Where is Discover card accepted?

A Discover card is accepted in 200 countries and territories internationally. That includes India, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Puerto Rico, the United Arab Emirates and most other popular destinations for American business and vacation travelers. But just because a Discover card is accepted by at least some merchants in a given country does not mean you should rely on it exclusively. Even Discover classifies its acceptance as low in places like France and Russia. So, you may want to bring a … read full answerVisa or Mastercard along, too. Those two networks are accepted worldwide.

Here’s where Discover cards are most & least likely to be accepted internationally:

• High Merchant Acceptance: Argentina, Dominican Republic, India, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Puerto Rico, Chile, Spain
• Moderate Merchant Acceptance: Brazil, China, Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom
• Low Merchant Acceptance: Australia, Egypt, France, Russia
• No Merchant Acceptance: Bolivia, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, most of Africa and the Middle East

There are more countries in each of these groups. And you can check out Discover’s international acceptance map for a complete breakdown. But this list will give you a good idea of what to expect in the most popular international travel destinations.

If Discover is widely accepted in your international destination of choice, you should definitely consider getting a Discover card to bring with you. Discover credit cards are well-suited to the task in the sense that none of them charge foreign transaction fees. The Discover it® Miles card is an especially good choice, giving you 1.5 miles per $1 spent and doubling the rewards you earn the first year, all with a $0 annual fee.

Discover is accepted almost everywhere in the U.S., as the network has a 99% acceptance rate among all domestic businesses and e-commerce sites that take credit cards. Internationally, Discover’s Global Network offers acceptance in nearly 200 countries and territories. Unfortunately, that number is slightly behind both Visa and Mastercard, the world’s two largest credit card networks in terms of global acceptance. You can visit the Discover international credit card acceptance page to see which countries accept Discover cards.… read full answer

You should also be aware that while around 10.4 million merchants nationwide will accept your Discover card, there are still some retailers in the U.S. that will not. For example, Costco, one of the nation’s biggest retailers, does not accept Discover cards, as it has an exclusive partnership with Visa and will only take Visa cards at its wholesale warehouse clubs. Other merchants such as small family-run businesses or major chain-restaurant franchises, may or may not accept your Discover card, depending on the business owner.

To know for sure if a retailer accepts Discover cards, look for the Discover logo at the business or online checkout area. Or, you can always ask if the merchant takes Discover cards before you use the card to complete your purchase.