Best Discover® Credit Cards

This page includes information about the Discover it® Business Card which is no longer available. The information for Discover it® Business Card has been collected independently by CreditCards.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Comparing the best Discover credit cards

Editor’s picks: Discover credit cards

Best for 5% cash back on rotating categories: Discover it® Cash Back

• Best features: Discover’s first-year Cashback Match™ matches all of the cash back you accumulate at the end of year one. This could easily beat the sign-up bonuses offered by many other rewards cards. Plus, the card’s lengthy 0% introductory purchase APR (0% for 15 months, then 16.99% to 27.99% variable APR) allows you to earn cash back on larger purchases and pay them off over time.
• Biggest drawbacks: You must enroll in a rotating bonus category every quarter to maximize your cash back, and quarterly categories may not always line up with your spending habits.
• Alternative: The Chase Freedom Flex℠  also has quarterly rotation categories but also has categories that earn increased rates all year. This includes dining, drugstores, and travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
• Bottom line: If you’re on the hunt for a generous cash back bonus at the end of the first year and don’t mind keeping up with rotating categories, this user-friendly card stands out from the pack.

Read our Discover it® Cash Back review or jump back to this card’s offer details.

Best for balance transfers: Discover it® Balance Transfer

• Best features: The card offers an impressive 18-month introductory period to pay off a transferred balance without accruing any interest (16.99% to 27.99% variable APR after that). There’s also a generous cash back program and the extremely valuable Cashback Match offer from Discover.
• Biggest drawbacks: This card doesn’t give you much time to carry a balance interest-free on new purchases (0% intro APR for the first 6 months then 16.99% to 27.99% variable APR thereafter) and you’ll want to keep in mind there is an intro balance transfer fee of 3%, up to 5% on future transfers.
• Alternative: The Citi Custom Cash℠ Card has a 15-month 0% intro APR on balance transfers and purchases (variable 18.99% to 28.99% APR after that) and no rotation categories to enroll in. Instead, you can earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent (1% cash back after).
• Bottom line:  This card will appeal to individuals who are looking to chip away at high-interest debt while still being able to reap the benefits of a rewards program.

Read our Discover it® Balance Transfer review or jump back to this card’s offer details.

Best for travelers: Discover it® Miles

• Best features: Thanks to the card’s first-year mile match offer, you’ll effectively earn 3X miles on every purchase for the first 12 months (1.5X miles on purchases, matched at the end of your first year).
• Biggest drawbacks: The card lacks a traditional sign-up bonus, so you’ll have to spend a decent amount to get much value out of the first-year match. Also, since you can’t transfer your miles to frequent-flier programs, the card isn’t ideal if you’re loyal to specific airlines.
• Alternative: The benefits packed into the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card will offset the $95 annual fee for many travelers looking to maximize the amount of rewards they earn.
• Bottom line: The Discover it® Miles is a decent choice for people who travel on a budget. But anyone who wants to maximize how much cash back they earn or travelers looking for premium perks will get more value with another card.

Read our Discover it® Miles review or jump back to this card’s offer details.

Best for students earning cash back: Discover it® Student Cash Back

• Best features: You won’t have to sacrifice top-notch cash back rewards just because you’re a student. You’ll earn 5% cash back in rotating categories like gas, groceries and Amazon.com (with enrollment, up to $1,500 per quarter, then 1% back). Plus, Discover will match all the cash back you earn at the end of your first year.
• Biggest drawbacks: You’ll have the added homework of enrolling in a rotating bonus category every quarter to maximize your cash back, and the card’s variable APR, though reasonable, is a bit higher than that of many student cards, so you’ll have to be diligent about paying off your balance in full each month.
• Alternative: The Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card earns an unlimited 3% cash back all year round in student-friendly areas, such as grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target), dining, entertainment and popular streaming services.
• Bottom line: The Discover it® Student Cash Back is ideal for responsible students who won’t carry a balance and feel capable of keeping track of rotating categories.

Read our Discover it® Student Cash Back review or jump back to this card’s offer details.

Best for gas and dining rewards: Discover it® chrome

• Best features: It offers 2% cash back on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter (then 1%) on spending at gas stations and restaurants. When matched at the end of the first year, this is a remarkable rate for a no-annual-fee card.
• Biggest drawbacks: While the card’s low-end APR (16.99% to 27.99% variable) is significantly lower than the average cash back card APR, your APR could run quite high if you have some blemishes on your credit history.
• Alternative: The Citi® Double Cash Card offers 2% cash back on all of your purchases: 1% when you make purchases and another 1% as you pay the balance for those purchases.
• Bottom line: If you like to eat out or do a lot of driving, this well-rounded everyday card can earn big rewards in addition to an already generous welcome offer.

Read our Discover it® chrome review or jump back to this card’s offer details.

Best for students: Discover it® Student chrome

• Best features: The card’s consumer-friendly terms are great for someone new to credit: You won’t be charged a late fee the first time you miss a payment and you won’t get hit with a penalty APR if you end up falling behind more frequently. You should note that there is a late payment fee of up to $41 after the first time you pay late.
• Biggest drawbacks: The card’s 0% introductory APR is only for new purchases and only lasts for six months from account opening (17.99% to 26.99% variable APR thereafter).
• Alternative: The Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card provides a flat rate of 1.5% on all of your purchases compared to the Student Chrome’s 2% at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined quarterly purchases, then 1% (1% cash back on all other purchases).
• Bottom line: Discover’s easy-to-use account management tools are great for first-time student cardholders looking to establish healthy credit habits.

Read our Discover it® Student chrome review or jump back to this card’s offer details.

Best for cash back and credit building: Discover it® Secured Credit Card

• Best features: You can build credit without putting down a lot of money upfront as a deposit. Even better, Discover promises to review your account on a monthly basis starting at seven months to see if you qualify for an upgrade to an unsecured line of credit and return your deposit.
• Biggest drawbacks: A low security deposit means a low credit limit, which may have a negative impact on your credit utilization.
• Alternative: The Petal® 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa® Credit Card doesn’t require a security deposit, and you could earn up to 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
• Bottom line: Credit-builders who don’t love the idea of putting down a deposit to grow their score should look to student credit cards or credit cards for bad credit.

Read our Discover it® Secured Credit Card review or jump back to this card’s offer details.

What is Discover?

Discover is best known for its stellar lineup of cash back cards, but it is more than just a card issuer. Discover is also a network, along with Visa, Mastercard and American Express. This means it partners with merchants nationally and worldwide, making Discover cards viable payment across numerous countries.

Discover offers several more financial services as well, such as online banking, student loans, home loans and personal loans. They also offer their customers useful add-ons, like a free look at your FICO score and identity theft protection. These connections and services have made Discover a top provider of cards for cash back, everyday earnings, small businesses, beginners and more.

Where is Discover accepted?

Despite being the smallest major U.S. network, Discover is still widely accepted by 99% of merchants who accept credit cards. It’s also accepted in 200 countries and territories. With widespread acceptance both in the states and around the globe, Discover’s cards can be great travel companions. If you’re planning a trip, you can check the Discover Card International Acceptance Map to see if your card is good-to-go.

What credit score is needed for a Discover credit card?

Some of Discover’s cards will require a credit score in the good or excellent range, meaning your score will likely need to be at least 670 for their top choices. That being said, Discover has options for everyone no matter the credit score.

Discover’s secured cards and student cards are more than just a backup plan for cardholders with poor credit. They’re some of the most well-rounded and rewarding cards of their kind. After setting a trend of good habits with one of those starter cards, you can grow your credit score and move on to a Discover card that features better benefits.

How to choose a Discover credit card

Discover offers a variety of cards: credit building, student, travel and cash back cards. To find the one right for you, it’s a good idea to take a look at your own spending habits and identify the type of consumer you are. Using our CardMatch tool can help narrow down your options before applying and give you an idea of the right card for you based on your credit profile.

What programs does Discover offer?

As a top provider for customer satisfaction, Discover gives ways for their cardholders to earn great rewards and benefits. Knowing their featured programs can help you take full advantage of their offers and level-up as a cardholder.

Discover’s rotating cash back

Discover’s 2023 Cashback Calendar is now available. To ensure you earn the full cash back rate, keep the following in mind:

• You must activate the bonus each quarter to receive 5% back.
• Your bonus is active from the first day of the first month of each quarter – or the date on which you activate it, whichever is later – through the last day of the last month of each quarter.
• You earn bonus cash back up to the quarterly maximum.
• All spending over the quarterly maximum and all purchases outside a quarter’s bonus category earn 1% cash back.

Discover’s reward redemption options

Since cash back reward values are pretty straightforward, the best cash back redemption options are often the most convenient for you at the moment without sacrificing reward value. For gift card lovers, however, Discover has a great deal: There is an added value on each gift card you redeem for (for example, certain merchants offer a $25 gift card for $20 of cash back rewards).

When you’re ready to collect your hard-earned Discover credit card rewards, here’s a quick rundown of your Discover redemption options.

• Cash, either as a direct deposit or a statement credit – 1 cent minimum redemption
• Amazon.com purchases, using the “Cashback Bonus® option at checkout ($1 Cashback Bonus = $1) – no minimum redemption value
• Gift cards (with an added bonus value) – ranging from $5 – $200 in increments of $5 (minimum redemption)
• Charity donations – 1 cent minimum redemption

Discover it Miles can be redeemed as a credit toward eligible travel purchases on your credit card statement or as a bank account direct deposit, both at 1 cent per 1 mile. Plus, Discover’s cash back and miles don’t expire. Rather than erasing your rewards, Discover will credit your account with your cash back or miles balance if your account is closed or it hasn’t been used within 18 months.

Is a Discover credit card worth it?

Being a known leader in the credit cards industry, it should come as no surprise that Discover provides worthwhile card offers with strong rewards. Whether your goal is to accumulate cash back, use your spending to flip into a vacation or get a card to build your credit score and unlock new opportunities, Discover has a no-annual-fee card that can bring you value.

The top way Discover helps their cardholders is by offering top-notch cash back rates along with a generous welcome offer. You can get  5% cash back in rotating categories each quarter upon enrollment (up to the quarterly max, then 1%) and double it thanks to Discover in the first year. You can also take advantage of that same matching offer with their number of cards that earn 2% back at gas stations and restaurants (on up to $1,000 combined purchases quarterly, then 1%), giving rewards opportunities to cardholders no matter their score.

Looking at Discover’s number of benefits is an easy way to evaluate whether one of their cards is worth it to you, but matching your spending habits to their rewards offers is the best way to be sure any card is worthwhile. It may take a little extra work to get the most out of a Discover card, as you may have to activate rotating bonus categories and pay close attention to your spending  throughout the year, but a savvy shopper will find one of their cards very worthwhile. In any case, squeezing maximum value out of your Discover card will require you to know how to manage your spending and take advantage of the top redemption options.

How we picked the best Discover credit cards

Research Methodology: We analyzed Discover’s selection of credit cards to identify their top offers currently on the market. The major factors we considered were:

• Available rewards: Discover has cards offering a variety of cash back and travel rewards rates, so we found the most customer-friendly earning options.
• Extra perks: With cards designed with specific consumers in mind, it’s important that any add-ons can help contribute to the cardholder’s goal. We looked for cards from Discover that feature benefits to help the traveler, cash back earner, credit-builder and more.
• Rates and fees: We looked at whether cards had an introductory APR offer and how reasonable ongoing APRs were. We also took into account any extraneous fees or anything else that would make a card more expensive.

Our criteria also included rewards redemption, credit needed, security, ease of application, potential rewards, miscellaneous benefits.

More information on Discover credit cards

For more information on all things Discover credit cards, continue reading content from our credit card experts:

• How to maximize Discover it Cash Back’s benefits
• How to get preapproved for a Discover card
• How I use my Discover it Cash Back
• How to get a cash advance with Discover

About the Author

Tracy Stewart

Tracy Stewart is a personal finance writer specializing in credit card loyalty programs, travel benefits, and consumer protections. He previously covered travel rewards credit cards, budget travel, and aviation news at SmarterTravel Media. His money-saving tips have appeared in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Consumer Reports, MarketWatch, Vice, People, the Zoe Report and elsewhere.

About the Editor

Jeanine Skowronski

Jeanine Skowronski is a credit card expert, analyst, and multimedia journalist with over 10 years of experience covering business and personal finance. She has previously served as the Head of Content at Policygenius, Executive Editor of Credit.com, Deputy Editor at American Banker, Staff Reporter at TheStreet and a columnist for Inc. Magazine.

About the Reviewer

Stephanie Zito

Stephanie Zito is a professional traveler, humanitarian and credit card points collector sharing savvy travel tips she has learned firsthand from more than 20 years of circling the globe as a backpacker, expat and premium traveler in more than 125 countries and all seven continents.