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Discover is one of those brands that remains steadfast in the credit card world. No bells, whistles, or excitement going on here — just solid products and reliable cash-back.
You’ll find no grand sign-up offers or complicated earning structures either — just simplified rewards, an easy redemption process, and consistent benefits.
Discover also knows its market well, offering credit cards that reward everyday spending and even a small business card.
Their credit card options for consumers just starting out, students, and those with less-than-perfect credit (or no credit at all) round out Discover’s credit card portfolio.
With all these choices, you’ll need a guide — that’s why we’ve put together a list of all the reasons you might consider a Discover credit card.
In this article we’ll cover:
Let’s get started with 10 reasons to consider a Discover credit card, and find out if one of their cards is a fit for you.
You’ll never have to worry about paying an annual fee with Discover credit cards; none of their credit cards ever charges an annual fee.
One of the most lucrative benefits offered by Discover cards is having all of your cash-back earnings doubled the first year you have your card.
At first renewal, all of the cash -back you’ve earned throughout that first year will be matched!
The following Discover Cards have this feature:
Bottom Line: Regardless of how much cash-back you earn during your first year having a Discover It® credit card, all of your earnings will be matched at your first card anniversary.
To maximize the CashBack Match™ feature that comes with Discover credit cards, you’ll want to take advantage of every opportunity to earn as much cash-back during your first year as possible.
Bonus earning categories help you do this.
Receiving 5% cash-back on your purchases is a level to strive for!
While you won’t find a credit card that delivers 5% cash-back on all of your purchases, Discover cards offer a respectable 5% cash-back on up to $1,500 for purchases in select categories that change each quarter.
You’ll earn 5% cash-back on rotating categories such as department stores, gas stations, wholesale clubs, Amazon, restaurants, and more.
The following Discover cards offer 5% quarterly bonus categories:
If your spending happens to fall in the categories of gas stations and/or restaurants, you might find one of the Discover It Chrome cards appropriate for your situation.
Both cards come with all the features you’d expect with Discover cards, such as easy redemption options and security features.
| Discover It Credit Cards for Gas and Restaurant Earning | Rewards Earning |
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It’s possible to realize a total of 4% cash-back on dining in the first year with Discover It Chrome cards when CashBack™ Match is applied at your first card anniversary.
For the long term, however, there are better credit cards for dining; the American Express® Gold Card is one example, with 4% cash-back all the time on U.S. dining and at U.S. grocery stores.
Plus, the Gold Card from American Express earns Membership Rewards Points that can deliver value far greater than 1 cent/point at redemption time.
Bottom Line: Since all cash-back is matched the first year you have your Discover card, you’ll want to maximize earning in the bonus categories on your card. If you’re earning 5% cash-back, for example, you’ll then receive an effective 10% cash-back the first year!
Focus on running your small business and forget about complicated earning/redemption rules on your business credit card.
The Discover It Business Card earns 1.5% on every purchase, and it adds extra cash to your bottom line with the CashBack Match™ at your first card anniversary.
Lots of people begin using credit when they’re a student. Discover ensures student credit card selections include bonus category cash-back earnings, CashBack Match™ at your first card anniversary, and incentives for good grades.
Here are the earnings you can expect for Discover® Student credit cards:
Discover’s student credit cards share the same additional benefits:
Bottom Line: Discover student credit cards come with all the benefits of Discover’s standard portfolio of cards.
As a former die-hard Detroit Red Wings hockey fan, I may have jumped at having the NHL Discover It card just to get the cool logo 🙂
In addition to the snappy NHL logo, you can expect these benefits:
You might get the card for the logo, but you’ll keep it for it’s first-year earning power.
If you have bad credit or no credit history, you won’t qualify for most credit cards.
Secured credit cards like the Discover It Secured Credit Card can be a viable solution for building a credit history or re-building one that is less than perfect.
Finding a secured credit card is not difficult, but finding one that earns cash-back rewards is rare. Here’s what you can expect from the Discover It Secured Credit Card:
You’ll also have the same “redeem any amount/any time” redemption privileges, zero fraud liability, and security options allowing you to freeze your account and get custom alerts.
Bottom Line: While secured credit cards require a security deposit, they’re an excellent solution for rebuilding credit. Earning rewards and not having to pay an annual fee are huge positives for a secured credit card.
If you need to make a large purchase or have high-interest credit card balances you’d like to pay off, a 0% APR period can save you hundreds of dollars in interest charges.
Here’s how Discover credit cards deliver the 0% APR benefit:
| 0% APR Discover Credit Card | Purchases | Balance Transfers |
| 0% APR for 14 months | 0% APR for 14 months – 3% balance transfer fee |
| 0% APR for 6 months | 0% APR for 18 months – 3% balance transfer fee |
| 0% APR for 6 months | N/A |
| 0% APR for 12 months | N/A |
| 0% APR for 6 months | N/A |
No one wants to be denied for a credit card. That’s why we like Discover’s risk-free options for finding out if you have an approved offer waiting for you, or if you’re pre-qualified for one of their credit cards.
Unlike a formal credit card application, these options do not initiate a hard inquiry on your credit report.
For more information on pre-qualification/pre-approval, access our comprehensive guide.
Bottom Line: Use these risk-free options to get an idea of whether you’d qualify for a Discover It® credit card. Neither pre-approval nor pre-qualification guarantees your actual credit application will be approved, but you’ll increase your chances by knowing which cards to apply for.
The information regarding the Discover it® Cash Back Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Discover It® Miles Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
When you make a purchase on a Discover credit card you will earn a percentage of cash back ranging from 1% to 5%. This cash back remains in your account until you decide to redeem it.
You can redeem your cash back rewards for a statement credit, have the cash transferred to your bank account, use it for a purchase on Amazon.com, buy gift cards, or donate to charity.
Cash back rewards do not expire. If your account is inactive for more than 18 months the rewards will be applied to your statement.
At the end of your first year account anniversary, all of the cash back you have earned throughout that year will be matched.
For example, if you have earned $300 cash back throughout the year, another $300 cash back will be credited to your account after your first year card anniversary.
There is no cash-back match in subsequent years.
The best Discover card for you will match your spending habits and allow to you earn the highest cash-back rewards on those purchases.
For example, if you spend a lot on gas and dining, you may prefer the Discover It Chrome card which earns 2% cash back on those bonus categories.
Since none of the cards charges an annual fee, it’s easy to pick the card that fits your spending situation.
No, none of the credit cards offered by Discover charge foreign transaction fees.
You won’t have any problem using a Discover credit card in the United States as they are widely accepted. In addition, Discover credit cards are accepted worldwide in 190 countries.
There are areas where the card is not accepted, however, including parts of South America, much of Africa, Eastern Europe, and areas in the Middle East.
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Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.
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2 comments
Robert E Sharp
February 07, 2023
For a Discover It Card, what were the places to earn 5% starting in January 2023?
Christine Krzyszton
February 08, 2023
Hi Robert. The first quarter 2023 categories are Grocery Stores, Drug Stores, and Select Streaming Services. You can find the information on your card’s home page by logging in to your Discover card account online. Don’t forget to register for the bonus.
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