Discover it® Cash Back is the original credit card offering 5% cash back rewards on spending in rotating categories. The card offers new cardmembers double cash back rewards in the first year and has an annual fee of $0.
The card’s rewards structure is relatively simple. Each quarter, Discover publishes the Discover it® Cash Back bonus categories. Spending in these categories earns 5% cash back, on up to $1,500 in spending during the quarter. All other spending earns 1% cash back.
Unfortunately, Discover eliminated most of the additional benefits on its cards, so the Discover it® Cash Back card has no notable additional benefits.
Discover It Cash Back: Get a $100 statement credit when you’re approved and use the card within the first three months. Plus, get all of your cash back doubled in your first year of having the card.
Our take on the welcome bonus: Discover only offers a $100 statement credit if you apply through a referral link. We know of no higher offer available on this card.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% on quarterly cash back categories when you activate. 1% on all other purchases. Plus, get a cashback match in your first year.
Discover it® Cash Back at a glance
Here’s what you need to know about the Discover it® Cash Back.
Use this card for:
Purchases in the card’s rotating 5% bonus categories.
Consider other cards for:
- General spending – Card earns 1% cash back on general purchases. Consider a 2% cash back credit card.
- Groceries – Use a card that earns bonus cash back on groceries.
- Purchases with warranties – Use a card that offers an extended warranty benefit.
Welcome bonus
All new Discover it® Cash Back cardmembers receive a dollar-for-dollar cash back match in their first year of card membership. If you apply through a referral link like the one in this post, you’ll receive a $100 statement credit when you make a purchase in the first three months.
Benefit highlights
This card offers no notable benefits beyond its cash back bonus.
Other important terms
- No annual fee
Welcome offer
Discover It Cash Back: Get a $100 statement credit when you’re approved and use the card within the first three months. Plus, get all of your cash back doubled in your first year of having the card.
Our take on the welcome bonus: Discover only offers a $100 statement credit if you apply through a referral link. We know of no higher offer available on this card.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% on quarterly cash back categories when you activate. 1% on all other purchases. Plus, get a cashback match in your first year.
Card rewards
The Discover it Cash Back Card is the original “rotating category” card that offers 5% rewards in up to $1,500 of spending in categories that change quarterly.
2023 Discover it Cash Back category overview
Here’s the complete 2023 cash back category calendar.
| Q1 2023 January – March | Q2 2023 April – June | Q3 2023 July – September | Q4 2023 October – December |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grocery, Drug Stores, Streaming | Restaurants and Wholesale Clubs | Gas and Digital Wallets | Target and Amazon.com |
| Earn 5% Cashback Bonus at Grocery Stores, Drug Stores and Select Streaming Services. Excludes Walmart and Target purchases. | Earn 5% Cashback Bonus at Restaurants and Wholesale Clubs. | Earn 5% Cashback Bonus at Gas Stations and with Digital Wallets. | Earn 5% Cashback Bonus at Target and Amazon.com. |
All other purchases: 1% cash back
In addition to the cash back you earn from the welcome bonus and spending, Discover doubles the rewards you earn in the first year. This includes any welcome bonus you earn with the card. These doubled rewards are awarded at the end of your cardmember anniversary year.
Automatically redeem your Discover it® rewards
Discover offers you the ability to redeem you rewards automatically through its website. Since the rewards on the Discover it® card come as cash back rewards, you should set up automatic reward redemptions. There’s no reason to keep a stash of unredeemed Discover cash back rewards, since cash back rewards are the highest-value redemption available.
How to apply:
Discover It Cash Back: Get a $100 statement credit when you’re approved and use the card within the first three months. Plus, get all of your cash back doubled in your first year of having the card.
Our take on the welcome bonus: Discover only offers a $100 statement credit if you apply through a referral link. We know of no higher offer available on this card.
The link above is a referral link. Someone on our team may earn points if you apply and are approved to the link above.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $0
Rewards: 5% on quarterly cash back categories when you activate. 1% on all other purchases. Plus, get a cashback match in your first year.
A few notes on applying for Discover credit cards
- You can have as most two credit cards issued by Discover at the same time. You can have only one student card.
- Your first account must be opened for a year before Discover will issue you a second credit card.
- You can get welcome bonuses for Discover cards if you have had the same card in the past.
- Discover reports business credit cards to the personal credit bureaus. Keep this in mind if you are trying to stay under 5/24 for Chase applications.
- You can check the application status of your Discover card application online, at Discover’s website.
Should you keep the card after the first year?
The Discover it Cash Back Card has an annual fee of $0. The card can be worth keeping open for its quarterly reward categories after its first year, as it offers the opportunity to get 5% rewards at places like grocery stores, at restaurants and via digital wallets.
Even if you don’t use the card, keeping it open and occasionally putting spending on a no-annual-fee credit card can help you build your credit.
Card benefits
The value offered by the Discover it Cash Back Card is its quarterly cash back bonus; the card offers no additional notable benefits.
Frequently asked questions
With the Discover it® Cash Back card, you earn 5% rewards in rotating categories on up to $1,500 in category spending per quarter, plus 1% cash back on other purchases. If you maximize two cash back categories during the year and spend another $500 per month on the card, you’ll earn $210 cash back.
You can get cash from your Discover card at checkout when you make a purchase at many merchants. The cash you take out gets charged as a purchase and is subject to your purchase APR if you carry a balance month-to-month. Cash taken out at a register does not earn rewards.
The Discover it® card won’t earn you as much on your everyday purchases as a 2% rewards credit card will, and it doesn’t have features like extended warranty protection or purchase protection. The best use of the card is to maximize its bonus categories and use another card for your daily spending.