Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
No annual or monthly fees & No fees for account opening
Up to 2% cash back
First-year rewards doubled
Relatively low minimum deposit
High regular APR
Discover it Secured Credit Card Review
John Kiernan
5.0 / 5
The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is 2023’s best secured card because it has a $0 annual fee and gives good rewards on purchases (1% to 2% cash back). The Discover it Secured Credit Card is also worth it because it doubles the rewards cardholders earn the first year. The... show more
View 2895 User Reviews
Discover it Secured Credit Card's Additional Info
cash advance fee
Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
No Annual Fee, earn cash back, and build your credit history.
•
Establish your credit line by providing a refundable security deposit of at least $200. That means a $200 deposit for a $200 credit line. Or a $500 deposit for a $500 credit line. Bank information must be provided when submitting your deposit, and the security deposit equals your credit limit.
•
Automatic reviews starting at 7 months to see if we can transition you to an unsecured line of credit and return your deposit.
•
Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases – automatically.
•
Discover helps remove your personal information from select people-search websites. Activate by mobile app for free.
•
Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites.* Activate for free.
Can't find what you are looking for? Submit your question about Discover it® Secured Credit Card to our community. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by the issuer of this card.
You can add a Discover it Secured authorized user by logging in to the Account Center, clicking on "Account Profile" and then clicking on the "Add User" button.
You can get approved for the Discover it Secured without making the security deposit instantly, but you must send in a check or money order within 60 days of the application date. Otherwise, look at unsecured options.
The Discover it Secured is a good credit card to start building credit with. You could argue there are better (depending on what you want), but it will report to the credit bureaus, and as such will help build your credit.
The maximum deposit amount for the Discover it Secured Credit Card is $2500. Your credit limit will be the same as your security deposit and the minimum amount required to open this account is $200.
The reason why you were asked to send a copy of your ID is because Discover found something in your file that doesn't fit with your application. Maybe it was your name, your job, your address, who knows? Something's not correct, so they want to make sure you aren't opening...
Yes, your Discover it Secured card cash back rewards will be matched dollar for dollar automatically, once you reach your first account anniversary. However, only your first year's cash back will get matched.
Share your insights and review the Discover it® Secured Credit Card
5
34%
4
30%
3
21%
2
9%
1
5%
3.7
2,895 reviews
2,895 reviews
What's Your Rating?
Most Recent
Most RecentMost Useful
Review sort
MJ Brown @mjeromebrown
Report Abuse
1 Star Rating
I chose to use Discover it Secured to start credit for a new business. After making a $2500 security deposit and providing all requested verification my account was closed due to business reasons which could not be explained. After being on the phone for over an hour, I was told it would take the equivalent of two weeks to receive my deposit back by way of check. Horrible business and customer service.
show more
show less
Comment
4
8
Harold Roscher @harryrocha48
Report Abuse
5 Star Rating
Verified Customer
To many goodies for Secured Card. Looks more like regular reward one for people with good credit. They need to let the low fico know the good deal they can get. I have a visa and a mastercard. Never so the the discover deal
show more
show less
Comment
11
9
Victoria @ghostorchid
Report Abuse
5 Star Rating
Verified Customer
I’ve had this card going on 3 months now and so far I’m very pleased with it. I was approved with scores in the mid 500s. Two weeks after receiving it appeared on all three of my credit reports and boosted my score 34 points.
show more
show less
Comment
5
3
mangumcar @mangumcar
Report Abuse
1 Star Rating
I am a student and Discover won't consider me for a card because they can't verify my social security number? It must mean they actually do check your credit because I have none but I do file taxes. Go figure.
show more
show less
Comment
4
15
Isa Lovely @isalovely
ALL creditors have to legally run a SSN check to verify that you are who you say you are. It doesn't ding your credit unless you are being wreckless with your inquiries/applying for several cards, loans, etc. Not being able to verify your ssn sounds like a problem that you need to take up with your local S.S. office.
show more
show less
Comment
0
0
Charee Lile @nclile03
Report Abuse
1 Star Rating
If I could give a 0, I would. This card and reviews are BOGUS. Do not waste your time with the hard inquiry. How do you not get approved for a secured card? Mind you, I have to send them a deposit. THIS CARD MAKES NO SENSE. I read the reviews, my score is a 678, and I have 3 unsecured cards with $3500 or more on each with no late fees. I’m rebuilding my credit, so if you’re like me, apply for a Capital One card.
