Discover Credit Cards
CreditDonkey Top Rated Discover Cards
For | Credit Card |
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Cash Back | Discover it® - Cashback Match™ |
Travel | Discover it® Miles |
Gas & Dining | Discover it® chrome |
Student | Discover it® for Students |
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Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
Disclaimer: The information for the Discover it® Cash Back, Discover it® Student Cash Back, Discover it® Chrome, Discover it® Miles, Discover it® Secured, and Discover it® Student Chrome has been collected independently by CreditDonkey. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Discover Benefits
Is Discover a Good Credit Card?
Discover cards offer Cashback Bonus, purchase protection and convenience, all backed by highly ranked customer service and no annual fee (for most cards). However, these cards also come with their share of drawbacks that you'll need to consider when deciding whether signing up for a Discover card is right for you.
Pros
Rewards: Discover was the first company to offer cash back rewards to its customers, and today, most of its cards have a cash back program. You can redeem these rewards by getting a direct deposit of money in your bank account, taking a credit on your Discover Card account, or purchasing gift cards online. Participating retailers make store gift cards available through the Discover website that cardholders can purchase with the points they’ve accumulated from using their Discover card. When used this way, points can be worth more than their statement credit value. For instance, you can buy $50 gift cards for the equivalent of $40 in points from some stores.
Customer service: Discover offers 24/7 customer service via the phone, and all representatives are U.S. based. The company has a reputation for customer service.
Cash over benefit: Discover is the only major credit card issuer to offer the cash over benefit. This option allows you to get cash back when using your card at certain retailers, saving you a trip to the bank or ATM.
Cons
Rewards: The downside of Discover’s reward structure is you need to stay on top of it. Many Discover cards offer 5% cash back bonus on purchases in certain categories. The categories (such as restaurants or gas purchases) eligible for 5% cash back change every few months. When some categories are not eligible for the highest rewards, other credit cards may be offering larger cash back percentages at the same time. This means that if you don’t spend a lot in the high-reward categories, you may be losing out on the rewards you could be getting with another card. Check Discover’s calendar to see if your purchases would generally fall in line with its reward program.
Acceptance: Where is Discover Card accepted? Discover card’s acceptance at retailers has been greatly improved of late. By some estimates, over 90% of stores in the U.S. that accept Visa and MasterCard now accept Discover, as well. Even so, having a Discover card as your only credit card may mean you are unable to make non-cash purchases at some stores.
Approval: Some Discover credit cards require a credit score above 700 for approval, and even cards that are easier to get require scores well into the "good" credit score range.
Who should use Discover?
Given the positives and negatives, Discover cards are probably best for individuals who have good credit and who are open to having more than one credit card. Discover’s reward structure is great when its 5% cash back program applies to products you are likely to buy, but at times, you’ll find you’re better off taking advantage of rewards offered by other credit cards. You’re also less likely to get stuck at a store being unable to make a purchase if you have at least one other card that’s more widely accepted.
To decide whether a Discover card is right for you, evaluate your spending patterns and credit needs, and then compare Discover’s card offerings to its competitors.