in New York City complaining that debit card payments weren't working at the check out lines.
Blake McCoy tweeted: "Developing -- hearing reports that @Target''s payment systems are down nationwide. Huge lines."
A call made to two Target locations in the northern Virginia area showed no problems at those stores, but many others were tweeting complaints and photos of the long lines at stores elsewhere.
KSTP TV station in Minneapolis posted a story Sunday night, with many examples of the tweet complaints. And WBAY TV station in Green Bay, Wisc., tweeted a photo and several more examples of the outages in that area.
Contributing: William M. Welch in Los Angeles
Systems glitch causes lines at Target stores