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Discover it® Student Cash Back Review: Earn Big Rewards While Building Credit

Review Updated
Ryan Wilcox
Author: Ryan Wilcox
Ryan Wilcox
Ryan Wilcox

Ryan is a full-time Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money. He’s been covering topics like credit cards and savings since 2022, when he began his writing career at The Points Guy. He later joined Motley Fool Money, where he continues helping people who are new to the world of personal finance. Outside of work, you’ll find Ryan reading, writing, listening to music or obsessively updating his Letterboxd 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.

If you're a student looking to earn rewards and build credit at the same time, the Discover it® Student Cash Back card is one of the best cards available. It earns up to 5% cash back in different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate, offers an unlimited cash back match in the first year, and charges no annual fee.

Plus, it comes with credit-friendly features designed for first-time cardholders -- something I wish I'd had as a college student with no credit history.

Keep reading to learn why we recommend this card for young credit card beginners.

Ratings Methodology

Discover it® Student Cash Back

Apply Now for Discover it® Student Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Discover it® Student 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.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= 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: Fair (300-669)
Apply Now for Discover it® Student 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.

Fair (300-669)

Intro APR

Purchases: 0%, 6 months

Balance Transfers: 10.99%, 6 months

Regular APR

17.24% - 26.24% 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. So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 cash back into $200.

Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.

  • Student credit cards are sometimes light on perks, but this Discover one might surprise you. You can earn 5% cash back on up to the quarterly maximum in rotating bonus categories -- just opt in every quarter. And earning 1% back on other purchases plus an innovative Unlimited Cashback Match welcome bonus makes this one worth considering for college students.

    • Rotating bonus categories
    • Valuable welcome bonus offer
    • Good for avoiding fees
    • Credit score monitoring
    • Highly rated customer service
    • 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. So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 cash back into $200.
    • 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
    • No credit score required to apply.
    • No annual fee and build your credit with responsible use.
    • 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, then the standard variable purchase APR of 17.24% - 26.24% applies.
    • Terms and conditions apply.

At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates and 0% intro APR offers, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and purchase protections.

Our highest-rated credit cards have:

  • ​​High value through rewards or 0% intro APR offers
  • Attainable welcome bonuses that make up for any annual fees
  • Low annual fees or a balance transfer fee of 3%
  • Top perks such as purchase and travel protections, no foreign transaction fees, travel credits, and status upgrades

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best credit card recommendations. Our aim is to maintain a balanced best-of list featuring top-scoring credit cards from reputable brands. 'Best for' category selections on this page are determined by our editors, and a single card may be recognized in multiple categories.

Ordering within lists is influenced by advertiser compensation, including featured placements at the top of a given list, but our product recommendations are NEVER influenced by advertisers. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.

At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates and 0% intro APR offers, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and purchase protections.

Our highest-rated credit cards have:

  • ​​High value through rewards or 0% intro APR offers
  • Attainable welcome bonuses that make up for any annual fees
  • Low annual fees or a balance transfer fee of 3%
  • Top perks such as purchase and travel protections, no foreign transaction fees, travel credits, and status upgrades

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best credit card recommendations. Our aim is to maintain a balanced best-of list featuring top-scoring credit cards from reputable brands. 'Best for' category selections on this page are determined by our editors, and a single card may be recognized in multiple categories.

Ordering within lists is influenced by advertiser compensation, including featured placements at the top of a given list, but our product recommendations are NEVER influenced by advertisers. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.

What I like about the Discover it® Student Cash Back

Earn 5% cash back in rotating categories

You'll earn 5% cash back at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. All other purchases earn 1%, and it's a simple way to maximize rewards for no annual fee.

Those are decent rates for any cash back card, let alone a card aimed at students. It's a great way to earn easy rewards while you're learning the credit card ropes.

Unlimited cash back match in your first year

Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. And it happens automatically.

That means your earning rates are effectively doubled for the first year.

For example, if you spend $300/month on groceries, you'd earn $36 back in your first 12 months, which then gets matched for another $36 -- $72 in all. And that's assuming groceries isn't one of your rotating bonus categories that year and only earns 1% back.

Ability to upgrade to a non-student card

Once you're no longer a student, you may be able to upgrade your card to the standard Discover it® Cash Back, offering similar rewards but without the student label.

You'll keep your credit history and account age, which can help your credit score over time. Just reach out to Discover to ask about your options when you're eligible.

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
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
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 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. 1% - 5% Cashback 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.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

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
Best for long 0% intro APR 		N/A N/A

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 21 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 17.24%, 23.74%, or 28.99% Variable APR

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

4.70/5 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
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases 		25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5-3 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel purchases booked through the Bank of America Travel Center.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

On Bank of America's Secure Website.

Downsides you should consider

5% categories require activation

To earn 5% in the rotating bonus categories up to the quarterly maximum, you'll need to manually activate them each quarter. It's easy to forget, especially on top of all the other deadlines college students are juggling, and if you don't activate, you'll only earn the base 1%.

Also, these categories may not align with your spending habits. If you don't have a car on campus, for example, 5% back at gas stations (an example quarterly bonus category) may not mean much to you. You'll want to scope out the different quarterly bonus categories ahead of time to see if you can take advantage of them. Just make sure you activate.

Low quarterly spending cap

Additionally, the 5% bonus rate only applies to the first $1,500 spent in the chosen categories each quarter when you activate. That's a maximum of $75 in bonus cash back every three months, after which you'll earn 1% back.

That might feel limiting if you spend much more than that in any given quarter. On the other hand, this is still a beginner-focused student credit card, so some rewards are better than no rewards.

How to apply for the Discover it® Student Cash Back

You can apply for this credit card at this link directly from our website (see rates and fees).

To get started, you'll just need to provide your basic information, income, school details, and housing status. As you might expect, this card is aimed at college students, which means Discover considers applicants with limited or no credit history.

After that, you should hear back promptly on the status of your application -- and if approved, you can start earning while building your credit.

Final thoughts

The Discover it® Student Cash Back is a top-tier student credit card. It offers strong rewards, useful credit tools, and beginner-friendly terms, all without an annual fee. If you're a college student looking to build your credit and earn cash back, this card checks all the right boxes.

Apply for the Discover it® Student Cash Back card to start earning today (see rates and fees).

FAQs

  • No. Discover accepts applicants with little or no credit history, making it ideal for students applying for their first credit card.

  • You can continue using the card after graduation. Discover may also offer you an upgrade to a non-student version of the card over time.

  • You'll receive your cash back match at the end of your first 12 months as a cardholder. Discover adds the matched cash back to your rewards balance automatically.

  • There's no late fee on your first missed payment, but future late payments may incur a fee.