By the time the holidays rolled around, Maya had stacked enough fee-free and point-earned cards to finally buy her espresso machine. She hadn't found a "30% off" sticker, but by being smart about fees and rewards, she’d saved nearly $100 on the total cost.
Maya was a "deal hunter" by trade and a budgeter by necessity. For months, she had been eyeing a high-end espresso machine that never seemed to go on sale. That’s when she decided to play the long game: finding to effectively lower the price of anything she bought.
Maya almost fell for a "too good to be true" offer on a social media marketplace. She remembered a warning from consumer experts that Visa and Mastercard gift cards are common targets for scammers. She also found out that even the 5% Target Circle Card discount explicitly excludes prepaid Visa cards.