Here's How the Discover it® Cash Back Card Could Earn You $600+ in a Year
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Looking for a credit card that helps you earn more based on how you spend throughout the year? If so, the Discover it® Cash Back card is definitely worth a look.
That's because the Discover it® Cash Back comes with rotating quarterly categories that earn you 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. And with a valuable first-year bonus, the Discover it® Cash Back can easily earn you $600 in cash back in your first year alone.
Keep reading to learn how and rack up cash back with this no-annual-fee card.
Valuable bonus categories that rotate every quarter
The Discover it® Cash Back's bonus categories rotate each quarter, giving cardholders a chance to earn more in specific categories.
To qualify, you'll just need to activate the rotating quarterly categories online or in the Discover app. Once you're enrolled, the 5% cash back rate applies automatically to all eligible purchases (up to the $1,500 quarterly spending cap) for the activated rotating quarterly categories.
The card's categories are always changing, but here's what they looked like in 2025:
- Q1 (Jan-Mar): Restaurants, home improvement stores and select streaming services
- Q2 (Apr-Jun): Grocery stores and wholesale clubs
- Q3 (July-Sept): Gas stations & EV charging, public transit, and utilities
- Q4 (Oct-Dec): Amazon.com and drugstores
Each quarter, the 5% cash back rate applies to rotating quarterly categories to up to $1,500 in spending (after activation), which means you can earn up to $75 in bonus cash back every three months (with 1% back after that).
Still not sold? New cardholders can earn even more with Discover's one-of-a-kind welcome offer, Cashback Match, where Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. Only available to new cardmembers.
That means your rewards are effectively doubled for the first year-- equaling a potential $600 in total cash back if you maximize them all four quarters.
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Intro APR
Purchases: 0%, 15 months
Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months
Regular APR
17.74% - 26.74% Variable APR *Rates as of December 15, 2025
Rewards 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.
1% - 5% Cashback
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer 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.
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
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We think this card has among the highest cash back potential for cards with no annual fee. The key is the Unlimited Cashback Match — Discover automatically matches all the cash back new cardholders have earned at the end of the first year. That cash back can seriously add up when you earn 5% cash back on rotating bonus categories each quarter (when you activate them, up to the quarterly maximum) and 1% on other purchases.
Read Full Review -
- Rotating bonus categories
- Welcome bonus offer
- Great intro APR offer
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fee
- No fixed bonus categories
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- 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 cash back for any amount
- Apply now and you could get a decision in as little as 90 seconds. No annual fee.
- Start shopping and earning rewards in minutes with your virtual card, before your physical card arrives in the mail, if eligible.
- Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.74% to 26.74% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness. Rates as of December 15, 2025.
- Terms and conditions apply.
What to expect in 2026
Discover hasn't announced all of its 2026 bonus categories, but past years give us a strong clue of what might be coming.
We know for sure that Q1 of 2026 covers grocery stores, wholesale clubs, and select streaming services. Beyond that, we can't say for sure -- upcoming quarterly categories are announced throughout the year -- but past categories like drugstores, restaurants, home improvement, gas stations, and Amazon.com purchases are all strong bets.
There's one thing for certain, though: If you spend a lot in any or all of these categories, the Discover it® Cash Back and its 5% cash back rate on quarterly rotating categories (up to the quarterly maximum when you activate) -- effectively doubling your rewards in the first year with Discover's Cashback Match -- are absolutely worth a look.
Ready to start earning? Read our full review of the Discover it® Cash Back to apply today.
Our Research Expert
Ryan Wilcox is a full-time Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money, covering credit cards, bank accounts, investing, auto insurance, and other personal finance topics. Ryan has been writing about credit cards and savings since 2022. Before joining Motley Fool Money, he was a full-time writer at The Points Guy, where he focused on maximizing credit card rewards and travel strategies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English and American History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he also spent four years reporting for The Daily Tar Heel. With a background in both journalism and consumer finance, he brings a clear and thoughtful voice to money topics. Outside of work, Ryan is likely reading, writing, or updating his Letterboxd account.