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We all love a great deal right? That’s why we’re here. What about free money? Even better. Right now you can earn what is basically free money through something called Paze.
So, what is Paze? It’s a free online checkout created by major U.S. banks from the company that created Zelle. It lets you pay on sites using your existing credit or debit cards without typing your full card numbers or downloading a separate app. Right now, if you spend $10 you get $10 back!
What is Paze?
Like I said in the intro, Paze is a checkout option from participating banks and credit unions. It’s not a separate app, a new account you have to run things through, or yet another password to keep track of.
The cards you already have might have the ability to use Paze and you don’t even realize it.
If your bank offers Paze, your eligible credit and debit cards can be added to your Paze wallet automatically. All you have to do is activate it.
At checkout, you click the Paze button (or enter the email address tied to your bank account), verify yourself with a text code, pick your card, and you’re done.
It’s built by Early Warning Services, the same company behind Zelle. But Paze is strictly for online shopping, not for sending your sister money for concert tickets..
Pay Attention to September 10
Through September 10, 2026, you get a $10 statement credit every time you spend $10 or more using Paze at a participating merchant. You can do this up to 10 times.
That’s $100! AND, the $100 cap is per card in your Paze wallet.
If you have two eligible cards? You get up to $200 in statement credits. My husband and I both have cards that qualify, so we’re looking at a real number here that just goes back on our cards.
I’ve been doing this long enough to be suspicious of anything that smells like free money, so I read the terms twice. This one is a legitimate deal and legitimately easy. Spend at least $10 in a single approved transaction, check out with Paze, and the credit shows up on your statement. Repeat up to ten times per card.
Where You Can Use It
This is the only catch I could find. The merchant list is real, but it isn’t endless. Right now it includes places like:
- Dunkin’
- Domino’s
- Wendy’s
- Sephora
- Fanatics
- 1-800-Flowers, FTD, and Harry & David
- StubHub and Broadway.com
- United
- Newegg
- GNC
- City Experiences
Paze keeps a running merchant directory, and they add new retailers regularly, so it’s worth a bookmark.
When I looked at that list, I thought pizza night, a birthday flower delivery I keep forgetting to send, or stocking up on supplements at GNC.
How to Use it Effectively
Don’t make the mistake of using it once, on one big order.
Spend $100 in a single Paze transaction and you get $10 back. Spend $10 in ten separate Paze transactions and you get $100 back. Same money out of your pocket, but there’s a ninety dollar difference.
So here’s my plan between now and September 10:
1. Pizza night Fridays. We were ordering anyway. Four Friday nights, but with four separate orders you $40 back.
2. Every gift this fall goes through a Paze merchant, including teacher gifts, birthdays, and flowers I always mean to send and never do.
3. My husband runs his own ten transactions. Since he has a separate card, there’s a separate $100 cap.
I’m not buying anything extra to chase this, and I don’t want you to either. That’s how “free money” turns into a $300 balance you didn’t plan for.
Which Cards Work, and Which Don’t
Paze works with eligible consumer credit and debit cards from participating banks and credit unions.
Not sure whether your bank participates? Paze keeps a full list here.
One more thing worth checking before you start. Some card issuers have been layering their own bonus rewards on top of Paze purchases this year. As in extra points per dollar, on top of whatever you’d normally earn. These come and go by issuer, are usually capped, and show up in the benefits or offers section of your card account.
So log in to your cards and look! If you find one, you’re stacking a statement credit and bonus points on the same pizza order, which is the kind of thing that makes me super happy.
How to Turn on Paze
Open your bank or credit union’s app
Find the digital wallet section in your account settings. For Capital One, it’s under Profile > Digital Wallet Manager.
Select Paze and follow the activation prompts
You’ll verify your identity with a one-time text code. Takes about 90 seconds, and you only do it once.
Shop and look for Paze at checkout
When you’re ready to pay at a participating merchant, tap the Paze button or enter the email tied to your bank account. Pick your card and you’re done.
You can also activate at mywallet.paze.com, or just do it live the first time you see the Paze button at checkout.
The Fine Print
Make sure your Paze purchase qualifies
A few details can determine whether your transaction earns the statement credit. Check these before submitting your payment.
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Look for the offer banner before you submit
The promo details should appear next to your card during Paze checkout. If they do not appear, that transaction is not eligible. That is your signal to stop before submitting.
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You must actually select Paze
Manually entering your card number on the same merchant’s website will not qualify. The payment must be completed through Paze.
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Some merchant categories are excluded
Exclusions may include pharmacies, gambling, financial services, and several other categories—even when the merchant accepts Paze. Certain gift card purchases may not trigger the offer either.
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Only the Paze portion of a split payment counts
When you divide a purchase between payment methods, the amount processed through Paze must meet the $10 minimum on its own.
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Credits can take up to two billing cycles
Do not panic if the credit is missing in week three. If it still has not appeared after two full billing cycles, contact your bank with the transaction details. Its support team can review the purchase and determine whether it qualified.
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Statement credits may be taxable
A $100 credit probably will not change your financial picture, but the tax treatment may matter if you are using the promotion across several cards. Consult a qualified tax professional about your specific situation.
Is It Safe?
This was my first question too, because I’m not adding anything new to my finances without a good reason.
Short version: your real card number isn’t shared with merchants, it uses two factor authentication to confirm it’s you at checkout. It’s offered through the bank you already have a relationship with instead of a third party app you hand your information to.
For Now…
Paze isn’t replacing your points strategy. If you’re just getting started, the foundation matters way more than a promo like this. Start with my Beginner’s Guide to Points and Miles and build from there.
However, for the next few weeks, this is up to $100 back per card on pizza, coffee, flowers, and gifts you were buying regardless.
Set a reminder for September 10, turn your wallet on tonight, and go get your credits.
Come find me on Instagram or in the Facebook group, and if you’re not on my weekly newsletter yet, that’s where these time sensitive ones go out first so you don’t miss the deadline.
Offer details current as of August 2026. Terms apply and can change, so always confirm on Paze’s site before you shop.
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