If you read enough MS related writing, you’ll find that there’s often cryptic (or semi-cryptic) references to finding new ways to try certain things to get them to work better. Much like “always be probing”, it’s one of those things that is kind of hard to wrap your head around until you understand what you’re looking for.

Matt wrote an insightful post that explored this train of thought this week through the lens of the Whoop credit on Sapphire cards. 

The learning here is less about getting a Whoop for free, unless giving your health data to a third party is your jam. Instead, it unpacks what actually happens when you pay using a mobile wallet. 

It would be easy as a beginner or intermediate churner to think that using a mobile wallet just randomly greases the wheels of the transaction, but that’s not what’s happening. Using the mobile wallet obscures the real card number, and there’s a lot of utility in that feature.

While using a mobile wallet (or wrapping in PayPal) is the most classic MS example of “this seems random, but works”, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to random quirks. It’s prudent to note breadcrumbs that call out the potential of something not being like what it seems. 

Payment options might be obvious, but here are some other things to think about that may (or may not) make a difference:

• What VPN you’re on
• What version of the platform you’re using
• What WiFi network you’re on
• What account login you’re using
• How your intended target is receiving funds
• Where your card is

There’s no promise that tinkering with a factor that seems unlikely to change things will make a difference. Sometimes, it really may be santeria. But I’ve never regretted giving it a try. 

For every modern fintech that is built to best-in-class standards, there’s an old legacy FI that has an infrastructure made of swiss cheese (and sometimes, those best-in-class fintechs aren’t so best-in-class on the backend). 

There’s no way to know if there’s an angle until you try. Test some adjustments to some variables, but don’t forget to channel your old grade school science class. Adjust them one at a time to establish clear cause and effect, because accidentally identifying the wrong one can be a costly mistake. Ask me how I know.

Ssebɣas!