Had a cashier lecture me for 5 minutes about my credit card rewards

I was at a CVS in Austin last week buying a $3.50 pack of gum and the cashier saw my card and started telling me how I'm "leaving money on the table" by not using a different one. She even pulled out her phone to show me her app. Has anyone else gotten unsolicited financial advice from a stranger like that?

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3 Comments

clairem475mo ago

I mean, the "leaving money on the table" part is kind of true for some cards, but it's not like a $3.50 gum purchase is gonna make or break anyone. Most rewards cards need a minimum spend or category bonus to actually be worth the hassle, and buying gum at CVS is barely a drop in the bucket. Maybe she meant well but a five minute lecture over a pack of gum is still pretty wild.

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johnflores5mo ago

You know what, @clairem47, you actually made me rethink this. I used to be that guy who would lecture people about "leaving money on the table" with every little purchase, like they were missing out on a free vacation or something. But your point about the $3.50 gum and the minimum spend thing really hit me. I mean, even with my best cashback card, that gum is gonna net me maybe like 10 cents back, and that's only if I remember to use the right card and it's actually in a bonus category. The hassle of pulling out the right card and listening to someone explain it for five minutes is just not worth the dime you save. So yeah, I stand corrected.

5

sam174mo ago

I once bought a single banana with a travel card and the cashier acted like I was blowing my retirement.

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