Knowing your credit score upfront will allow you to apply for the best Discover credit card suited to your financial situation.
Discover offers several credit cards—including two cards for students and one for customers building or repairing their credit. It also has a co-branded NHL card that functions similarly to the flagship Discover it® Cash Back. A travel rewards card earns miles but, in practice, operates as cash-back rewards on qualified travel related purchases.
Discover it® Secured Credit Card
The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is one of our top choices for consumers who need to build their credit history. Cardholders will need to put down a deposit (the amount becomes equal to the cardholder’s credit limit), but it offers one of few options in its class—earning decent rewards without charging an annual fee.
Rewards: Earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Welcome offer: Unlimited Cashback Match™ - Discover will automatically match all the cash back earned at the end of the first year.
Annual fee: $0
Other benefits and drawbacks: Discover considers upgrading customers with secured accounts to unsecured credit products after seven months.
Discover it® Cash Back
Big spenders and those who can maximize the cash-back categories with the Discover it® Cash Back can earn ample rewards, especially in the first year when rewards are doubled.
Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter up to a quarterly maximum of $1,500 in spending when activated. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
Welcome offer: Discover will automatically match all the cash back earned at the end of the first year as a cardmember. There's no minimum spending or maximum rewards.
Annual fee: $0
Other benefits and drawbacks: Prior Discover it® Cash Back categories include grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, drug stores, Amazon and other popular options among spenders in the U.S.
For qualified customers, the card offers a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on purchases and eligible balance transfers. Then, a standard rate of 18.24% - 28.24% variable applies. A balance transfer fee of up to 5% of the amount transferred applies.
Discover it® Student Cash Back
Geared toward students with little-to-no credit history, the Discover it® Student Cash Back is similar to the Discover it® Cash Back.
Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and more, up to the quarterly maximum once activated. Plus, automatically earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Welcome offer: Unlimited Cashback Match™ - Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There's no minimum spending or maximum rewards.
Annual fee: $0
Other benefits and drawbacks: In addition to the rewards and the first-year cash-back match, the Discover it® Student Cash Back offers a 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, then the standard variable purchase APR of 18.24% - 27.24% applies.
Discover it® Miles
Instead of earning traditional cash back, the Discover it® Miles earns 1.5 miles per dollar on every purchase. The miles act similarly to cash back, where 1 mile is worth 1 cent.
Rewards: Earn 1.5 miles per dollar on every purchase.
Welcome offer: Unlimited match of all the miles earned at the end of the first year.
Annual fee: $0
Other benefits and drawbacks: Since it earns miles at a flat rate of 1.5 miles per dollar of every purchase, the Discover it® Miles card may be a better choice for those who don’t want to keep track of quarterly bonus spending categories or spend heavily in categories that don’t earn bonus rewards.
For qualified customers, Discover it® Miles offers a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months of account opening. After that, a variable APR of 18.24% - 28.24% applies. A balance transfer fee of up to 5% of the amount transferred applies.
Discover it® Chrome
The Discover it® Chrome will likely only be a good fit for a narrow subset of people: Those who frequently take road trips and can’t access a card that offers better rewards on gas spending. It won’t earn much cash back, but it may be an option for some.
Rewards: Earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Plus earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Welcome offer: Discover will automatically match all the cash back earned at the end of the first year as a cardmember. There's no minimum spending or maximum rewards.
Annual fee: $0
Other benefits and drawbacks: For qualified customers, the Discover it® Chrome offers a 0% intro APR for 6 months on purchases and 18 months on eligible balance transfers followed by a 18.24% - 28.24% variable APR. A balance transfer fee of up to 5% of the amount transferred applies.
