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Tuyo has drawn attention with a crypto debit card feature that can randomly make purchases free, though the company does not disclose the odds.
Good to Know
A crypto neobank has found a cheaper way to make customer acquisition feel like a game.
Tuyo went viral after launching Buy Now, Pay Maybe, a debit card feature where a user can swipe as usual and later find out whether the company has chosen not to charge the purchase. Tuyo controls which transactions get waived, and the odds are not public.
The company says an algorithm “grants free purchases to maximize customer happiness.” It also says the feature is not a sweepstakes, lottery, contest, or game of chance.
Tuyo said it waived charges on more than 1,700 purchases one day after the May 7 launch. Users posted free meals, coffees, and small purchases on X, with most shared examples appearing to sit in the $5 to $100 range.
That makes the product look less like generosity and more like marketing wrapped inside a debit card. Instead of paying for ads to acquire users, Tuyo can cover a few small purchases. The cost may end up close to a standard acquisition campaign, but the user reaction feels stronger because random wins are easier to remember.
The model is not new. Scratch card discounts used the same idea years ago. Shoppers committed to a purchase, then found out whether they received 10%, 30%, 50%, or 90% off. The tension came from paying first and learning the outcome later.
Tuyo uses that same structure but makes it sharper. The possible discount is 100%, and the mechanic sits inside normal spending. A coffee, lunch, or transit fare can feel like another try.
That is why Buy Now, Pay Maybe deserves attention from gambling and finance regulators. Tuyo may avoid the legal language of gambling, but the product still uses variable-reward design, the same psychology that keeps people chasing uncertain outcomes.
The product is already getting pushback. Finance lawyer Ariel Givner argued on X that the setup may be more concerning than a gambling credit card because Tuyo keeps full control over which purchases become free. She said:
“This isn’t a gambling credit card. It’s worse.
It’s a debit card where Tuyo has SOLE DISCRETION over the purchases that are “pay maybe” aka free for the user.
Zero odds. Zero stats. Slot machines are more predictable. This one’s going to result in a whole lot of overdraft fees for Tuyo because inevitably people will get addicted and spend more than they should “because this one might be free!”
Def a way to build smart spending habits!”