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Discover credit cards are some of the least talked-about credit card reviews. One reason why is that Discover doesn’t offer premium credit cards or co-brand airline and hotel credit cards. However, the best Discover credit cards earn up to 5% back on purchases. And you never pay an annual fee.
You can earn cash or travel rewards with Discover. Whether you have excellent credit or bad credit, Discover has an option for you.
Discover it Cash Back Card – Best for Cash Rewards
The Discover it® Cash Back is the most popular of the Discover credit cards. Its popularity is mostly because it earns up to 5% back on purchases. Like the Chase Freedom Flex℠, you can earn 5% back on the first $1,500 in quarterly bonus spending.
Once activated, earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and when you pay using PayPal, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, automatically earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Discover’s intro offer lets cardholders earn an Unlimited Cashback Match. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year, with no minimum spending or maximum rewards needed. So, you could turn $150 cash back into $300.
Like most cash rewards credit cards, your cash rewards are redeemable in any amount.
Discover it Miles – Best for Travel Rewards
The Discover it® Miles is Discover’s only credit card for travel rewards. You can earn unlimited 1.5x miles for every $1 spent. Your rewards miles are redeemable for paying part of your monthly bill, for statement credits for travel purchases, or cash rewards.
Plus, earn an Unlimited Bonus. Earn an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending, or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
You won’t pay an annual fee or foreign transaction fee which makes this a possibility for international travel. Keep in mind that Discover’s international merchants can be hit-or-miss. Because of this, you may also want to bring a Visa or Mastercard which has near-universal acceptance.
Consider this: You can earn at least 2x miles (instead of 1.5x miles) on every purchase with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
Discover it chrome – Best for Gas and Restaurants
Earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter) with the Discover it® chrome. All remaining purchases earn 1% back automatically. Redeem your cash back for any amount, any time. Cash rewards never expire.
Discover also matches every reward you earn for the first 12 months. This card doesn’t have an annual fee, but you will likely need a credit score of at least 670 to qualify.
Discover it Secured – Best for Building Credit
The Discover it® Secured is one of the best credit cards to build a credit score. Two reasons why are that this card has no annual fee and earns cash back on every purchase. This is a good option if you have no credit history or a credit score in the 500s.
Get 2% back on the first $1,000 spent each quarter at gas stations and restaurants. Your other purchases earn an unlimited 1% back. Discover even matches your cash rewards for the first 12 months.
Like other secured cards, you will pay a refundable security deposit of at least $200. Your monthly payments report to all three credit bureaus to build your credit history. Discover waives the late payment fee on your first missed payment.
After the first 7 months, Discover reviews your credit score to see if you can upgrade to an unsecured credit card. That means you might be able to get one of the other cards on this list. You won’t have to front a security deposit and you can have a higher credit score.
Discover it Student Cash Back – Best Student Credit Card
The Discover it® Student Cash Back is the student version of the Discover it Cash Back. It earns 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and when you pay using PayPal, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Discover also matches your cash rewards for the first 12 months.
There’s also an intro offer that comes with the ability to earn Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
Alternate card: The Discover it® Student chrome earns 2% back at gas stations and grocery stores (on the first $1,000 quarterly) and 1% back on everything else. Either card can be one of the best travel credit cards for students.
Discover it Business – Best for Business Purchases
The information for the Discover it® Business Card has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Discover offers one business credit card. The Discover it® Business Card earns unlimited 1.5% back on every purchase. Like the personal credit cards, Discover matches your purchase rewards for the first 12 months. Rewards points are redeemable for cash in any amount.
There is no annual fee, and employee cards come at no extra cost.
Want a business card with travel rewards? Consider one of these best business credit cards with no annual fee.
Discover Credit Card Additional Benefits
All of the Discover credit cards offer the same extra card benefits listed below:
- The late payment fee waived on the first missed payment
- FICO credit score monitoring
- Social Security number alerts
- Unlimited cashback match for the first 12 months
- No annual fee
- Free overnight shipping card replacement to any U.S. street address
- 100% U.S.-based customer service
While you won’t get exciting perks like dining vouchers or airport lounge access, these fringe benefits can save you money while you build credit. The free monitoring tools also provide extra peace of mind.
Summary of the Best Discover Credit Cards
The best Discover credit cards are a good option if you want to earn competitive cash rewards. If you spend at places that accept Discover, you can earn a larger-than-usual signup bonus thanks to the unlimited 12-month match, some of the best credit card offers. Not having to pay an annual fee or first missed payment fee also provides financial relief.
