Discover Credit Card Reviews

The Discover cash back bonus pays you back a certain percentage of the money you spend as a reward. The Discover cash back bonus can be redeemed either at select merchants or for cash. More specifically, there are three types of Discover cashback bonuses:

• 5% bonus rate: You earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent per quarter in bonus categories (which change every quarter and require activation), and 1% back on all other purchases. The Discover credit cards that offer this deal are the Discover it® Cash Back, the NHL® Discover it® and the Discover it® Student Cash Back.
• Cash back in categories that don't change: Other Discover cards offer a cashback bonus in certain categories that never change. Discover it® chrome, Discover it® Student chrome and Discover it® Secured Credit Card offer 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000 spent each quarter combined), and 1% back on all other purchases.
• Cashback Match: There's a final Discover cashback bonus that all Discover cards have. With Cashback Match, Discover will match all the rewards you earn the first year your account is open. So, if you rack up $500 in rewards during the first 12 months, for example, Discover will tack on another $500 as an anniversary present.

Discover's 2% cash back bonus and Cashback Match are fairly simple, but there are several other details you'll need to know about the 5% bonus. To start, Discover has a cash back calendar showing when the categories rotate. And to get the 5% Discover cashback bonus, you need to “activate” it every quarter. You can easily do so by logging in to your Discover account from their cashback bonus page. You can activate the new categories on the first day of the quarter.

The Discover calendar shows what purchases qualify for Discover's 5% cash back bonus rewards categories. Eligible cardholders can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent per quarter in the purchase categories listed on Discover's bonus rewards calendar, when they activate.

2021 Discover Calendar for 5% Rewards Categories:

Discover's 5% cash back calendar applies to three Discover credit cards: Discover it® Cash Back, Discover it® Student Cash Back and NHL® Discover it®. Cardholders must activate new bonus categories by the end of each quarter for purchases to qualify for the 5% rewards rate. And the bonus rate will apply only from the date of activation through the last day of the quarter. To activate a category, click the blue “Activate Now” link on the calendar.

Just bear in mind that there are exceptions to Discover's calendar categories. For example, purchases at restaurants inside other locations – like hotels, convenience stores and grocery stores – are not eligible. Neither are restaurant delivery purchases. PayPal purchases using tap-and-pay, virtual wallets or similar technology may not qualify, either. Each category has a bit of fine print. Be sure to read it.

The Discover card benefits include no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees on any card, along with security features such as SSN alerts and 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 the card's regular purchase APR, rather than the higher cash advance APR. All of these perks come standard on all Discover cards. It's important to note that Discover discontinued several key benefits in 2018. Travel insurance and auto rental coverage are no longer available as of February 28, 2018. Purchase protection, extended warranties, and return guarantee protection were also dropped at that time. The price protection benefit was cut on October 31, 2018. Purchases and claims posted before the expiration dates still received coverage. Discover will continue to provide free security benefits on all cards. They include 24/7 account monitoring, alerts that notify cardholders if their personal information has been compromised, and a “Freeze it” account feature. “Freeze it” allows cardholders to temporarily prevent any new purchases, cash advances or balance transfers if their card is lost or stolen.

The Discover it® Cash Back categories for rewards include a broad range of everyday spending, such as grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants and online retailers like Amazon and Target.

Cash back categories are the types of purchases that cardholders can earn 5% cash back on, up to $1,500 spent per quarter. The categories rotate every quarter, and any purchases in these categories over the $1,500 quarterly limit earn 1% cash back until the next quarter. Purchases that don't qualify for the Discover it® Cash Back card's bonus categories also get you 1% back.

Some past examples of the Discover it® Cash Back categories are gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, specific retailers like Amazon and Target, and rideshare services. But it's important to remember that cardholders don't automatically get the 5% rate on bonus category spending. You'll need to remember to “activate” the categories each quarter on Discover's website. Fortunately, it's a simple process – you'll just have to log in to your online account and confirm the activation. You'll also be able to see the entire cash back calendar for the year, which is summarized below for your convenience.

These are the Discover it® Cash Back Categories for 2021:

January-March: Grocery Stores, Walgreens and CVS

April-June: Gas Stations, Wholesale Clubs and Select Streaming Services

July-September: Restaurants and PayPal

October-December: Amazon.com, Walmart.com and Target.com

You can see the fine print for any exceptions to the categories on Discover's website. For example, Walmart and Target don't count as grocery stores. It's also good to note that several other Discover credit cards have the same categories as the Discover it® Cash Back card each quarter. They are the Discover it® Student Cash Back and the NHL® Discover it® credit cards.

The Discover good grades reward is $20 statement credit per year you earn a GPA of 3.0 or higher, for up to five years. This reward is available with the Discover it® Student Cash Back and Discover it® Student chrome credit cards.

Getting your Discover good grades reward for your credit card is easy. All you have to do is log in to your online account and go to “Your Shortcuts,” then “Good Grades Reward.” After you submit your school's grading range and your GPA, you'll receive a $20 statement credit within 7 business days.

It's possible that Discover might ask you to send them proof of your grades, such as an academic transcript. If they do, you won't be able to receive your reward until you provide this proof. But Discover won't always ask for verification.

You can also get a Discover good grades reward with a student loan. That works a little differently. Instead of getting a flat cash back amount each year you instead get a one-time reward of 1% of the loan amount. There are a few more details of these two offers you should know about.

Here's how the Discover good grades reward works:

• Discover's student credit cards give $20 statement credit every year you have a 3.0 GPA or better – for up to five years.
• To get your card reward, log in to your online account and go to “Your Shortcuts,” then “Good Grades Reward.” Put in your school's grading range (e.g. 0.0 to 4.0) and your own GPA.
• The Discover good grades credit card reward comes as a statement credit within 7 business days of when you submit your grades.
• If you have a Discover student loan and graduate with a 3.0 or higher, you're eligible for a one-time cash bonus of 1% of the loan amount.

You are eligible for the Discover student loan good grades reward if you took out such a loan on or after May 14, 2014 and graduated with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. To collect your bonus, log in to your student loan account and submit your grades within 6 months of the academic period covered by the loan ending or 6 months after the loan's final disbursement, whichever is later. You'll get your 1% Discover good grades reward as a check within 2-3 weeks.