SAVE YOURSELF SOME TIME AND DON’T APPLY. GO TO CAPITAL ONE OR EVEN OLLO!!!!!!!!
show more
show less
Comment
12
18
recrycle @recrycle
Maybe you credit is too good .....from your description you are not in rebuilding credit mode at all. Congratulations.
show more
show less
Comment
0
0
kryllyx @kryllyx
I applied out of boredom just to test a theory. I was approved with a 698 score and 2 unsecured cards so I sent them $2500 just to get the max benefit out of the card.
show more
show less
Comment
0
0
Isa Lovely @isalovely
I got both the Cap One and Discover It at the same time with a lower score than you are claiming. Sounds like other factors are involved with your creditworthiness. By the way, Cap One gave my creditless coworker a card less than a year after having TWO Cap One charge-offs. They give EVERYONE a card. ?
show more
show less
Comment
0
0
whuser15931851 @whuser15931851
I have both Capital One and Discover, I've had no issue out of either one. My score was 525 when I first applied.
show more
show less
Comment
0
0
View more comments
danielp_170 @danielp_170
Report Abuse
2 Star Rating
I wasn’t approved for the secured card with a credit score of 540. I was approved for the Citi secured card, though? I was really hoping to get approved for this one. I’m just trying to rebuild my credit. Too bad, Discover.
show more
show less
Comment
7
7
Gregory Cox @gregoryc_136
Give yourself a few months of building your credit then do the prequalify again. Will not hurt your score and you can periodically check you approval.
show more
show less
Comment
0
0
Roy Cox @optic42002
Report Abuse
1 Star Rating
I chose this card because discover is a great name and I thought it would help me restore my credit. About a year ago I began a serious rebuilding of my credit score. I made some major credit related financial mistakes in my youth which hurt my credit. Last year I started applying for just about any cards I could get approved for. I was given a 300 secured discover card and a few others. Every month I would spend a couple of hundred dollars on this discover card and then pay it off at the end of the month. It states that after 8 months they evaluate you account and decide from your 8 month history whether or not you can move to an unsecured card and have your original security deposit refunded. My history with this secured discover card is absolutely perfect. I have never missed a payment and have paid off the balance every single month. Over the last year I have now been issued 5 other credit cards and managed to jump my score nearly 75 points higher. Every single credit card that I have been issued raised my credit limit nearly 3-400% of the initial balance and now I'm already being offered car loans, etc. The only card that has never changed, grown or helped me was this discover card. Not only did they NOT evaluate my account after 8 months but my credit limit has never changed at all. I have written to them several times asking them to evaluate my account as they promised only to be blown off with a standardized letter explaining how they will evaluate my account after 8 billing cycles, etc. This is funny considering my letter to them is about them NOT doing this very thing. If you are able to get a Credit One card I would recommend that before this secured discover card. They have raised my credit limit and now have offered me their higher end card with a much higher limit after 9 months of responsible use on their starter unsecured card. You also may want to try store specific cards. I shop for music related gear quite often and was issued a sweet water card and a guitar center card both through synchrony bank. Both of those cards have raised my credit limit literally thousands of dollars within a year and that has seriously helped my credit scores. Online research showed this discover card to be a good credit building card but for me it has been a lack luster experience and not as helpful as other cards I have used as credit building tools over the last year.
show more
show less
Comment
17
10
Gregory Cox @gregoryc_136
You are not guaranteed to be graduated at 8 months. That is the preliminary starting period of when you could be graduated to an unsecured card. Just keep doing what you are doing and you will be unsecured in no time.
show more
show less
Comment
0
0
Wolfgang Julian Weller @wolfgang_julianw
Report Abuse
4 Star Rating
Verified Customer
I did not want to apply to many CC's because of the hard pull, and so I got me a Discover card. Put 500bucks down, kept it under 2% for 7 months, had actually to force myself to use the card, yet always left a couple of bucks on the card after paying it off right away, not once above 1%, hence 5bucks. Then they sent me a check for the deposit and increased my limit to 1.5K to an Discover chrome. Bit low for that I am now in the 720 range of credit scores and started with around 580, yet my history is pretty new, so despite the low increase I am glad to have a real CC.
