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The Discover it® Cash Back offers excellent cash-back earning opportunities, particularly in the first year. Additionally, it has one of the best introductory annual percent rate (APR) offers on the market, making it an ideal choice for financing large purchases that you need some time to pay off.
The Discover it Cash card also offers different 5% categories every quarter, giving this card unique opportunities for maximum value in various categories throughout the year. All cash back earned in the first year is doubled upon the first cardmember anniversary. With some outside-the-box thinking, learn how this card can benefit you.
- 5% cash back at different places each quarter like gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, Amazon.com, or wholesale clubs up to the quarterly maximum each time you activate.
- Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
Discover it Cash Back Pros
- Rotating 5% cash back categories each quarter provide opportunities for bonus earnings.
- Cash back is matched at the end of your first year as a cardholder.
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fee.
- Generous introductory APR period.
Discover it Cash Back Cons
- Only earns 1% cash back on purchases outside the 5% rotating categories.
- 5% category earnings are capped at $1,500 of spending per quarter.
- Card may not be accepted by all merchants.
Discover it Cash Back Welcome Offer
This card does not offer a traditional sign-up bonus or welcome offer like “spend this amount, get a bonus of $500.” Instead, cardholders receive an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back earned during the first year, effectively doubling the earnings to 10% for 5% category purchases and 2% for all other purchases. This can be very valuable for everyday spending during the first year of card membership.
Specifically, this applies to your first 12 consecutive billing periods or 365 days from account opening, whichever is longer. And it's worth noting that the match applies to all of your earnings; if you redeem rewards throughout the year, that won't decrease the matched cash back you receive. It applies to your earnings, not just what's left over at the end.
Related: Best Rewards Credit Card Offers This Month
Discover it Cash Back Earning Rates
The Discover it® Cash Back earns 5% cash back in different categories that rotate every quarter. There is a maximum of $1,500 of spending per quarter in this category; other purchases earn 1% cash back.
Plus, cardholders automatically receive an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back earned during the first year. This makes non-bonused spending get an effective 2% return during that time.
Related: Current Discover 5% Cash Back Bonus Categories
Discover it Cash Back Benefits
Introductory APR offer
New cardholders can take advantage of two introductory APR offers to help them avoid interest while paying off large purchases or paying down credit card debt from other credit cards. The introductory APR offer works like this:
- 0% introductory APR on purchases for 15 months.
- 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 15 months.
- There is a 3% balance transfer fee for balance transfers completed by August 10, 2025; after this, the balance transfer fee is 5%.
- After the introductory period ends, you'll have a Variable APR of 17.24% - 28.24%.
Related: Best $0 Annual Fee Credit Cards with 0% Intro APR
Free access to FICO credit score
You can obtain a free FICO credit score as a cardholder. This helps you keep an eye on your credit score and check for any issues with your credit report.
No foreign transaction fees or annual fees
Typically, you'll pay one or the other of these fees. Cards without annual fees don't tend to be good for international travel, as they often charge foreign transaction fees. Conversely, cards that don't levy these fees tend to have an annual fee. With the Discover it Cash, you won't pay an annual fee and won't pay fees for making purchases in other countries or other currencies.
Redeeming Cash Back From the Discover it Cash Back Card
Cardholders can redeem cash back in various ways. Cash-back rewards can be redeemed either directly for a statement credit or deposited into an eligible checking or savings account that you designate, which will be available within three business days. Rewards can be used to pay for purchases on Amazon.com and PayPal. Additionally, cash-back rewards can be redeemed as a charitable donation.
Cash-back rewards can be redeemed for physical or electronic gift cards at a variety of merchants, with a discount of up to 20% at some merchants. Most physical gift cards arrive within 7–10 business days, but the terms say it could take up to three weeks. All eCertificates and gift cards are subject to a minimum redemption amount.
The gift card option can be a great way to extract extra value. If you have an upcoming purchase with your card that would earn just 1% back, see if there's an available gift card from Discover for that same business. You'd save money by going this route, thanks to the discount on the gift card.
Luckily, Discover cash back doesn't expire, meaning you can redeem it as you please without worrying about deadlines.
Application Restrictions
Your chances of approval are fairly high with a credit score of 700 or higher. Having good or excellent credit should lead to an approved application.
However, Discover has a hard limit of two cards per person, and you can apply for just one card per year with Discover. If you want a different card, you'll need to apply for the first one, wait a year, then apply for the second. There's no written rule about how long you must wait between receiving welcome bonuses from Discover, though the waiting periods between cards set their own type of waiting period.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the Discover it Cash
- Earn 5% on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
- Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Earn 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- Earn 3% on drugstore purchases
- Earn 1% on all other purchases
- Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent
- 1% cash back thereafter, plus, you'll earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases
- No rotating bonus categories to sign up for – as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
- Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025.
- Eligible spending categories are: Restaurants, Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, Select Travel, Select Transit, Select Streaming Services, Drugstores, Home Improvement Stores, Fitness Clubs and Live Entertainment.
- If you want a card with rotating categories plus other earning opportunities, consider the Chase Freedom Flex℠. This card has a rotating 5% category while also earning 3% on dining and drugstore purchases plus 5% on travel purchased through the Chase travel portal. There's no annual fee on this card. Full details are in our Freedom Flex review.
- If you want a Discover card with a simple earning structure, check out the Discover it® Miles. This card earns 1.5x miles on all purchases and has a $0 annual fee, plus Discover Match will automatically match all your earnings at the end of your first year. See our Discover it Miles review for more details.
- If you want to earn 5% back where you spend the most, the Citi Custom Cash® Card might be a better fit. You'll automatically earn 5% cash back in the category where you spend the most each billing cycle, though 5% earnings are limited to the first $500 of purchases that month. Afterward, you'll earn 1% back. Check out our Citi Custom Cash review for more information.
Related: Credit Cards With Rotating Bonus Categories
Bottom Line
The Discover it Cash might not be the ideal choice for all of your everyday spending. However, the bonus category earnings provide a solid return in useful categories every quarter, making this card a handy tool in your credit card portfolio.
The dollar-for-dollar match effectively doubles your earnings the first year, making this a winner for numerous purchase types during the first year. Redeeming cash-back rewards for gift cards further increases the earning value of the card when discounts are available. With no annual fee and a lengthy 0% introductory APR offer, this card could be a good addition to many people's wallets.
- 5% cash back at different places each quarter like gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, Amazon.com, or wholesale clubs up to the quarterly maximum each time you activate.
- Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
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