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.

Some banks and credit unions offer Visa gift cards with no activation fees as a perk for account holders.

Maya quickly realized that Visa gift cards are rarely sold for less than their face value because they are as good as cash. While retailers like Card Depot offer discounts on brand-specific cards (like 15% off Adidas), general-purpose Visa cards usually come with ranging from $3.95 to nearly $7.00. 2. Finding the "Hidden" Deals

Maya started using the Fetch app to scan her grocery receipts. Eventually, she traded her accumulated points for a "free" Visa gift card, which is the ultimate discount.

She learned to look for specific workarounds to bypass these costs:

Her journey into the world of secondary gift card markets taught her three major lessons: 1. The Quest for the Elusive Discount