Review
Updated
Fact Checked
Nathan Alderman
While many travel credit cards have a learning curve, the Discover it® Miles is as easy as it gets. It earns unlimited 1.5X Miles on purchases, and redeeming them is a breeze. But it doesn't have much in the way of premium perks, so frequent travelers may want more. Figure out if this is the card for you in our full Discover it® Miles review.
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
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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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
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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= Best
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= Excellent
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= Good
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= Fair
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= Poor
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor
Credit Score
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
17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR
Rewards Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase
1.5X miles
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer N/A
Discover will match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
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A straightforward, no annual fee travel rewards card built for occasional travelers. The unlimited Miles and welcome offer are standout perks.
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- Earn miles on purchases
- Great sign-up bonus
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fee
- Great intro APR
- Limited ways to use miles
- Lacks premium travel perks
- No bonus categories
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- UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers - only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
- Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase
- No annual fee
- Turn Miles into cash. Or redeem as a statement credit for your travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more.
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.24% - 28.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
- 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.
- Discover is accepted nationwide by 99% of the places that take credit cards.
- Terms and conditions apply.
Full Discover it® Miles review
This credit card is a good fit for: Rewards enthusiasts who want a straightforward travel card that cuts common credit card fees.
Top perks
Let's take a look at what the Discover it® Miles credit card has to offer.
Unlimited 1.5X Miles per $1
The Discover it® Miles earns unlimited 1.5X Miles per $1 on purchases. You can redeem miles as cash back or apply them to travel purchases. They have a value of $0.01 per 1 mile no matter how you use them. For example, 10,000 Miles are worth $100.
Sign-up bonus
For new cardholders, Discover will match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 30,000 Miles in that first year, Discover will give you another 30,000. This is one of the more valuable sign-up bonuses for consumers who put all their spending on a single credit card.
SEE MORE: Best Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses
No annual fee
Many popular travel cards charge an annual fee. The Discover it® Miles isn't one of them.
MORE TOP PICKS: Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards
0% intro APR for 15 months
This Discover travel card has a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. After the intro period, the go-to 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR will apply.
You can use the intro APR to pay off costly expenses over time. Or, you can transfer over credit card debt and pay it down while avoiding interest charges. Make sure to complete your balance transfers by the date specified in the terms for this card. Also, do your best to pay off your full balance during the intro period to maximize your savings.
No foreign transaction fee
Like most travel credit cards, the Discover it® Miles doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee. The standard foreign transaction fee amount is 3% for many credit cards, so you should always have a credit card without this fee when you're traveling internationally.
Free FICO® Score
Discover makes it easy to monitor your credit score by including a free FICO® Score for every cardholder. This is accessible via Discover's app or online account management portal. Your FICO® Score is the one that most lenders use, so it's the best type of score to monitor.
What could be improved
The Discover it® Miles isn't without its downsides, and they're worth knowing about before you apply.
Limited ways to use miles
Many travel credit cards give you more options, such as transferring rewards to the card issuer's airline and hotel partners. Transferring rewards this way is often how people score high-value travel bookings.
Even though the Discover it® Miles is considered a travel card, you get the same value whether you redeem miles for travel or cash back. That makes it similar to cash back credit cards, which is important to realize. Continue browsing credit card reviews if you'd like a card with more redemption options.
Lacks premium travel perks
Unlike other travel cards, the Discover it® Miles doesn't offer much in the way of travel perks. You won't get free checked luggage, elite status at your hotel of choice, or airport lounge access. To be fair, these normally aren't features you get from no annual fee credit cards. But if you travel often, consider whether you could be better off paying an annual fee for a card with more features.
COMPARE OPTIONS: Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
Travel insurance
Cards from other brands, notably Visa and Mastercard, typically come with a set of travel perks and benefits like rental car insurance and coverage for lost or damaged luggage. The Discover it® Miles lacks many of these extras.
Own a business? Check out The Ascent's guide to the best business credit cards for travel.
Find the best credit card for your needs
Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.
Suggested credit score
The Discover it® Miles is intended for people with good to excellent credit, meaning a FICO® Score of at least 670. Your credit score isn't the only factor that matters when applying for a credit card, but it is one of the most important.
RELATED: How to Increase Your Credit Score
The Discover it® Miles credit card is right for you if:
You want easy-to-use credit card rewards and you don't spend that much. The Discover it® Miles has a solid earning rate and an excellent welcome offer. However, if you spend more than $1,500 per month or travel several times per year, you could get greater value from travel cards with more benefits.
MORE OPTIONS: Best Credit Cards
Alternatives to consider
- If you want more versatile travel rewards: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has points you can either transfer to over a dozen travel partners or redeem at a flat rate. It does carry an annual fee, but it also has a lucrative travel rewards sign-up bonus and earns bonus points in several spending categories.
- If you want premium travel perks: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) offers a statement credit to cover your Global Entry/TSA PreCheck membership. It's a great all-around travel card that won't break the bank.
As of Apr. 16, 2024
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| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
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 |
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
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 |
|
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
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Credit Rating Requirement:
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)
Good/Excellent (670-850) |
Credit Rating Requirement:
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)
Good/Excellent (670-850) |
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Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. 60,000 bonus points |
Welcome Offer: 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening 75,000 Miles |
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Rewards Program: Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases |
Rewards Program: Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. 2X-5X miles |
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Intro APR: N/A Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
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Regular APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable |
Regular APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) |
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Annual Fee: N/A $95 |
Annual Fee: $95 |
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Highlights:
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Highlights:
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Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
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Our credit card methodology
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
FAQs
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The minimum starting credit limit for Discover it® Miles is $500, but it's possible to get a much larger limit depending on your creditworthiness. Many cardholders have reported credit limits of $10,000 or more.
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The Discover it® Miles works with all airlines. You can use miles as statement credits to reimburse travel purchases. Miles are also redeemable for cash back.
Our Credit Cards Experts
Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. He writes for The Ascent and The Motley Fool, and his work has appeared in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.
Fact Checked
Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman has worked with The Motley Fool since 2005, making errors his arch-enemies in a variety of roles including a six-year stint as the dedicated fact-checker for The Motley Fool's premium newsletter services. As The Ascent's Compliance Lead, he makes sure that all the site's information is accurate and up to date, which ensures we always steer readers right and keeps various financial partners happy. A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan spends his spare time volunteering for civic causes, writing and podcasting for fun, adoring his wife, and wrangling his two very large young children.
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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.
Discover Financial Services is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Lyle Daly has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, PayPal, Target, and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends Discover Financial Services and recommends the following options: long January 2025 $370 calls on Mastercard, short January 2025 $380 calls on Mastercard, and short March 2024 $67.50 calls on PayPal. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.