And yes folks it is REALLY possible to increase your score around 150 points within 6-7months if you have nothing really major on it. I paid two collections I did not even know about off, with the agreement that they take it off my credit history and boom I was in good standing. Just relative new, but some oldstylish people, like me, don't care much about it, yet it is necessary. So thanks to Discover, also, I am fine now, and next will be Amex and Cap one because I still have not any other accounts....my bad, but I pay my stuff off right away usually. A car loan would have helped I was told. Neverthless thanks Discover, I will not forget that, that it truly happened like it was written here plenty of times, just the increase was a bit low....expected more trust....no offense. Like I said, 720ish Credit score, around 85K salary, no collections, just new history...bit disappointing! BUT a good card to start with....so, once again thanks Discover! Only four stars because of the low increase.....
show more
show less
Comment
14
5
Bilbo Baggins @3i1bo3aggins
Report Abuse
5 Star Rating
I've had the card for about a year and a week. Started out with $200 secured deposit. I made about 2 payments a month and tried to have a zero balance around statement time. Usually the balance was 0-50. Paid in full ever month. I get $35 I'm matching cash back so I've earned $70 in free money. Also, last night they emailed me that they were graduating me to unsecured with a $2k limit. Very happy with this car. Tip: if you spend freely do what I did a few months in and cut up your card. Use it for a couple monthly regular charges and pay it every month in full. Starting credit score 603 to 619. Although I did have a settlement boost it. So doesn't improve credit score much but a great card anyway.
show more
show less
Comment
17
13
lequanar @lequanar
Report Abuse
1 Star Rating
i was declined. and this is a scured card wow. ......... .................. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ if no stars were available i would give it
show more
show less
Comment
9
18
Gregory Cox @gregoryc_136
a secured card does not mean guaranteed approval
show more
show less
Comment
0
0
Review Discover it® Secured Credit Card
Expert Thoughts on Discover it Secured Credit Card
To help people learn more about the Discover it Secured Credit Card, WalletHub posed the following questions to a panel of experts. You can see who they are and what advice they had to share below.
Why do you think it’s uncommon for credit cards for people with bad credit to offer good rewards?
What should people look for in a credit card if building credit is their main objective?
What do you think is the biggest misconception that people have about secured credit cards?
Does it ever make sense to carry a balance from month to month on a secured credit card like Discover it Secured Credit Card?
Josiah R. Baker Ph.D., Nimocks Professor of International Business, Professor of Economics & Finance, Reeves School of Business & Economics, Methodist University Read More
Bradley Stevenson Associate Professor of Finance, Bellarmine University Read More
Pablo Guerron Professor, Boston College - Robert J. Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Read More
Clifford Rossi Professor-of-the-Practice, Finance Department, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland Read More
Vicki L. Baker MBA, MS, PhD, Professor, Economics & Management, Director, Albion College, Community Collaborative (AC3), Co-Founder, Lead Mentor Develop Read More
We work hard to show you up-to-date product terms, however, this information does not originate from us and thus, we do not guarantee its accuracy. When you click "Apply Now" you will be directed to the offering institution's website. In addition, keep in mind that actual rates and other information may vary for a number of reasons including the applicant's' creditworthiness and differences between an individual's situation and the criteria/assumptions used to generate the information displayed. Before submitting an application, always verify all terms and conditions with the offering institution. Please let us know if you notice any differences.
Ad Disclosure: Offers originating from paying advertisers are noted as “Sponsored” at the top of this page. Advertising may impact how and where offers appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). At WalletHub we try to present a wide array of offers, but our offers do not represent all financial services companies or products.
Irrespective of whether an offering institution is a paid advertiser, the presence of offer information on WalletHub does not constitute a referral or endorsement of the institution by us or vice versa. Furthermore, offers have not been reviewed or approved by the offering institution. Information is displayed first and foremost to help consumers make better decisions.
Editorial Disclaimer: Editorial and user-generated content on this page is not provided, commissioned, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer. In addition, it is not the issuer’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.