diff --git a/solution/api/v1/business/schemas.py b/solution/api/v1/business/schemas.py
index 25ad8f3..ad40d52 100644
--- a/solution/api/v1/business/schemas.py
+++ b/solution/api/v1/business/schemas.py
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import datetime
 import uuid
-from typing import ClassVar, Literal
+from typing import Any, ClassVar, Literal
 
 from ninja import ModelSchema, Schema
-from pydantic import Field, StrictInt
+from pydantic import Field, StrictInt, field_validator
 from pydantic_extra_types.country import CountryAlpha2
 
 from apps.business.models import Business
@@ -64,6 +64,16 @@ class CreatePromocodeIn(ModelSchema):
             Promocode.promo_common.field.name,
         ]
 
+    @field_validator("target", mode="before")
+    def validate_target(cls, value: Any) -> Any:
+        if not isinstance(value, dict) and not isinstance(
+            value,
+            PromocodeTarget,
+        ):
+            err = "The 'target' field must be a valid object."
+            raise ValueError(err)
+        return value
+
 
 class CreatePromocodeOut(Schema):
     id: uuid.UUID
@@ -113,6 +123,17 @@ class PatchPromocodeIn(Schema):
     active_from: datetime.date | None = None
     active_until: datetime.date | None = None
 
+    @staticmethod
+    @field_validator("target", mode="before")
+    def validate_target(value: Any) -> Any:
+        if not isinstance(value, dict) and not isinstance(
+            value,
+            PromocodeTarget,
+        ):
+            err = "The 'target' field must be a valid object."
+            raise TypeError(err)
+        return value
+
 
 class PromocodeStatsForCountry(Schema):
     country: str
diff --git a/solution/api/v1/business/utils.py b/solution/api/v1/business/utils.py
index 8555ada..2e0d55f 100644
--- a/solution/api/v1/business/utils.py
+++ b/solution/api/v1/business/utils.py
@@ -12,9 +12,7 @@ def map_promocode_to_schema(promocode: Promocode) -> schemas.PromocodeViewOut:
         target=schemas.PromocodeTargetViewOut(
             age_from=promocode.target.age_from,
             age_until=promocode.target.age_until,
-            country=promocode.target.country_raw
-            if promocode.target.country_raw
-            else None,
+            country=promocode.target.country_raw or None,
             categories=promocode.target.categories,
         ),
         max_count=promocode.max_count,
diff --git a/solution/api/v1/user/views.py b/solution/api/v1/user/views.py
index 8c106e8..1020b07 100644
--- a/solution/api/v1/user/views.py
+++ b/solution/api/v1/user/views.py
@@ -170,9 +170,7 @@ def feed(
         category_lower = filters.category.lower()
 
         def matches_category(promocode: Promocode) -> bool:
-            categories = (
-                promocode.target.categories or []
-            )
+            categories = promocode.target.categories or []
             return any(
                 category.lower() == category_lower for category in categories
             )