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A Complete Guide to Discover Credit Card Benefits

Updated
Brittney Myers
By: Brittney Myers

Our Credit Cards Expert

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 our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

In recent years, the long list of Discover card rewards and benefits have seen Discover credit cards surge in popularity. For one thing, Discover card rewards are easy to use -- Discover card rewards points are redeemed as a cash back statement credit, with no minimum redemption amount -- and Discover card rewards rates are highly competitive.

But the appeal goes beyond simply offering good rewards credit cards. Discover cardholders also enjoy a host of additional benefits with a focus on security, value, and service. Here's a guide to all of the perks and benefits you can expect from your Discover credit card.

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Benefits that apply to all Discover credit cards

  • All Discover credit cards charge $0 annual fee and $0 overlimit fees.
  • Discover charges no foreign transaction fees.
  • All Discover credit cards earn cash back rewards and Discover card rewards have no minimum rewards balance needed to redeem.
  • Discover cardholders get a free Credit Scorecard with their FICO® Score and other important credit information. Scores are updated monthly.
  • Discover's Freeze it® feature allows cardholders to turn their account on or off at will to prevent fraudulent or unauthorized purchases.
  • Discover offers "Social Security number alerts." In a nutshell, if you activate this feature, Discover will keep an eye on your SSN and alert you if it finds your data on a risky website or notices new accounts opened in your name.
  • Discover cardholders enjoy $0 fraud liability, meaning you aren't financially responsible for unauthorized purchases.
  • If your Discover card is lost or stolen, the company will ship you another one, overnight, for free.
  • At certain retailers, you can use your Discover card to get cash back when making a purchase, similar to what you can do with a debit card. Discover will charge your regular purchase interest rate for this, not a higher cash advance APR. Discover limits these transactions to $120 every 24 hours, and Discover cashback stores may set their own limits.
  • Discover has U.S.-based customer service. What’s more, unlike your typical credit card issuer, Discover commits to not try to sell you other products when you call their customer service department.
  • All Discover cards match the rewards earned in the first year, which matches the rewards you earn during your first year of being a cardholder.
  • Many Discover card rewards partners allow you to redeem your cash back at checkout (though this may not always be the best move).

Here are a few Disover cards we love that could be a great match for your needs.

As of Jun. 06, 2023
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Discover it® Cash Back Discover it® Secured Credit Card Discover it® Balance Transfer
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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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Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Apply Now for Discover it® Secured Credit Card

On Discover's Secure Website.

Apply Now for Discover it® Balance Transfer

On Discover's Secure Website.

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Rates & Fees Rates & Fees Rates & Fees

Credit Rating Requirement:

Good/Excellent (670-850) 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.

Credit Rating Requirement:

New/Rebuilding Under(579) 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.

Credit Rating Requirement:

Good/Excellent (670-850) 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.

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. Intro Offer: Unlimited Cashback Match – 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.

Cashback Match

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.

Cashback Match

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.

Cashback Match

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.

1% - 5% Cashback

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically

1% - 2% Cashback

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. 5% cash back at different places each quarter up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically

1% - 5% Cashback

Intro APR:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Intro APR:

Purchases: n/a

Balance Transfers: 10.99%, 6 months

Intro APR:

Purchases: 0%, 6 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 18 months

Regular APR:

16.99% - 27.99% Variable APR

Regular APR:

27.99% Variable APR

Regular APR:

16.99% - 27.99% Variable APR

Annual Fee:

$0

Annual Fee:

$0

Annual Fee:

$0

Highlights:

  • INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – 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 each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
  • 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.
  • Every $1 you earn in cash back is $1 you can redeem.
  • Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 16.99% to 27.99% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
  • No annual fee.
  • Click through to Discover’s website to see terms and conditions.

Highlights:

  • No credit score required to apply.
  • No Annual Fee, earn cash back, and build your credit history
  • Your secured credit card requires a refundable security deposit, and your credit line will equal your deposit amount, starting at $200. Bank information must be provided when submitting your deposit.
  • Automatic reviews starting at 7 months to see if we can transition you to an unsecured line of credit and return your deposit.
  • Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
  • 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.
  • Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites. Activate for free.
  • Click through to Discover’s website to see terms and conditions.

Highlights:

  • INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – 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 each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
  • 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.
  • Every $1 you earn in cash back is $1 you can redeem.
  • No annual fee.
  • Click through to Discover’s website to see terms and conditions.
Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Apply Now for Discover it® Secured Credit Card

On Discover's Secure Website.

Apply Now for Discover it® Balance Transfer

On Discover's Secure Website.

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Benefits Discover cards don't have

In the interest of helping you pick the best credit card for you, it's important to point out that there are some popular credit card benefits you won't get with a Discover card.

This is especially true when it comes to travel benefits. Specifically, Discover's travel benefits were eliminated in early 2018, including auto rental insurance and flight accident insurance. So, if you're planning on doing a lot of traveling, you might be better off with one of our other favorite travel credit cards.

In addition, Discover also recently eliminated some benefits that are favorites among shoppers, such as purchase protection, return protection, and extended warranty benefits. To be fair, several other card issuers have also cut these types of benefits, but many issuers do still offer them.

The bottom line on Discover credit card benefits

To be clear, there certainly are credit cards with more benefits than Discover. And if travel- or purchase-related benefits are at the top of your priority list, a Discover card may not be the right credit card product for you.

Having said that, the Discover card rewards program offers some unique features, such as Discover's sign up bonus. Plus, some of Discover's other perks are valuable, such as access to 100% U.S.-based customer service and the lack of foreign transaction fees.

The bottom line is that if you're looking for a solid rewards credit card with no annual fee, and aren't really concerned with travel and purchase benefits, a Discover credit card could be just what you're looking for.

Choosing a credit card

Don't you wish you could take a peek inside a credit card expert's wallet sometimes? Just to see the cards they carry? Well, you can't look in anybody's wallet, but you can check out our experts' favorite credit cards. Get started here:

Best Discover credit cards

Still have questions?

Here are some other questions we've answered:

Our Credit Cards Expert

Brittney Myers
By: Brittney Myers

Writer

Brittney started her writing career in the world of science, putting her physics degree to good use. Her journey into finance started with building her personal credit, but soon grew into a borderline obsession with credit cards and travel rewards. For the last 7 years, she has enjoyed the ability to share her expertise with readers, as well as the opportunity to interview companies and individuals making an impact on our financial lives. She wholly believe most problems can be solved with the right research -- and a good spreadsheet -- and she specializes in translating complex financial topics into actionable advice to help educate and empower readers.