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Looking for a travel credit card that makes redeeming miles a cinch? The Discover it® Miles card is worth considering. If things like points transfers and award charts intimidate you, this card could be the ticket.
The flat-rate earning structure and lack of annual fee mean you can easily figure out how much value you can get out of the Discover it Miles card. And the best part? The card has one of the most unique welcome offers among travel cards, offering double miles during your first year as a cardholder.
Let's jump into the pros and cons of the card, who it's best for, and how to get the most out of the Discover it Miles card.
Page Contents
Discover it Miles Pros
- Earns flexible miles you can redeem for a variety of travel purchases or simply cash them out.
- Unique welcome offer that doubles all miles earned during your first cardmember year.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- No annual fee.
Discover it Miles Cons
- Earns a flat 1.5 miles per dollar, which is low compared to other card options.
- No traditional welcome bonus.
- Lacks travel protection benefits, and international acceptance is spotty.
- Miles don't transfer to hotel or airline loyalty programs.
Discover it Miles Welcome Bonus
Unlike many travel rewards credit cards, the Discover it Miles card doesn't offer a traditional welcome bonus like “spend x, get this many points.” Instead, through Discover Match®, the card will automatically match all the miles you earn during your first cardmember year. With a static earning rate of 1.5 miles per dollar on all purchases, this 2X bonus equates to 3 miles per dollar for all purchases during the first year.
Say you spend $20,000 on the card your first year. You'll earn 30,000 miles from spending and have them doubled to 60,000 miles (worth $600). Or maybe you can spend $50,000. This would give you 150,000 miles (worth $1,500). There is no minimum spending requirement to earn bonus miles, nor is there a cap.
It boils down to a 3% return on all purchases during your first year, based on the value of Discover it Miles redemptions.
Related: The Best Credit Card Offers Available This Month
Discover it Miles Benefits
Compared to many travel credit cards, the Discover it Miles card is short on benefits. Here's what you can get out of it.
No foreign transaction fees
Across the board, Discover doesn't charge foreign transaction fees on its credit cards. This means you won't pay up to 3% extra when using your card outside the U.S.
But you'll likely run into issues trying to use your card abroad. Unlike Visa and Mastercard — which are widely accepted — Discover is still trying to make gains in international markets. Some countries are great. Others are poor. You can check out Discover's dedicated merchant acceptance map if you're curious whether you'll be able to use your card on upcoming trips.
Related: Best Cards With No Foreign Transaction Fees
No annual fee
A primary highlight of the Discover it Miles is that there is no annual fee. It's often worth paying an annual fee for a credit card, as some offer perks that are well worth what you shell out each year. But it should be expected that a flat-rate travel card like the Discover it Miles would not charge a fee. While you're sure to get more perks on a card with an annual fee, here you get travel rewards for free — just for being a cardholder. However, you won't find much else in benefits.
Great introductory APR offer
The Discover it Miles card offers an introductory APR of 0% on both purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. This is followed by a Variable APR of 17.24% - 28.24%. If you have some large purchases you want to make and need time to pay them off, the card could be a great option.
Note that for balance transfers, there is a 3% fee for transfers made within the introductory window.
Access to your FICO® score
The Discover it Miles card offers free access to your FICO® score. This can help you keep tabs on how your credit changes over time. If there is an abrupt change in your score, you can check your credit report to figure out why.
Discover it Miles Earning Rates
The earning structure of the Discover it® Miles is simple: You earn 1.5 miles per dollar spent on all purchases with your card. There are no bonus categories to track and no earning limits.
Plus, remember the Discover Match! Your earnings will be matched automatically at the end of the first year, meaning you're essentially earning 3 miles per dollar during that year.
It's worth mentioning that the “miles” you earn with the Discover it Miles card aren't miles in the traditional sense. They aren't issued by an airline program, and you can't get them from flying. They're essentially points you can use to cover the cost of travel purchases. Discover just likes to call them miles.
Redeeming Miles With the Discover it Miles
You can redeem your Discover Miles in several ways:
- Redeem as a statement credit for travel purchases, such as flights, hotels, rental cars, rideshares, and other travel expenses. Restaurants and gas stations are even included. You can cover the cost of any travel purchases made with your card within the previous 180 days.
- Cash out your miles; this can be done directly to your bank account.
- Use miles at checkout with both Amazon and PayPal
No matter the redemption method, your Discover Miles are worth 1¢ each. This means that 1,000 miles are worth $10 in rewards. Given that you can directly cash out your miles to your bank account, it's better to think of the Discover it Miles card more like a cash-back card than a traditional miles-earning credit card.
Your Discover it Miles never expire. If you close your account, Discover will either credit your account or send you a check for the remaining rewards balance.
Application Restrictions
You'll generally need good to excellent credit to be approved for the Discover it Miles card. This makes it a bit easier to obtain than some travel credit cards. A “good” credit score is generally seen as a score of 670 or above.
However, Discover's application rules are a bit restrictive. You can only have two Discover card products at once. Additionally, you can only be approved for one Discover card every 12 months. If you already have another Discover card, you'll need to ensure it's been over a year before you apply for the Discover it Miles card.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the Discover it Miles
Not sold on the Discover it Miles card? Here are a few other cards you might consider:
- If you want a higher general earning rate, consider the Citi Double Cash® Card. While it doesn't offer the first-year earnings match, the Double Cash card earns a flat 2% cash back (earned as ThankYou® Points) on all purchases — earned as 1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay. This will give you a better return on your spending. This card also doesn't have an annual fee. More details are in our Citi Double Cash review.
- If you want a card with rotating bonus categories, look into another option from Discover: the Discover it® Cash Back. This card earns 5% cash back for purchases in rotating categories each quarter — up to a total of $1,500 in spending. For people who like cards with bonus earnings on certain purchases, this is a solid choice. You'll also qualify for the automatic earnings match at the end of your first year and won't pay an annual fee. Check out our Discover it Cash review for more information.
- If you want a travel card with a standard sign-up bonus, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® might be for you. It earns a minimum of 1.5% on all other purchases cash back on all purchases, earned as Ultimate Rewards points. Similar to the Discover it Miles card, you have a variety of redemption options and won't pay an annual fee. However, if you have a premium Chase credit card, the value you can get from your points goes up substantially. See our Freedom Unlimited review to learn more.
- Earn 2% cash back on every purchase—1% when you buy and 1% when you pay. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25. Citi cash rewards now also convert to ThankYou points at 1:1 ($10 = 100 ThankYou points).
- 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.
- Earn 5% on purchases through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 3% on dining at restaurants
- Earn 3% on drugstore purchases
- Earn 1.5% on all purchases
Bottom Line
The Discover it Miles is a great option for the first year, as Discover will double all the miles you earn. Depending on your level of spending, you could rack up quite the bonus. With the ability to redeem “miles” flexibly for a wide array of travel, it's a good choice if you're not loyal to a particular airline or hotel chain. You can likely get a solid return over the first 12 months. Don't overlook the introductory APR offer, either; this is handy if you need time to pay off a large purchase and don't want interest to accumulate along the way.
After the first-year honeymoon is up, though, the card is card to justify long-term. Its earning rate drops to just 1.5% for all purchases. There are plenty of cards that offer this rate or better and may offer additional benefits to boot. The Citi Double Cash credit card, for example, offers a baseline 2% return on all spending. For the long haul, there are better choices than the Discover it Miles.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Freedom Unlimited® (Rates & Fees)
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