Pros
- Mile values are the same for all redemption options
- Miles never expire as long as the account is open and in good standing
- Multiple redemption options
- Double miles during the first year
Cons
- No transfer partners
- Can't redeem for gift cards
- Only one credit card
Discover Miles Rewards Review Summary
Discover Miles Rewards is the 3rd best credit card rewards program, according to WalletHub's latest comparison, receiving 89 points out of a possible 100. The Discover Miles Rewards program features only one credit card, the Discover it® Miles card, which provides miles that are worth 1 cent apiece no matter how you redeem. There are several redemption options, too, from travel to a statement credit to Amazon purchases.
Discover Miles Rewards Review Scorecard
#10 for Earning Policies
#9 for Redemption Policies
#1 for Rewards Value per Mile
#1 for Eligibility & Transparency
Discover Miles Rewards Credit Card
Discover it® Miles
Transfer Fee: 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*
Rewards Details
- UNLIMITED BONUS: Only Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
- Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase - with no annual fee.
- Redeem Miles to pay any part of your monthly bill, including your minimum payment.
- Turn Miles into cash in any amount, any time. Or redeem as a statement credit for travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more with no blackout dates. However you redeem, Miles keep the same value. And Miles never expire.
Additional Info
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 16.99% - 27.99% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
- Discover is accepted nationwide by 99% of the places that take credit cards.
- Freeze your account in seconds with an on/off switch either on the mobile app or website to prevent new purchases, cash advances, and balance transfers.
- Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on any of thousands of Dark Web sites. Activate for free.
- Click through to Discover’s website to see terms and conditions.
- More Details & Reviews About Discover it® Miles
Summary: Discover Miles Rewards Scores by Review Category
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Earning Policies | 26/30 |
| Redemption Policies | 13/20 |
| Rewards Value per Mile | 30/30 |
| Eligibility & Transparency | 20/20 |
| OVERALL | 89/100 |
How to Earn Discover Miles Rewards
Category Rating: 87% (26/30)
You will earn 1.5 miles per $1 in return for every dollar you spend with the Discover it® Miles card. There’s no limit on how many miles you can earn.
Noteworthy Features:
- Double miles during the first year: Discover will match all the miles you earn during the first year you have the Discover it® Miles. You will receive this bonus within two billing periods after your account anniversary.
Earning Restrictions to Watch Out For: There are currently no notable earning restrictions with Discover Miles Rewards, other than the lack of cards with which to earn miles.
How to Redeem Discover Miles Rewards
Category Rating: 65% (13/20)
All Discover Miles redemption methods offer the same value. Therefore, the best redemption option for you depends on your individual spending habits and what you want to get with your rewards. Below, you can learn more about the choices.
Cash Back
Cash back redemption can take the form of a statement credit or an electronic deposit to a bank account.
Travel
You can redeem your miles for any travel purchases made in the past 180 days.
Miscellaneous
You can use your miles to pay for purchases directly through Amazon and PayPal.
Noteworthy Features:
- No minimum redemption amount: You can redeem as little as 1 mile toward your rewards.
- Flexible rewards redemption options: All redemption options offer the same value, which is unusual for a travel card.
- Rewards never expire: Your miles will not expire as long as your account stays open and in good standing.
Redemption Restrictions to Watch Out For:
- No gift cards available: Unlike with many credit card rewards programs, you cannot redeem your miles for gift cards.
- No transfer partners: Discover Miles Rewards does not offer the ability to transfer miles to other companies’ loyalty programs.
Discover Miles Rewards Value
Category Rating: 100% (30/30)
Discover miles are worth 1 cent each, no matter how you redeem them. With the Discover it® Miles card, you will earn 1.5 miles per $1 spent on all purchases.
Discover Miles Rewards Redemption Value
| Redemption Options | Value of 1 point |
|---|---|
| Travel | Info |
| Airlines | 1 cent |
| Hotels | 1 cent |
| Car rentals | 1 cent |
| Cruises | 1 cent |
| Average | 1 cent |
| Cash Back |
Info |
| Statement Credit | 1 cent |
| Electronic deposit to bank account | 1 cent |
| Average | 1 cent |
| Miscellaneous |
Info |
| Redeem with PayPal | 1 cent |
| Shop with Amazon | 1 cent |
| Average | 1 cent |
Discover Miles Rewards Eligibility & Transparency
Category Rating: 100% (20/20)
Only one Discover card currently participates in the Discover Miles Rewards program, the Discover it® Miles. Discover also has a number of cash back credit cards that are in their own program, Discover Cash Back Rewards.
Discontinued Discover Miles Rewards Cards
Discover has discontinued some of its Miles Rewards credit card offers over the years. While some people may still have these cards, they’re not available to new applicants and were not factored into scoring.
4 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Discover Miles Rewards
Following these tips could mean the difference between earning a free family vacation and only getting enough for a one-way flight:
- Redeem regularly
The whole point of earning credit card rewards is to enjoy the savings they provide. If you just leave your Discover miles sitting in your account unused, they won’t do you much good.
- Pay your bill on time every month
Your Discover miles won’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing. In other words, you have nothing to worry about if you pay your monthly bills on time.
- Pay your bill in full every month
Paying interest at a credit card’s regular APR will end up costing you more than rewards save you. Paying in full monthly allows you to avoid interest charges.
- Redeem before closing your account
You will lose any Discover miles left unredeemed when you close your account.
Discover Miles Rewards vs. Chase Ultimate Rewards vs. American Express Membership Rewards
| Category | Discover Miles Rewards | Capital One Miles Rewards | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
| WalletHub Rank | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| Average Rewards Value | 1 cent | 0.7 cents | 1.07 cents |
| Redemption Options Rank | 9 | 3 | 2 |
| Notable Rewards Card | Discover it® Miles | Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card | Chase Freedom Unlimited® |
| Notable Travel Rewards Card | Discover it® Miles | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
Discover Miles Rewards Review Methodology
This review of Discover Miles Rewards is based on the same methodology as WalletHub’s annual study on the Best Credit Card Rewards Programs. Editor’s ratings reflect the sum of each program’s scores across the study’s four major categories, adjusted to a 5-point scale to create a representative distribution of ratings. The four major categories considered were: Earning Policies, Redemption Policies, Rewards Value per $1 Spent and Eligibility & Transparency.
WalletHub calculated mile values for Discover Miles Rewards by comparing the dollar value of redemption items against the number of miles needed for each.
