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I've been hearing about the Discover it Cash Back for years, and finally applied for one this summer.
This card is one of Business Insider's picks for our best credit cards guide because it earns 5% cash back on different purchases that change every three months (from October 1 to December 31, 2024, earn 5% cash back at Amazon.com and Target on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%).
I chose this no-annual-fee credit card for two specific reasons: New cardholders get 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (then 18.74% - 27.74% Variable APR), and double their cash-back at the end of their first year.
$0
0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
18.74% - 27.74% Variable
Earn Unlimited Cashback Match™
Good to Excellent
- From October 1 to December 31, 2024, earn 5% cash back at Amazon.com and Target on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%
- Discover will match your cash back earned at the end of your first account year
- No annual fee
- Cap on how much bonus cash back you can earn each quarter
- If the quarterly categories aren't convenient for you, you can earn more cash back with a different card
The Discover it® Cash Back is one of the best credit cards that offers 5% back on popular rotating categories up to a spending limit. Your rewards are matched by Discover after the first 12 months, and the card has no annual fee.
Discover it Cash Back- Intro Offer: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers–only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
- 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.
- Redeem your rewards for cash at any time.
- Apply and you could get a decision in as little as 60 seconds. No annual fee.
- Start shopping and earning rewards in minutes with our digital card, before your physical card arrives in the mail, if eligible.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
- Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 18.74% to 27.74% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- Terms and conditions apply.
What I Like Best About My Discover it® Cash Back
I got this credit card because I wanted cash back and 0% intro APR. But my favorite aspects of the Discover it Cash Back have been a pleasant surprise for me.
Instant Credit Card Number
Discover instantly approved me for the Discover it Cash Back, and immediately offered me access to my new credit card number while I waited for the physical product to appear in the mail. This perk is a "nice to have" in most cases, but can be a "need to have" if you need to make a large or unexpected transaction on short notice. I didn't need-need it this time, but did use my new card to pay for dinner via Apple Wallet mere minutes after I was approved.
User-Friendly App and Account Dashboard
I have dozens of credit cards and bank accounts, so I've become something of a financial website and app connoisseur. The Discover website and consumer app are pleasantly intuitive and user-friendly, a feature I deeply appreciate from my credit card issuers. Both portals are sleek and contemporary, a feature my fellow Millennial or Gen Z consumers will appreciate.
In fact, Discover's layout might be my new favorite amongst bank apps. I've become a big fan of Face ID for phone log-ins, and I was able to quickly set up and use this feature on the Discover app. I also like the single-page overview format, which allows me to scroll for the information I want instead of blindly clicking through multiple tabs.
The landing page shows me at a glance how much of a balance I'm carrying, and how much of my credit limit is still available for use. I can also see how much cash back I've already earned — a feature that's much less prominent from Chase or Amex. For more granular detail, the payments, rewards, and services tab quickly show me most of the other information I need including contact information for Discover customer support.
5% Bonus Categories
I like getting a good deal when I shop, and I don't mind expending a little extra brainpower at checkout. I wanted to get the Discover it Cash Back because it earn 5% back on bonus categories that change every few months (from October 1 to December 31, 2024, earn 5% cash back at Amazon.com and Target on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%). I track these rotations using the Discover cash back calendar, which announces new promotion categories a few weeks before the next quarter begins.
I don't earn 5x until I enroll in the promotion, so I make sure to register my card at the beginning of each quarter so the benefit is active on my account. I can earn 5% on the first $1,500 I spend across all bonus categories that quarter — a potential reward of $75 if I max out the full amount.
I also have a Chase Freedom Flex® in my wallet that also earns 5% cash back on quarterly bonus categories. Doubling up on both no-annual-fee credit cards allows me to save a lot of money on common expenses such as gas, groceries, Amazon, or Paypal transactions. The Chase Freedom Flex also caps rewards at $1,500 per quarter — another $75 potential cash back.
Up to 10% Cash Back in My First Year
Most credit cards offer a welcome bonus when you first sign up. These offers, also known as sign-up bonuses, typically give new cardholders a certain amount of money or points after they spend a designated sum of cash on the card within a specific number of days. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers newcomers the chance to earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening and get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year.
In contrast, the Discover it Cash Back doesn't offer a traditional welcome bonus that follows this format. Instead, Discover's Cashback Match™ program matches all of the cash back I earn throughout my first 12 months of card ownership, whether I earn it from 5% cash-back categories or from 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Since I primarily plan to use my Discover it Cash Back on bonus-category purchases each quarter, I could theoretically earn a grand total of $600 during my first year — a generous return from a no-annual-fee credit card.
Here's how the math works out:
5% on up to $1,500 per quarter = $75
$75 x 4 quarters = $300
$300 x Cashback Match™ = $600
No Foreign Transaction Fees for International Use
Pro Tip: The Discover it Cash Back doesn't charge foreign transaction fees — and neither do any other Discover cards.
I have plenty of Visa and Amex credit cards, and I've even added a couple of Mastercards in the last year or two. But until I got my own Discover it Cash Back this summer, I hadn't had — or even seen — a Discover card since the early 1990s when I used to poke through my mother's wallet.
For many years, I assumed this was because Discover cards aren't as widely accepted as Visa, Amex, or Mastercards. While they are still less popular in many international countries, I discovered you can now use Discover cards in most places throughout the U.S. that accept credit cards. They're also accepted in Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and China.
I probably won't take this card overseas with me because of those geographical limitations. But it's nice to know that I won't pay foreign transaction fees if I do need to use it in a pinch.
Choose-Your-Own Customized Design
Most credit cards have a standard design, while some statement products like the American Express® Gold Card or the The Platinum Card® from American Express offer a couple of different looks.
