Hey there, Tuesday! You look good! Trivia is first, as always. What everyday object was banned from many music festivals and museums for safety and copyright concerns in 2015? Was it … cellphones, Bluetooth speakers, selfie sticks or digital cameras? Answer’s at the end, friends.

🐕🐈 When my golden retriever, Abby, went missing, I freaked out. Turns out she wandered out of the backyard, went through an open gate and was just waiting at the front door. That’s why she has a GPS tracker on her. Check out Tractive if you want one for your fur baby dog or cat. What’s great is that Tractive uses a network of cell towers instead of Bluetooth so you always know where your furry friend is located! We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s do this! — Kim

No money, no problem. You can "BNPL" (buy now, pay later). With a few clicks, you get what you want and pay for it over time. It’s all the rage when buying things online, and it’s no wonder retailers like it — BNPL programs encourage us to buy and buy, even when we’re tight on cash.

With Apple Pay Later, for instance, you can get that brand-new $1,000 iPhone today and pay it off in four payments. PayPal has BNPL now, too. Other services like Afterpay, Affirm and Klarna are options on almost every e-commerce site. Soon, Amazon will also offer BNPL.

I like to put on my detective hat (it looks like Columbo's) when a new wave of BNPL options like these pop up. Hidden terms can lead to unexpected charges, unpleasant contracts and new debt disasters. I've got the red flags you need to watch for to avoid getting sucked into a bad deal.

Red flag 1: Sneaky interest rates

BNPL apps aren't regulated like credit cards. Dig deep into the fine print, and you’ll find sky-high interest rates. Let’s look at Affirm as an example.

Affirm’s interest rates range from 0% to 36% for their monthly payment plans. The 0% rate is often tied to their shorter-term, pay-in-four loans. For longer-term financing options, the APR can vary up to 36%. Yeah, you read that right.

Red flag 2: Hidden fees

Late fees are standard for BNPL apps. If you miss a payment, you're gonna pay for it. Afterpay charges up to 25% of the purchase price if you’re late.

But with most loan options, hidden fees are where they get you. Check every line and link of fine print when you’re using a BNPL service. Search for hidden rescheduling, transaction or account fees — or anything else you’re on the hook for. Zip, for example, charges a $6 installment fee and a $5 late fee.

Always — always — make sure to check your statements. Almost 30% of people who use BNPL programs run into problems, like being overcharged.

If a BNPL payment is linked to your bank account and the account has insufficient funds, you’re going to be hit with overdraft fees from your bank and late fees from the BNPL service.

Red flag 3: They want you to think your credit is safe

Despite what many of these BNPL companies would have you believe, not paying one of those loans can impact your credit. If you don't repay your BNPL loan, it could be turned over to a debt collector and shared with a credit reporting company.

✅ Each BNPL provider has simple ways to check your balances. Head to my site for the steps for the most popular services.

Own a business? Try it

If you sell things online, partnering with one of the big BNPL providers might be worthwhile. An excellent upside is you get paid upfront. People can't dispute those charges like they can with credit card transactions.

Keep in mind there might be limits. PayPal's "Pay in 4" option doesn't work in Montana or Nevada. Its "Pay Monthly" option doesn't work in Alaska, Texas or Massachusetts. Other services have similar state requirements, so check the details.

If you can’t afford it now, you probably can’t afford it later

BNPL thrives on the feeling of FOMO. You don’t want to miss out on the latest fill-in-the-blank. It’s a slippery slope, and the average person who uses BNPL ends up financing $1,000 a year.

Each charge (a $100 sweater here, a $250 bag there) doesn’t seem like much, but they add up — and you’re on the hook for them just like any other loan. Being broke is no joke.

⚡ ️When I started my company, I was once so broke, I couldn’t pay my electric bill. Those were the darkest days of my life.

Give the gift of peace of mind with Tractive GPS, the perfect gift for any pet parent on your list — or yourself! It’s a lightweight, durable tracker that goes right on your dog or cat’s collar. You can follow their every move right from your phone with unlimited range.

Banned to the bone: I know many of you follow those who are banned on social media. Alex Jones, the radical extremist, is back on X after a five-year ban. Elon Musk ran a poll on X, and respondents said, “Yes, he should be able to post.” Here’s a list of other people banned on X. I’m curious, what do you think about this? Leave me your comments here on X.

