Facebook Credits is quickly gaining ground as an alternative payment option on the social network. It’s currently supported by wildly popular Zynga titles, FarmVille and Mafia Wars, as well as Bejeweled Blitz and the recently announced Madden NFL Superstars. Most titles still allow gamers to pay with credit cards, but it’s Facebook’s hope that eventually, users will buy all virtual goods with Credits.

Offering Facebook Credits gift cards in Target stores should help it get closer to achieving that goal. But Target is just one piece of the puzzle for getting Credits out into the wild. Target was careful to say it would be the first–not the exclusive–provider of Credits gift cards. It also pointed out that the $15 Credits card is available exclusively to Target, further indicating that Credits gift cards–at other price points, at least–will be coming to other retailers.

This news should be a heads up for freelance application and game developers. As the Facebooker community is ever-increasing and the trend of social gaming is on the rise, this can be a fantastic opportunity to take up an innovative idea and launch a new product. Developing games and applications for Facebook is not the only lucrative option. Many more opportunities are out there including the Google Chrome Webstore launch and acquisition of SocialDeck by Google.

The timing of Target’s launch is important to note, as we saw an increase in virtual goods used as branding investments for retailers last fall.  We’re sure to see plenty of other marketers taking advantage of Facebook Credits, especially now that a precedent has been set by Target.  Facebook will similarly gain plenty of advertising interest as it builds out its virtual goods economy.