In the 2022 JD Power study ranking of customer satisfaction among national credit card issuers, Discover scored 837 and ranked second after American Express. There are many reasons to support this, including the cards’ features that favor the general public. Indeed, whether you are a good payer or someone who needs to rebuild credit, Discover has something to offer. That being said, here are the top 5 best Discover credit cards rounded up by our financial experts this December 2022.
1. Discover it Cash Back
Intro Bonus: Cashback Match
Regular APR: 11.99% to 22.99% (Variable)
Credit Score: 700 to 749 (Good to Excellent)
Annual Fee: $0
Highlights:
- It comes with a welcome bonus of Cashback Match, where all the cashback you’ve earned during your card’s first year will be matched by Discover.
- You can earn up to 5% cashback on the quarterly rotating categories.
- Users can redeem the cashback at any time and at any amount.
- The rewards can be used at Amazon.com checkout.
Best Discover Cashback Card
There is nothing better than the Discover it Cash Back card for credit card users who want to get the best our their credit card rewards. The card is one of the most practical Discover credit cards that will compensate you for each dollar spent.
As an introduction bonus, it boasts the Cashback Match feature, which will automatically match all the cashback you gathered during your card’s first entire year. The good thing about it is that there is no limit in the rewards you can earn or even minimum spending. This reward structure is the best if you are after earning back the value of your money, not to mention that the card has a $0 annual fee. The rewards also never expire, and you can redeem the cashback in any amount.
The collection of points is also pretty decent as the 5% quarterly rotating spending categories cover a wide variety of stores when activated. It includes Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and other places commonly visited by shoppers. You can also earn 5% cashback when using PayPal in your payments. All in all, you can enjoy it up to a maximum of $1,500, and you’ll get unlimited 1% cashback on all other purchases.
Further, Discover it Cash Back has a 0% introductory APR for 14 months, both on balance transfer and purchases. After that, a standard APR of 11.99% – 22.99% variable applies.
2. Discover it Student Cash Back
Intro Bonus: Cashback Match
Regular APR: 12.99% to 21.99% (Variable)
Credit Score: None to Fair
Annual Fee: $0
Highlights:
- It is the best student credit card offering extremely convenient and student-centered perks.
- Users can earn up to 5% cashback on purchases at different places each quarter.
- Students will be rewarded by referring other applicants.
- The balance transfer intro APR comes at 10.99% and lasts for 6 months.
- The card offers a $0 annual fee, a $0 late fee on the first late payment, 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, and no APR change for paying late.
Best Discover Credit Card for Students
Discover it Student Cash Back offers a boatload of benefits you wouldn’t expect for such a card, giving it an almost perfect score in our roundup. It is designed specifically for students, and it doesn’t fail to appeal to them.
It is accessible by students with little-to-zero credit history, and present users can earn a statement credit when their referrals are approved. This Discover credit card also has a Freeze It feature, allowing students to halt any transaction and protect their accounts. Users also activate another layer of security protection for free, allowing them to receive alerts when their Social Security numbers are found on any of thousands of Dark Web sites. Moreover, collecting your free Credit Scorecard with your FICO Credit Score and essential details is easy with this Discover credit card.
On the other hand, it amazed us that it also presents the same impressive reward structure for students, allowing them to earn 5% cashback on rotating bonus categories up to $1,500 per quarter and 1% on all other purchases. The former also includes the stores and places common for students to maximize their cashback collection, such as Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and when the users pay using PayPal.
We also love the consideration Discover has put in this card by promising a $0 annual fee, a $0 late fee on the first late payment, 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, and no APR change for paying late. Last (and the best thing about this student credit card) is the Cashback Match intro bonus, which is an effective way to get the best value out of your cashback after your first whole year of using the card.
3. Discover it Secured
Intro Bonus: Cashback Match
Regular APR: 22.99% (Variable)
Credit Score: N/A
Annual Fee: $0
Highlights:
- There is a balance transfer intro APR of 10.99% for 6 months.
- There is no penalty APR.
- It is perfect for those who are trying to rebuild their credit.
- You need to put down at least a $200 deposit since it is a secured credit card.
- Users will still enjoy the Cashback Match welcome bonus.
- You can earn 2% cashback at gas stations and restaurants and an unlimited 1% on all other purchases.
