Discover Savings Review

The Discover high-yield savings account is among the best in its online class. Its combination of a big bonus, high annual percentage yield (APY), focus on cutting fees, and ease of use are some factors considered to be must-haves for online bank accounts. We'll cover these details and more in this in-depth review.

Earn up to a $200 bonus -- Account holders can earn one of two bonuses when using offer code ASCENT220, applying by 3/2/20, and making a deposit by 3/16/20: Earn a $150 bonus when depositing at least $15,000 or earn a $200 bonus when depositing at least $25,000.

High APY -- The flat APY is among the highest yields for online savings accounts. It's worth mentioning that all balances qualify for the same interest rate, whereas some competing online savings accounts offer tiered rates based on account balances.

No monthly balance requirement -- Discover's high-yield savings account is broadly accessible to different account holders, including savers who aren't maintaining large ongoing monthly balances.

No Fees -- There are zero fees for a stop payment order, excessive withdrawal, insufficient funds, or monthly maintenance.

Mobile app -- Discover has one of the best mobile apps of the savings account providers covered. Mobile apps are crucial for an online savings account, where customers must rely upon technology to facilitate transactions normally handled face to face at a bank. Savers can access details for all their Discover accounts, view account activity, electronically deposit checks, and transfer money.

ATM card -- One limiting aspect of the account applies to withdrawals. Discover's savings account doesn't provide an ATM or convenience card for withdrawals. However, Discover's cash-back debit account can be opened in tandem with a savings account and it allows you to transfer funds between accounts for easy ATM and debit transactions. Plus, the account earns 1% cash back on up to $3,000 of debit purchases each month.

Although Discover doesn't have any physical bank branches, accessing your money is simple with several options for making deposits and withdrawals.

Deposit options

• Mobile deposit -- Use your smartphone or tablet to take a picture of a check and deposit it directly into your account.
• Online transfer -- Move money from another Discover account or by providing your routing and account number from an external bank.
• Wire transfer -- Transfers received by 4 p.m. EST will post to your account on the same business day. If the transfer is received after 4 p.m., the funds will post the next business day. But they'll still have an effective day of the date the funds were received.
• Direct deposit -- Provide your Discover savings account and routing number to your employers to have paychecks deposited into your Discover savings account.
• Mailing in a check -- Send checks via mail to be deposited into your Discover savings account.

Withdrawal options

• Outgoing wire transfer (for a fee).
• Official bank checks.
• Online transfers to external banks.
• Transfer to other Discover accounts.

If you transfer funds electronically to other Discover accounts, such as a Discover checking account, you can quickly and easily access the cash at any ATM.

Discover provides a higher APY than many traditional savings accounts. Discover also charges fewer fees than many traditional banks and doesn’t have minimum balance requirements.

Like most traditional banks, Discover has FDIC insurance coverage for its savings account, so your money is protected in the unlikely event of a bank failure.

However, when you choose a Discover savings account, you’re subject to the same downsides as with many other online accounts. These include a lack of in-person customer service and no bank branches. Discover’s 24/7 customer service and mobile app make up for these drawbacks for most tech-savvy customers.

While the Discover Savings account is a good option for many, it's not right for everyone. Here are a couple of other highly-ranked online savings account options worth considering that also include a high rate and no monthly maintenance fees.

The cash bonus makes this savings account a clear winner if you have enough money saved to qualify. The fact that Discover also offers a trifecta of no to low fees, a competitively high yield, and one of the better mobile apps on the market, makes this a solid picks, even more so if you're already a Discover customer.