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What Credit Score Do You Need to Get the Discover it® Cash Back?

Published Aug. 11, 2025
Brooklyn Sprunger
Author: Brooklyn Sprunger
Brooklyn Sprunger
Brooklyn Sprunger

Brooklyn leads the content team behind product reviews and ratings at Motley Fool Money, ensuring readers get well-researched, expert-backed insights to make smarter financial decisions. With nearly seven years working full-time in financial content -- four of them at The Motley Fool -- she has developed a deep passion for personal finance, from investing strategies to everyday money management. Her financial goals include buying a house and planning as many trips as her budget allows. In her free time, you’ll likely find her listening to a pop culture podcast or telling anyone who will listen to get a high-yield savings account.

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Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures that our product ratings are not influenced by compensation.

The Discover it® Cash Back card is one of the easiest ways to earn meaningful rewards without paying an annual fee. With 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 a killer first-year match, this card delivers a ton of value, especially for everyday spending.

If you're eyeing this one, here's the good news: you don't need perfect credit to qualify.

Ratings Methodology

Discover it® Cash Back

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Discover it® Cash Back
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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= Excellent
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= Poor
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular APR

18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. 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 Circle with letter I in it. 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.

  • 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 (when you activate them, up to the quarterly maximum) and 1% on other purchases.

    • Rotating bonus categories
    • Welcome bonus offer
    • Great intro APR offer
    • No annual fee
    • No foreign transaction fee
    • No fixed bonus categories
    • 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 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 18.24% to 27.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
    • Terms and conditions apply.

Anecdotal reports suggest that most people approved for the Discover it® Cash Back have a credit score in the 670+ range, typically in the good to excellent category. But Discover is known for being a little more flexible than some of the big issuers.

If your credit score falls in the high 600s and you've built a clean payment history, you could still get approved. People with fair credit (580–669) have had success, especially if they're steadily improving their credit profile.

What else matters besides your score?

I say this all the time, but credit card issuers never look at just your score. Here's what else Discover considers when you apply:

Your income and current debt

Even with a decent score, having a high amount of existing debt could hold you back. Discover wants to see that you can pay your balance, and that you aren't overextended.

Your payment habits

A track record of on-time payments and low credit utilization goes a long way. If you've recently paid down balances or cleaned up past mistakes, your odds improve.

Your credit age

If you're newer to credit, Discover might still approve you, but people with more than a year or two of history tend to have better luck.

Is the Discover it® Cash Back card worth it?

If you're not looking to pay an annual fee and want strong cash back rewards, this one's a no-brainer.

  • The 5% rotating categories are often super practical (think groceries, gas, restaurants, online shopping). Keep in mind that these categories must be activated each quarter and a quarterly maximum applies.
  • 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.
  • You get 0% intro APR for 15 months on both purchases and balance transfers, which adds flexibility. (After the intro period ends, an 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR applies.)

The only real catches are the activation requirement and the quarterly maximum on the rotating categories. Activating your categories each quarter isn't hard, but it's something to keep in mind if you prefer low-maintenance rewards.

For folks focused on everyday cash back and maximizing bonus categories, the Discover it® Cash Back is one of the best options out there. Apply today and start earning cash rewards (see rates and fees).

If the Discover it® Cash Back card doesn't quite feel like a fit, check out our list of the best cash back cards for more options.