⚠️ Clever gift card scam: A Chinese national was caught tampering with a slew of Target and Apple gift cards. He swiped the cards, recorded the PINs, then resealed them. Someone purchases them, and bam — he’s got the money. Before you buy, double-check the gift cards for any tampering.

Ship-faced: Folks are seeing strange shipping addresses in their Amazon accounts. It’s not a security breach — Amazon’s adding Hub locker locations to your account. These lockers are a secure spot for your packages and less expensive for Amazon to deliver your orders to. Be on the lookout for this new addy in your account and, if it's unnecessary, remove it so you don’t mistakenly pick it.

🎁 Amazon, Walmart and Target have a secret policy: It’s a "keep it" policy for purchases up to $20. You get to keep the item, and they'll refund you. It saves them the cost and hassle of handling returns, but it still stinks if you were hoping to wear that cheapo dress tomorrow night.

Pricey pixels: Next time your kid begs for a Fortnite "skin," brace yourself — prices are soaring. Skins are cosmetic in-game items that were once fairly affordable. Now, a single car skin like the Diesel Bundle in Fortnite’s Rocket Racing mode is 4,000 V‑Bucks, or a whopping $37!

🦷 Teeth-gritting: SmileDirectClub sold $2,000 aligners, a bargain compared to Invisalign’s $5,000 price tag. Yup, that’s sold — past tense — because they just went bankrupt. Customers are now stranded mid-treatment and still expected to pay off their financing. No smiles about that.

Faster, faster! Netflix has a new “free” buffering fix for premium subscribers. Its 4K UHD streaming now uses less data — aka better quality and fewer interruptions. Let’s not forget the subscription price hikes or the crackdown on password sharing. Fixing things is the least it can do.

From 70 minutes in 1983 to 160 minutes now: That’s the average time for an “efficient dishwasher” to do a load. Folks are going the DIY route. One woman (WSJ, paywall) adds seven pitchers of water per load. Another guy bought a commercial dishwasher because it does a load in 90 seconds instead of hours. I might do this; my dishwasher takes forever!

You received a text message, and for whatever reason, you don’t want the person who sent it to know you’ve read it. I’ve got your back.

Option 1: Enable notifications on your phone. When a message comes in, you’ll see the entire thing on your home screen — or just enough to know what it’s about without opening it.

Option 2: Go stealth. Once you get a text, immediately put your phone in airplane mode, then turn off Wi‑Fi. This totally cuts off the internet. You can still look at the message, but there’s no way for a read receipt to be sent. Cool.

📕 Whatever messaging app you use, make sure the option called read receipts is off.

Sound like a tech pro, even if you're not one. Try my award-winning, daily podcast. Search for my last name with "K" wherever you get your podcasts and "Go Komando!"

👉 Get my podcasts today!

Tomorrow morning, please: You need to text your boss, but it’s 11 p.m. If you have an Android and use Google Messages, just schedule it. So sweet. Write your message, then hold down on the send icon. An option to schedule will pop up. Pick a time or choose your own, then hit Save.

Charging station upgrade: Got this from Gary in Kamuela, Hawaii: “You shared a product that charges an iPhone, watch and AirPods at the same time. Can't find my link and would love to get it for my wife.” This one comes in great colors, and this one folds up. Both are on sale!

😍 Who is she? You meet a lovely lady on a dating app, but something seems off. Make sure she’s real, OK? AI or Not makes it easy. Drag in a pic and it’ll tell you if the image is a computer creation.

Text me when you get home: I always forget, so I love the iOS 17 feature called Check In. Open Messages, then choose a convo. Tap the plus button > More > Check In > Edit. You can see this based on when you arrive somewhere or after a certain amount of time.

Free audiobooks: Head here to my site for a playlist so you can load up before that plane ride home for the holidays.

I say “nerd” lovingly, of course. Maybe you consider yourself one!

🤓 Then tell ‘em this joke: Why can’t you trust atoms? They make up everything.

I know, that joke was a bit of ostrich.

🤳 The answer: Selfie sticks. Don’t you just hate trying to see something and those sticks are in the air, blocking your view? In 2015, they were deemed a hazard in crowded spaces and an infringement on others’ enjoyment of exhibits and performances. Thank goodness for that.

Before you go, click this link to protect your dog or cat with Tractive. I don’t know a pet owner who would say no to being able to find their lost pet. Thanks for reading, and see you here tomorrow with the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim