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Discover puts its focus on creating great rewards for its cardholders. Consider the Discover it® Cash Back as a well-rounded rewards card. Looking to build your credit? The Discover it® Secured is a great fit. Check out the best credit card offers from Discover below.
See the best credit card offers from Discover below.
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
Discover will match all the Miles you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. For example, if you earn 30,000 Miles, you get 60,000 Miles. That's $600 towards travel!
Discover will match all the Miles you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. For example, if you earn 30,000 Miles, you get 60,000 Miles. That's $600 towards travel!
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
We automatically match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year.
We automatically match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year.
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, automatically. There's no signing up. And no limit to how much is matched.
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When you discover Discover, you find some hidden surprises, such as their dollar-for-dollar matching of all the cash back earned at the end of your first year, no annual fee and so much more. Here, we'll take a deep dive into what each Discover card offers, then look at their common, most excellent features, such as free FICO score, U.S.-based 24/7 customer service, and more.
Here, we look at:
Discover is best known for its stellar lineup of cashback 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, which accept the Discover cards for payment. Although more common in the United States, Discover is accepted in 185 countries and territories.
Although it's the smallest among the major networks in the U.S., it is widely accepted here. In fact, among merchants who accept cards, 97% of them accept Discover. There were almost 296 billion purchase transactions among general purpose cards in 2017, says Nilson Report. Here's how the networks break down with those:
Source: Nilson Report
Discover also offers a variety of lending products, including checking accounts, personal and student loans, and more. Here's what it offers:
First off, rather than sign-up bonuses, the Discover cards come with cash back matched at the end of your first year. This means if you earn $300 over the course of your first year, you get another $300 back at the close of the first year of membership. Even the credit-starter cards offer this. Pretty awesome, yes?
Discover's flagship card, the Discover it Cash Back offers a stunning 5% back at different places each quarter such as Amazon.com, wholesale clubs, and more common categories such as gas and restaurants each time you activate (up to $1,500 spend each quarter). Competing head-to-head with the Chase Freedom, the Cash Back eschews a sign-up bonus in favor of Discover's famous cash back match at the end of your first year.
This card's greatest feature is the generous 18-month 0% intro APR on balance transfers, one of the industry's best balance transfer offers. There is also a 6-month intro 0% APR offer on purchases. This card is helpful for the consumer with a balance on an existing card and interest charges piling up. With an 18-month transfer, that means you can save hundreds on interest. After the introductory period expires, standard variable APR of 14.24% - 25.24% applies.
This straight-forward travel card delivers 1.5X miles on all purchases. You can redeem your miles toward a statement credit. One nice feature – there are no blackout dates, which means you can fly anywhere, at any time.
This card offers cash back at gas stations and restaurants of 2% for up to $1,000 per quarter, perfect for the foodie who loves to try new restaurants. It's 1% after that, and 1% on everything else.
A great card for the consumer with fair credit, you get the same quarterly categories and 5% back as the cashback match with this card when you enroll (up to the quarterly max). Also, special for the hard-working student, earn a $20 statement credit each year for a 3.0 GPA or higher for up to 5 years.
This card has the 2% back at gas stations and restaurants that you get with the Discover it chrome, but it is offered to consumers with fair credit. Cardholders automatically receive the cash back up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. The Discover it Student chrome also has the good grades offer of the Discover it Student Cash Back – earn a $20 statement credit each year for a 3.0 GPA or higher for up to 5 years.
If you need a reliable card that accepts bad or limited credit, look no further. This card is ideal for the consumer whose credit isn't his best, but who wants to build credit quickly and safely. With every one-time payment, you are that much closer to credit bliss with this card – just make sure you also pay in full each month. Good habits reap great rewards.
Show your true colors by choosing your favorite of 31 teams to display on your card. Also, save 10% at Shop.NHL.com and NHL.TV™. With this card, you can earn the 5% on rotating categories each quarter up to the quarterly max each time you activate, and 1% on everything else after that.
Discover cards have a few exciting differences from other cards. For example, as we mentioned, they all offer to match the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year, which can beat a similar card's sign-up bonus. For example, take a look at a comparison of the Discover it Cash Back and the Chase Freedom:
| Card | Discover it Cash Back | Chase Freedom |
|---|---|---|
| 5% cash back | 5%x$500x12 mths=$300 | 5%x$500x12 mths=$300 |
| Sign-up/first year bonus | $300 end of first year | $150/$500 spend in 3 mths |
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Total end of first year | $600 | $450 |
There are a few key rewards programs attached to the Discover it cards. For example, the Discover it Cash Back offers 5% back on rotating categories each quarter (up to the quarterly max) while the Discover it chrome cards offer 2% back on restaurants and gas stations. While quarterly activation is required for the Discover it cards, cash back for the chrome cards are automatic.
Also, it's a certainty that you won't pay an annual fee or foreign transaction fee. Annual fees can run in the hundreds of dollars and foreign transaction fees are typically 3%-5% of the charge, so that's a whole lot of money saved with those two fees waived. These cards carry a host of other features, as we'll talk about next.
Discover cards offer a number of benefits, from service to security to great rewards. Here is what the brand offers with all of its cards.
As you can see, one of Discover's greatest benefits is the free FICO score feature. Discover has found that there are a number of ways consumers use credit scores, including 39% using scores to improve or maintain them, so it's worth your while to be able to access your score on a monthly or quarterly basis. Here's what else Discover learned about credit scores:
Source: Discover Survey
| Credit Card | Best For: | CreditCards.com Rating | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover it® Cash Back | Cash back with rotating rewards categories | 4.1 / 5 | $0 |
| Discover it® Balance Transfer | 18 month balance transfer offer (then 14.24% - 25.24% variable) | 4.2 / 5 | $0 |
| Discover it® Miles | Earning airline miles | 3.4 / 5 | $0 |
| Discover it® chrome | Gas and dining rewards with cash back match | 2.5 / 5 | $0 |
| Discover it® Student Cash Back | Good Grades Rewards and rotating categories | 4.3 / 5 | $0 |
| Discover it® Student chrome | Good Grades Rewards, restaurants and gas stations | 3.9 / 5 | $0 |
| Discover it® Secured | Establishing credit | 4.1 / 5 | $0 |
| NHL® Discover it® | Hockey fans | N/A | $0 |
Laura is an editor and writer at CreditCards.com. She has written extensively on all things credit cards and works to bring you the most up-to-date analysis and advice. Laura's work has been cited in such publications as the New York Times and Associated Press. You can reach her by e-mail at laura.mohammad@creditcards.com and on Twitter @creditcards_lm.
