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Rates & Fees

Discover it Cash Back vs.
Discover it Chrome

John Kiernan, Credit Card Editor

Jul 10, 2026Fact checked

THE WINNER

Discover it® Chrome

Discover it® Chrome is the winner over Discover it® Cash Back in a very close call. The key difference between these two cards is that while Discover it Cash Back offers 5% cash back in quarterly rotating bonus categories (up to a maximum, when you activate them), Discover it Chrome gives you a consistent 2% back at gas stations and restaurants on the first $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter.

Most people will end up benefitting more from the consistent bonus categories. Discover it Chrome also clinches the win with a superior low interest introductory offer on balance transfers and a higher WalletHub Rating.

Key Things to Know

Discover it Chrome gives you 2% cash back on the first $1,000 that you spend each quarter at gas stations and restaurants combined. The spending limit applies to your total spending across both categories, but the categories don’t charge or require activation.
Discover it® Cash Back has a 5% bonus cash back rate that applies to the first $1,500 spent in categories that rotate each quarter and require activation.
Discover it Cash Back and Discover it Chrome both offer 1% cash back on other types of purchases.
Both cards match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year as a new cardmember.
Neither card charges an annual fee or a foreign transaction fee.
You won’t be eligible for either card without a good or excellent credit score (700+ is recommended).

You can learn more about how the two stack up against one another in various categories below.

WalletHub's credit card comparisons and ratings are completely independent and not provided, commissioned, or endorsed by any issuer. WalletHub independently collected information for

some of the cards

on this page.

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Discover it Cash Back vs. Discover it Chrome: Key Characteristics

Discover it® Cash Back

Discover it® Chrome

Discover it Cash Back vs. Discover it Chrome: Rewards

Discover it Cash Back wins with 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent in the bonus rotating categories you activate each quarter. Purchases that exceed the bonus category’s quarterly limit or do not qualify for bonus rewards will get you 1% back. Discover it Chrome always gives 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000 spent each quarter combined), and 1% back on all other purchases.

Neither card gives you a traditional initial bonus based on meeting a specific spending requirement, but Discover will match the cash back that you earn during your first year as a new cardmember, giving you this bonus after your account anniversary. All Discover cards have this feature, which could save you a lot of money if you have a big year of spending planned.

winner

Discover it® Cash Back

Discover it® Chrome

rewards Type

Cash Back

bonus offer

N/A

rewards rate

1 - 5% Cash Back

1 - 2% Cash Back

rewards details

Discover it Cash Back - Rewards Details

INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers. 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 you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Redeem cash back for any amount. No annual fee.

Discover it Chrome - Rewards Details

INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers. 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.
Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. You'll still earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Redeem cash back for any amount

Discover it Cash Back vs. Discover it Chrome: New Purchase Financing

Discover it Cash Back is the winner here, as it has a much better 0% intro APR offer for new purchases. In fact, Discover it Cash Back’s 0% intro APR offer is much longer than the average intro period for purchases: 11.7 months, according to WalletHub’s Credit Card Landscape Report. The Discover it Chrome offer falls below that threshold.

It’s important to pay off your purchases during the introductory period, because once the intro rate expires, the regular APR of 17.49% - 26.49% Variable applies to your remaining balance and all future purchases, no matter which card you use.

winner

Discover it® Cash Back

Discover it® Chrome

purchase intro rate

0% for 15 months

0% for 6 months

regular apr

17.49% - 26.49% Variable

Discover it Cash Back vs. Discover it Chrome: Balance Transfers

Discover it Chrome wins this matchup as one of the better balance transfer credit cards on the market, offering an intro APR of 0% for 18 months, which is a better deal than what Discover it Cash Back currently brings to the table. The Discover it Cash Back comes with an intro APR of 0% for 15 months.

Both cards charge a balance transfer fee. Both also have a regular APR of 17.49% - 26.49% Variable, which applies after the intro period ends.

Discover it® Cash Back

winner

Discover it® Chrome

Balance Transfer Intro APR

0% for 15 months

0% for 18 months

regular apr

17.49% - 26.49% Variable

balance transfer fee

3% intro fee for the first 15 months, 5% at a promo APR that the issuer may offer you at any other time

3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*

Discover it Cash Back vs. Discover it Chrome: Major Fees

Neither Discover it Cash Back and Discover it Chrome charge an annual fee, nor do they charge a foreign transaction fee on purchases processed outside of the U.S. The two cards also charge a maximum late fee of $41.

