Discover it® Student Cash Back Review: In a Class of Its Own

Many student credit cards are light on perks, but that's not the case with the Discover it® Student Cash Back. It offers big bonus opportunities and useful tools that can help you build your credit. Learn more about what it has to offer in our detailed Discover it® Student Cash Back review.

This credit card is a good fit for: Students who want to earn cash back and build credit, without paying any unnecessary fees.

Top perks

This is one of the most feature-packed student credit cards we've seen.

Up to 5% cash back

With the Discover it® Student Cash Back, you earn a 5% Cashback Bonus® on everyday purchases in rotating categories each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum of $1,500 on purchases and when you activate. Other eligible purchases earn 1% cash back.

This is a fantastic rate that's competitive with some of the top cash back cards. Just make sure to activate your bonus categories every quarter to earn the bonus rate of 5%.

Unlimited Cashback Match sign-up bonus

Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn $200 in cash back during the first year, Discover will reward you with another $200. There's no maximum amount, so you can earn quite a bit of cash back this way.

SEE MORE: Best Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses

Good for avoiding fees

Some credit cards charge lots of extra fees. Fortunately, Discover credit cards don't. Here's how you save on fees with the Discover it® Student Cash Back:

• It doesn't charge an annual fee. This is especially important for your first credit card. It means you can keep the card open, which helps your credit score, without paying a yearly fee for it.
• It doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee. Many credit cards charge a fee, often 3%, on foreign transactions. If you plan to study abroad or travel internationally at all, you can use this Discover card without paying extra.
• Discover automatically waives your first late fee. Ideally, you'll never pay late -- I recommend setting up auto-pay or putting a monthly bill pay reminder on your phone. Still, it's nice that Discover cuts you some slack if you miss a credit card payment.

0% intro APR for purchases

Want to pay off something expensive -- like a semester's worth of books -- without costly interest charges? This Discover card has a 0% intro APR on purchases lasting 6 months. The go-to 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR applies after the intro period. Here are a few things to keep in mind with this feature:

• If you pay off your purchases within the first 6 months, you'll avoid interest.
• Even when you're not getting charged interest, you still need to make minimum payments on your card every month.
• You'll start getting charged interest on your balance once the intro period ends.
• Only use this feature if you really need it. Don't get yourself in debt for no reason, just because your card has a 0% intro APR. 

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Free FICO® Score

As a Discover cardholder, you have access to its Credit Scorecard tool. This is available through the Discover mobile app and online. It gives you a detailed look at your FICO® Score, as well as the factors that are helping and hurting it.

This is a helpful feature for anyone, but especially those who are building credit for the first time. It's important to know your FICO® Score, because this is the type of credit score that's most widely used by lenders. Discover will also show you what you can do to improve it.

LEARN MORE: How to Establish Credit for the First Time

Identity alerts

Identity theft is a common financial crime. Discover offers tools that can help you catch it. When you open a Discover card, you can choose to activate the following alerts:

• Social Security number alerts: Discover notifies you if your Social Security number is found on any of thousands of dark web sites.
• New inquiry alerts: Discover monitors your Experian credit report every day. If anyone pulls your credit, Discover notifies you so you can spot potential fraud.
• New account alerts: Discover notifies you if any credit card or loan accounts are opened on your Experian credit report. If anyone else opens an account in your name, this can help you spot it right away.

What could be improved

There aren't any major issues with the Discover it® Student Cash Back credit card, but there's one drawback worth mentioning.

No fixed bonus categories

The hard part with rotating bonus categories is that there aren't any areas where you can always earn more cash back throughout the year. For example, if you usually spend a lot on gas and groceries, you might rather have a card that earns more in those categories year-round.

With this card, one quarter you may luck out with bonus categories where you have high spending, earning you lots of rewards. The next quarter, you might end up with bonus categories in which you barely spend anything, and most of your purchases will earn you 1% back.

Suggested credit score

There's no minimum credit score needed to get the Discover it® Student Cash Back. Since it's a student credit card, you can qualify for it with no credit history.

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You're looking for a credit card to use during college and beyond. To be honest, the Discover it® Student Cash Back is simply one of the best credit cards for students. It's one I've recommended to my own younger family members. In particular, you'll probably love it if:

• You're looking for a first credit card that's easy to use and doesn't charge unnecessary fees.
• You want to earn extra cash back in a variety of categories.
• You need to pay off some big expenses over time.

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.