Best Secured Discover Credit Card
While many are looking for a Discover credit card with a very generous reward structure, some need one to help them with their other issue: credit. Indeed, Discover it Secured is a good option for individuals looking for the best way to build or rebuild their credit. You just need to provide a deposit (at least $200) which is refundable and will serve as collateral.
Discover it Secured will help you build a decent credit history with the three major credit bureaus with the correct use. After seven months of proper use of the card, Discover will review your account to see if your deposit can be returned and if you could move to an unsecured line of credit.
Besides serving as a tool for credit building, Discover it Secured also provides a good reward system to its users. Users can get 2% cashback at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter and an unlimited 1% on all other purchases. It is not as impressive as the 5% on other Discover credit cards, but it is understandable given its primary function as a secured credit card. After all, it still comes with the same Cashback Match intro bonus that you see in other Discover cards, so you can receive all the value of the cashback you’ve earned within the first year of the card. This is not something you’ll see in secured cards, making this Discover credit card more appealing.
Users will also be provided other benefits with this secured credit card. Besides the free FICO score access each month, you will receive alerts when your Social Security number is detected on any of thousands of Dark Web sites. However, while this $0 annual fee card, keep in mind that there is no intro APR offer on purchases, and the regular APR is a bit steep at 22.99% (variable).
4. Discover it Miles
Intro Bonus: Discover Match
Regular APR: 11.99% to 22.99% (Variable)
Credit Score: 700 to 749 (Good to Excellent)
Annual Fee: $0
Highlights:
- There are no blackout dates when you use the Miles to pay for your travel purchases.
- You will be alerted if your Social Security number is detected on Dark Web sites.
Best Discover Credit Card for Travels
Discover it Miles is another noteworthy credit card that deserves your attention. You might find its reward system flattering if you are a frequent flyer.
The card has a $0 annual fee, but it will allow you to earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar spent. As a welcome bonus, the Discover it Miles comes with a Discover Match that will match the miles you have earned during your first year of card use. This Miles-for-Miles match system also has no minimum spending or maximum rewards, making it genuinely beneficial for flyers. We also love how versatile the Milers are when you need to redeem them. Besides using it as a statement credit for travel purchases (airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants, etc.), you can covert the miles into cash or use them for parts of your monthly bill… even your minimum payment! Moreover, the Miles do not expire, and they maintain the same value regardless of how you want to use them.
Discover it Miles has a 0% Intro APR for 14 months on purchases (then 11.99 to 22.99% variable APR), albeit its balance transfer intro APR with the same duration comes at 10.99%. On the other hand, the card features other details found on other Discover credit cards such as a $0 annual fee, Freeze It feature, free Credit Scorecard,
And while it is a good option for getting Miles on your purchases, we won’t say that it is the ultimate travel card for you. It is not widely recognized abroad, and it won’t give you the same luxurious travel perks present in other travel cards such as Chase CCs. There are also no account alerts and a $0 fraud liability feature, which is standard in most credit cards. On a positive note, the card does not charge foreign transaction fees.
5. Discover it Balance Transfer
Intro Bonus: Cashback Match
Regular APR: 11.99% to 22.99% (Variable)
Credit Score: 670 to 850 (Good to Excellent)
Annual Fee: $0
Highlights:
- You can earn 5% cashback on your purchases at places like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and even when paying via PayPal.
- There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3%, then 5% after the intro period.
- The cashback does not expire and can be redeemed at any amount at any time.
- It offers a free Credit Scorecard with your FICO® Credit Score and other info.
Best Discover Credit Card for Balance Transfers
Discover has a specific card to offer for those who are always in need of balance transfers: the Discover it Balance Transfer credit card. Along with the 0% purchase intro APR for 6 months, there is a 0% balance transfer intro APR that you can take advantage of for 18 months (then 11.99 percent to 22.99 percent variable APR). It is not the best balance transfer CC in the market as more options offer a more extended period for 0% intro APR, but this Discover credit card compensates in other sections.
It has a $0 annual fee, so you can start earning your first cashback as soon as you have made your first purchase. This Discover credit card provides a 5% cashback on up to $1,500 purchases in rotating quarterly categories and unlimited 1% cashback on all other purchases.
Discover it Balance Transfer users will also receive an intro bonus in the form of the Cashback Match that will automatically match all the cashback you’ve earned at the end of your first year. Regardless of how much you have spent, you can make a $50 cashback into $100, a $100 into $200, or a $150 into $300! Another plus is the $0 foreign transaction fees or removal of penalty APR.