Discover it Chrome gets the win as the better overall card.

Discover it® Cash Back

winner

Discover it® Chrome

Annual fee

Monthly Fee

One-time Fees

Discover it Cash Back vs. Discover it Chrome: Benefits

Discover it Cash Back and Discover it Chrome both lack most supplemental benefits, such as travel insurance, return protection, extended warranties, purchase protection, and rental car insurance, among others. Discover cards used to have many of these key benefits but discontinued them.

As a result, Discover’s credit card benefits are generally not as good as those from other major credit cards on the American Express, Visa, or Mastercard networks, especially for frequent travelers.

Currently, the two cards’ signature benefit is “Freeze It®,” a security feature common among major credit card issuers that allows you to immediately prevent transactions by freezing your card online, by phone, or via the mobile app.

Category Winner: Tie

Discover it Cash Back vs. Discover it Chrome: Recommended Credit

Both Discover it Cash Back and Discover it Chrome are available to people with at least good credit. We recommend a credit score of 700+ if you want to be seriously considered for either card.

Category Winner: Tie

Discover it Cash Back vs. Discover it Chrome: Additional Info

Discover it Cash Back and Discover it Chrome each charge very high APRs and steep fees on cash advances. That will be the case with pretty much any credit card you get, however, including cards from other issuers. You should avoid cash advances whenever possible.

Given that there are no differences between the cards here, Discover it Chrome wins this category as the better overall card.

Discover it® Cash Back

winner

Discover it® Chrome

foreign transaction fee

cash advance apr

28.49% Variable

cash advance fee

Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater

grace period

See Terms

Additional Info

Discover it Cash Back - Additional Info

Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. Then 17.49% to 26.49% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
Terms and conditions apply.

Discover it Chrome - Additional Info

INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers. 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.
Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. You'll still earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Get a 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers. Then 17.49% to 26.49% Standard Variable APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
Redeem cash back for any amount
No annual fee.
Terms and conditions apply.

Discover it Cash Back vs. Discover it Chrome: Ratings

Discover it Cash Back wins the editor and user rating rounds with a score of 3.9/5 from WalletHub’s editors and an average of 3.9 / 5 from WalletHub’s users. Discover it Chrome is close behind with a 3.6/5 editor’s rating and an average user rating of 3.6 / 5.

Discover it Chrome takes the overall category, though, with a 4.34 / 5 WalletHub Rating, a few notches ahead of Discover it Cash Back, which posted a WalletHub Rating of 3.93 / 5.

Discover it® Cash Back

winner

Discover it® Chrome

user reviews

(1,749)

(288)

EDITOR'S RATING

3.9 / 5

3.6 / 5

WALLETHUB RATING

3.9 / 5

WalletHub Rating

3.9

Editor’s Rating

3.9

User Reviews

3.8

Market Comparison

4.0

fees: 5.0

rewards: 3.3

cost: 3.8

APR: 3.9

4.3 / 5

WalletHub Rating

4.3

This card has been scored using WalletHub’s proprietary credit card rating system. We evaluated this card for various cardholder needs and picked the rating for the need with the highest score, which is "Lower Cost of Existing Debt." A score of 5 is the best a card can receive, and the rating for the card may vary on different pages where it is compared to other cards for different needs.

Editor’s Rating

3.6

User Reviews

3.6

Market Comparison

4.5

fees: 5.0

cost: 4.5

APR: 4.5

BEST WHEN USED TO

Finance New Purchases

Lower Cost of Existing Debt

About the Author

John S Kiernan

Credit Card Editor

John Kiernan has covered the credit card industry for more than 15 years as a writer and editor for WalletHub. His work has been featured by major media outlets such as The Washington Post, Fox News and The New York Times and has been cited by industry regulators such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

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4.5WalletHub Rating

WalletHub Rating

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This card has been scored using WalletHub’s proprietary credit card rating system. We evaluated this card for various cardholder needs and picked the rating for the need with the highest score, which is "Lower Cost of Existing Debt." A score of 5 is the best a card can receive, and the rating for the card may vary on different pages where it is compared to other cards for different needs.

