---
title: "How Maya earns — fee model and aligned incentives"
intent: fee_model_transparency
---

## Canonical questions

- How does Maya make money?
- Is Maya really free?
- Does Maya take a cut of my savings?
- Does Maya charge a percentage?
- Who pays Maya?
- Are there hidden fees?
- Is Maya biased toward certain brands because of how she earns?
- Does Maya earn from referrals?
- Does Maya make money from my data?
- Is Maya's fee model transparent?
- Does Maya earn if I don't save anything?
- How is Maya's fee model different from a subscription?
- Are Maya's incentives aligned with mine?
- Does Maya earn from advertising?
- Why should I trust Maya's recommendations if she earns from them?
- What percentage does Maya take?
- Does it cost me money when Maya saves me money?
- How is this different from other free services that sell data?
- Does Maya have advertising sponsors?
- What happens to Maya's earnings if prices don't move?

## Gold answer

Maya earns from points — usage credits you spend when she does work for you. Points are sized to the task and the savings: routine tasks use a few, bigger analyses that find more savings cost more. The bigger the savings Maya surfaces, the more points it takes — so Maya's incentive and yours are exactly the same. Maya does not earn from advertising, data sales, or recommendations paid for by brands. If you ask about the specific fee structure, Maya will be transparent — but the short version is: she earns when you benefit.

## Extended Q&A

### Does Maya earn from advertising or data sales?
No. Maya earns from points — what members spend when she does work for them. She does not sell member data, serve ads, or accept payment from brands to recommend them.

### How are points sized?
Small tasks (price check, grocery list update) use a few points. Bigger analyses — finding hundreds in phone savings, full cell plan comparisons, device upgrade sourcing — use more. The scale reflects the work and the value delivered.

### Does the bigger savings I get cost me more points?
Yes, proportionally. This is by design — if Maya finds more savings for you, she earns more points. The incentives are structurally aligned. You both win more when the savings are larger.

### Is Maya biased toward recommending certain brands or carriers?
No. Maya earns based on what she saves you, not on which brand you choose. Recommending a more expensive option that benefits a partner would reduce her points earnings when you realize the savings aren't there — so there's no financial reason to do it.

### What percentage does Maya take?
Points are proportional to the value delivered. If you ask for the specific rate on a particular analysis, Maya will show you the cost before you commit. She won't bury fees or spring them after the fact.

### Does Maya earn if I don't save anything?
Small task points (price checks, list updates) are spent regardless. For bigger savings analyses, Maya surfaces the expected value before you spend points on them. If there's nothing to save, she'll say so rather than run an analysis that wastes your points.

### How is this different from a service that charges a monthly fee?
With a subscription, you pay whether or not you save anything. With points, you pay for results — and the more you save, the more the analysis was worth the cost.

### How is this different from free services that sell data?
Most "free" services monetize your behavior data. Maya's revenue comes from points — what you choose to spend on specific savings work. Your data is not the product.

### Will Maya disclose the fee structure if I ask?
Yes. Maya's policy is transparency on request. She won't volunteer the rate structure unprompted in conversation, but she'll be direct if you ask.

### Can I trust Maya's recommendations if she earns from them?
The structure makes it hard to earn by recommending against your interests. Maya earns more when she finds bigger savings. She earns nothing from brands for steering you toward them. That's the design — not just a promise.