Updated: July 26, 2024
Advertising & Editorial Disclosure
MoneyGeek partners with leading industry experts and advertisers to help you get to your financial happy place. Our content is accurate when posted but offers may change over time. We may receive compensation for partner advertisements, but our editorial team independently reviews and ranks products. Learn more about our editorial policies.
Discover has seven credit cards on offer, including ones for students. Unfortunately, Discover does not currently have any credit cards for businesses available to new applicants. Other types of Discover cards come in the form of a travel credit card, a secured card and an NHL co-branded card.
Qualifying for Discover’s more rewarding cards typically requires you to have a credit score of over 670. However, this is not the case with its student and secured cards.
Of the seven credit cards that Discover has on offer, you may find a cash back card, a student card, a travel card and a secured card. Depending on the card you get, you may benefit through an introductory 0% APR offer on purchases and balance transfers.
| Credit Card | MoneyGeek Rating | About | Rewards Rate | Annual Fee | Recommended Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4.0/ of 5 | The original 5% cash back revolving bonus categories card | Earn 1%–5% cash back Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically. | $0 | 670–850 (Good to Excellent) | |
| A sound no-annual-fee credit card that offers bonus cash back for students | Earn 1% – 5% cash back Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically. | $0 | (No Credit History) | ||
| A good no-annual-fee travel credit card with an introductory 0% APR offer | Earn unlimited 1.5X miles on every purchase Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase. | $0 | 670-850 (Good to Excellent) | ||
3.8/ of 5 | Extra cash back at restaurants and gas stations | Earn 1%–2% cash back Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. | $0 | 670-850 (Good to Excellent) | |
| A good student credit card with bonus cash back categories | Earn 1% – 2% cash back Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. | $0 | (No Credit History) | ||
| A practical no-annual-fee secured card for earning cash back and building credit | Earn 1% – 2% cash back Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. | $0 | (No Credit History) |
We revisit our list of the three best Discover credit cards each month after accounting for factors such as welcome bonuses, reward categories and other benefits.
Carrying out some research in advance is important if you wish to apply for a Discover credit card. From questions about eligibility criteria to how often you may apply, we have you covered. We also shed light on how Discover’s welcome offers work.
You may qualify for the Discover it Cash Back Card, the Discover it Chrome Card, the Discover it Miles Card or the Discover it NHL Card if you have good or excellent credit. This means your credit score should be over 670. If you’re a student and don’t have a credit history or have an average credit score, you may qualify for the Discover it Student Cash Back Card or the Discover it Student Chrome Card. People with poor or average credit scores might qualify for the Discover it Secured Credit Card.
You may have no more than two Discover credit cards at any given time.
You may apply for a second Discover card only after your first Discover credit card account has been open for 12 months or more.
Discover credit cards do not have welcome bonuses. Some of its cards come with introductory 0% APR offers that you can take advantage of as long as you’re approved for the card you seek. Bear in mind that balance transfers are also subject to approval.
There is more to selecting a Discover credit card than looking at fees, rewards and APRs. Knowing just where Discover stands in other regards can be equally important
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
Customer Service & Satisfaction | According to the 2021 J.D. Power US. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, Discover stood at the second spot when it came to customer satisfaction among the national credit card issuers. It scored 837 out of 1,000. You may contact a Discover representative over the phone, via its website’s online chat platform, via regular mail or through its social media accounts. |
Mobile Apps & Online Services | In the 2021 J.D. Power Mobile Banking App Satisfaction Study, Discover’s app ranked third in credit card mobile app satisfaction. It scored 875 out of 1,000. Discover provides apps for devices that run on iOS and Android. The apps let credit card users view account activity, download statements, make payments, redeem rewards and check their FICO score. You can also manage your credit card account by logging in to the Discover website. |
Security & Credit Monitoring Services | Discover provides various security and credit monitoring features, although these are not the same across all its cards. Depending on the card you get, you may expect Social Security number alerts, a $0 fraud liability guarantee, the ability to freeze your account, free overnight card replacement and free access to your FICO score. |
Loyalty Programs & Other Issuer Perks | Discover credit cards are not linked to any loyalty program. You can redeem the cash back you earn as a deposit into your bank account, as a statement credit or to make purchases through Amazon.com and PayPal. You can redeem miles as cash, as a statement credit for travel purchases or to make purchases at Amazon.com and PayPal. The cash back or miles you earn never expire. |
Authorized Users | Discover lets you add up to five authorized users per credit card. Authorized users should be at least 15 years of age |
Purchase Protection | Discover stopped offering purchase protection on its credit cards on February 28, 2018. |
Co-Branding & Partnerships | The only co-branded credit card that Discover offers is the Discover it NHL Card. Linked to the National Hockey League, it lets you choose the logo of the team you support as the face of your card. |
Other Products Offered | Discover’s other financial products come in the form of savings accounts, checking accounts, retirement accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, personal loans, student loans, home equity loans and mortgage refinancing. |
While Discover does not have an extensive range of credit cards on offer, it has options to meet the needs of most consumers. For example, while it offers two student cards, it also has a secured card for those with poor credit. Unfortunately, Discover does not have any business credit cards available at the moment. Depending on your individual requirements, you may benefit by getting a Discover credit card under different circumstances.
Building credit as a student
Students who wish to build their credit histories can choose from two Discover student credit cards. Both let you earn higher cash back on bonus categories.
Repairing credit
If you wish to build or repair your credit and don’t qualify for Discover’s student cards, you may want to consider applying for its secured card. Discover starts conducting monthly reviews of your account to refund your deposit and upgrade you to a non-secured card in the seventh month.
Earning rewards without paying annual fees
What sets Discover apart from most credit card providers is that none of its credit cards charge annual fees, its secured card included. This way, you earn cash back or miles without paying any annual fees.
"While Discover does not provide a welcome bonus for new applicants, it does offer to double all of the rewards earned during the first year your account is open. Depending on how much you spend and the rewards you earn, this offer could be more valuable than many welcome bonus offers from competing credit cards."
- Lee Huffman, credit card expert at BaldThoughts.com
If you’re unsure whether getting a Discover credit card would work well for you, take a look at what some of the other top issuers have to offer. You may also consider looking for options based on specific categories such as cash back or travel.
About Doug Milnes, CFA
Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets.
Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.