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User Reviews

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Purchase Intro APRNot Offered

Transfer Intro APR0% for 18 months|Transfer Fee: 3% intro fee ($5 min) for each transfer in first 4 months, after that 5% ($5 min) for each transfer

Regular APR17.49% - 27.49% (V)

Purchase Intro APR

Not Offered

Transfer Intro APR

0% for 18 months|Transfer Fee: 3% intro fee ($5 min) for each transfer in first 4 months, after that 5% ($5 min) for each transfer

Regular APR

17.49% - 27.49% (V)

annual fee

rewards rate

2 - 5% Cash Back

Bonus Offer

$200

Bonus Offer

$200

credit score

Excellent Credit, Good Credit

Pros

Offers 2% cash back on all purchases
$0 annual fee
$200 initial rewards bonus
Low intro APR on balance transfers

Cons

3% foreign transaction fee
High regular APR

Rewards Details

Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.

Additional Info

Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 17.49% - 27.49%, based on your creditworthiness.
Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).

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Chase Freedom Unlimited®

3.66 out of 5 rating918 Reviews

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4.2WalletHub Rating

WalletHub Rating

4.2

This card has been scored using WalletHub’s proprietary credit card rating system. We evaluated this card for various cardholder needs and picked the rating for the need with the highest score, which is "Earn Rewards." A score of 5 is the best a card can receive, and the rating for the card may vary on different pages where it is compared to other cards for different needs.

Editor’s Rating

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Market Comparison

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fees: 3.8

rewards: 4.3

cost: 4.6

Other Features: 0.0

Purchase Intro APR0% for 15 months

Transfer Intro APR0% for 15 months|Transfer Fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days (5%, min $5 after)

Regular APR18.24% - 27.74% (V)

Purchase Intro APR

0% for 15 months

Transfer Intro APR

0% for 15 months|Transfer Fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater in the first 60 days (5%, min $5 after)

Regular APR

18.24% - 27.74% (V)

annual fee

rewards rate

1.5 - 5% Cash Back

Bonus Offer

$200

Bonus Offer

$200

credit score

Excellent Credit, Good Credit

Pros

$200 initial bonus
Earn rate: 1.5 - 5% cash back
0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
$0 annual fee

Cons

Balance transfer fee
Foreign transaction fee
Potential for a high regular APR

Rewards Details

Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can use points to redeem for cash through an account statement credit or an electronic deposit into an eligible Chase account located in the United States!

Additional Info

Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.24% - 27.74%.
No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
Member FDIC

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Discover it Cash Back vs. Discover it Chrome FAQ

Comparing credit cards can be tough. But you’ve got the knowledgeable WalletHub community on your side. We encourage everyone to share their knowledge while respecting our content guidelines. Please keep in mind that editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. In addition, it is not the financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered. WalletHub independently collected information for some of the cards on this page.

Upvotes

What are the best unsecured Discover credit cards?

Stephanie Vann

The best unsecured Discover credit card is the Discover it® Miles card because it has a $0 annual fee and offers 1.5 miles per $1 spent on all purchases. In addition, it will match all the miles you earn the first year as a new cardmember, as an account anniversary bonus.

There are also intro APRs of 0% for 15 months on purchases and 0% for 15 months on balance transfers, followed by a regular APR of 17.49% - 26.49% Variable.

Unfortunately, there are no Discover credit cards for bad credit. The Discover cards with the lowest credit score requirements are their student cards. They accept students with limited credit.

Upvotes

How many types of Discover cards are there?

Maria Adams, Credit Cards Moderator

There are several types of Discover cards spanning a wide range of categories; cash back, travel, low interest, student, and more. All Discover cards have $0 annual fees and 0% foreign transaction fees. Plus, Discover matches all rewards earned during the first year for new cardmembers on all their cards.

Discover is a card network, yet it also issues its own credit cards. All Discover cards offer a minimum of 1% back in rewards...

Upvotes

What are the Discover Card benefits?

Richard Rader

The Discover card benefits include no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees on any card, along with the ability to freeze your account on demand. Discover will also match all the rewards you earn in your first year. Plus, there's a “Cash at Checkout” feature that allows cardholders to withdraw cash when making a purchase with a Discover card at specific retailers. Withdrawals are limited to $120 every 24 hours. They are charged at...

View more answers

More Resources

Just because these are two popular Discover cards that doesn't necessarily mean either one is right for you. So if you're still on the fence about which credit card to apply for, checking out these additional resources may be helpful:

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