In contrast, the Discover it Cash Back offers more than two dozen designs for cardholders to choose from — a fun surprise for me to discover during the card application process.
I'd never choose a credit card based on aesthetics alone, but I'll take a rainbow card any time I'm given the option.
0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers
Personal finance experts stress the importance of paying off credit card balances in full each month, with one exception: If you have access to a 0% interest period on your credit card, it may make sense to charge a large transaction to that card and pay off what you owe over the 0% APR period. This is one of my favorite ways to make big expenses a little more palatable.
Property taxes run high where I live: I pay 2.2% of my appraised home value yearly. To soften the blow, I occasionally charge the full transaction to a zero-interest credit card, then pay off what I owe over the duration of my 0% APR period. This allows me to invest my money in a high-yield savings account for a few months. Paying my taxes on a new credit card also helps me hit the spending requirement necessary for a welcome bonus.
The Discover it Cash Back comes with a generous 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (then an APR of 18.74% - 27.74% Variable). This is one of the longest zero-interest periods offered on a credit card with above-average rewards, especially without an annual fee.
Redeeming Cash Back to Lower My Statement Balance
I plan to redeem my Discover it Cash Back rewards as a statement credit each month to lower my outstanding balance. I have plenty of travel rewards credit cards that earn transferrable credit card rewards, so a refreshing change to use my Discover rewards purely for cash back.
While I don't plan to do so, you can also deposit the cash directly into your bank account or redeem your rewards when checking out at Amazon. In any of these cases, the minimum redemption amount is 1 cent.
Another option is to donate your rewards to select charities at a minimum of 1 cent, including the American Cancer Society, the ASPCA, the American Red Cross, Carbonfund.org, Children's Miracle Network, Junior Achievement, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Make-A-Wish, Operation Homefront, and World Wildlife Fund.
Additional Discover it® Cash Back Benefits, Features, and Fees
The Discover it Cash Back also has some useful protection features I haven't needed to use yet:
Security Protections
If I misplace my card, I can quickly freeze my card with a single tap on the main Activity page within my Discover app.
Discover can also search the web for security breaches involving my Social Security number via the free Discover Identity Alerts tool, and remove my info from information-collecting websites through the Discover Online Privacy Protection program.
FICO Credit Score
I have free access to my FICO credit score at any time within the Discover app activity page by scrolling down to the Card Benefits section and clicking on my "FICO Credit Scorecard".
Low to No Fees (and First Late Payment Waived)
Discover typically offers low fees on credit card and banking products, and there's no exception here. The Discover it Cash Back doesn't have an annual fee or foreign transaction fees, and most other charges are easy to avoid. As with all credit cards, I won't owe any interest if I pay off my statement balance in full by the due date each month.
As with most credit cards, the Discover it Cash Back does charge fees for the following activities:
- Balance transfer
- Cash advance
- Late payment — waived on first late payment
- Returned payment
No Purchase Protection or Travel Insurance Benefits
The Discover it Cash Back doesn't list any major purchase protections or travel insurance benefits, so I only plan to use this card for groceries, dining, or other bonus-category transactions that don't require a robust return policy.
I'll probably stick with one of my Chase credit cards with purchase protection if I need to purchase expensive electronics such as a laptop or a TV, where I might want to take advantage of extended warranty benefits.
And if I decide to buy a flight or other travel, I'll stick with one of my best credit cards with travel insurance such as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Discover it® Cash Back Frequently Asked Questions
The Discover it® Cash Back card is a good choice for those with credit scores in the good to excellent range — a FICO score of at least 670, or a VantageScore of at least 700.If you're not quite there yet, there are other Discover cards you may qualify for. The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is designed for people who are are new to credit or rebuilding credit. And the Discover it® Student Cash Back is an excellent option for college students who don't have a long credit history.
When you open an eligible new Discover card, the Discover Cashback Match™ program will match all the rewards you earned after the first 12 months with no caps, including your bonus category rewards. For instance, if I earn $400 in rewards within my first year of having the Discover it® Cash Back, Discover will match that for a total of $800 back after my first 12 months.
The Discover it® Cash Back caps 5% bonuses at a maximum of $1,500 spent across all bonus categories each quarter (or $75 cash back total). All other transactions earn unlimited 1% cash back per dollar spent, including on bonus categories after the $1,500 threshold has been met.
The Discover it® Cash Back is a great card if you prefer earning cash back instead of travel points and don't want to pay an annual fee. It can also be a good pick if the quarterly bonus categories match up with your spending. People who want extra benefits such as annual travel credits should consider other credit cards with better rewards.
Every quarter, the Discover it® Cash Back offers new bonus categories that earn 5% cash back per dollar spent. These categories typically cover common expenses such as gas, groceries, Amazon, Paypal, or Target purchases. You must activate the promotion via your online account dashboard or the Discover app before you qualify for the 5x bonus. Rewards are capped at 5% of $1,500 spent across all bonus categories each quarter. After that, your earning rate drops back down to 1% per dollar spent.
You'll typically earn cash back within days of the transaction posting to your credit card statement, although Discover says rewards can take up to two billing cycles to appear on your account.
Why You Should Trust Me: How I Reviewed the Discover it® Cash Back
When evaluating the Discover it® Cash Back, I considered the card's annual fee, welcome bonus, rewards, benefits, and how well it stacks up to similar credit cards like the Chase Freedom Flex®. For more details, read Business Insider's full methodology how we rate credit cards.
Discover has several other product lines in addition to credit cards. Read more about them here:
- Discover Personal Loan Review
- Discover Student Loan Review
- Discover Bank Review
- Discover Savings Account Review
- Discover CD Rates
- Discover Home Loan Review
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
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