Discover it® Miles is a good credit card for earning travel rewards if you don’t want to pay an annual fee, and it's especially worthwhile early on, matching all the miles new cardmembers earn the first year as an anniversary bonus. Plus, you won’t have to pay foreign transaction fees if you travel abroad.
What I Like About Discover it Miles
Decent regular earning rate
You will earn 1.5 miles for each $1 that you charge to this card. That’s solid in the sense that the average rewards card offers just
1.2 miles per $1 spent, according to WalletHub’s latest
Credit Card Landscape Report. But it won’t blow your socks off.
Great first-year promotion
However many miles you earn the first year your account is open, Discover will match it. So let’s say you earn 35,000 miles during the first 12 months your account is open, Discover’s first-year match would give you another 35,000 miles, for a total of 70,000 miles. Not too shabby.
This could add up to a lot more than a standard initial bonus, especially if you have a big year of spending planned.
Booking flexibility
Where you book matters with many travel rewards credit cards, which often require you to use a certain website or travel provider as a condition of earning points or miles at the maximum rate. That’s not the case with the Discover it Miles card, fortunately. You can comparison shop to your heart’s desire and earn rewards at the same rate no matter where you book.
No annual fee
The Discover it Miles card is
$28.25 per year cheaper than the average credit card and even more inexpensive compared to many of the market’s best travel rewards deals. This is particularly good for light spenders who may not earn enough rewards with a premium card to offset a big fee.
That said, it’s your expected rewards value minus fees that really counts when choosing a card. No fee doesn’t always mean better.
Decent 0% intro offer
At
0% for 15 months for new purchases and balance transfers, the card’s intro financing promotions are quite a bit longer than the market average. That doesn’t mean it’s the best card for the job – far from it, but you’ve got to give credit where credit is due.
This deal could save you hundreds of dollars on interest charges, depending on your situation and how you handle the card. In particular, you need to avoid the high APR that comes into play when the intro promotion goes away:
17.49% to 26.49% Variable. You should also keep in mind that the
Discover it Miles balance transfer part of the deal includes a
3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*.
Good customer service
Discover prides itself on providing customer support via real human beings, and customers can talk to one anytime they want. It’s therefore no surprise that Discover scores very highly for customer satisfaction,
ranking second among major issuers according to our research.
What I Don’t Like About Discover it Miles
The standard interest rate is pretty high
The regular APR could be anywhere from
17.49% to 26.49% Variable. The low end of the range is a bit higher than the average among credit cards for excellent credit, according to
WalletHub’s Landscape Report, while the high end comes in just below the average APR for people with fair credit.
Since your APR is not going to be low with this card, you’re better off paying your bill in full every month when it’s in effect.
Balance transfer fee
If you’re thinking about taking advantage of the introductory balance transfer deal, don’t forget that it includes a
3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*. That’s a fairly standard amount, but you still need to account for it when comparing offers.
You can see how much you’ll be able to save despite this fee using
WalletHub’s balance transfer calculator.
Good credit required
You generally need good credit to be eligible for the Discover it Miles card, which will make things difficult for about 60% of potential applicants. So it’s a good idea to
check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub to make sure you meet the credit score requirement.
Note: This review is not provided, commissioned or endorsed by any issuer. Opinions and ratings are our own.
