Discover it® Cash Back Card Review: Rotating Category Bonuses With No Annual Fee

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Rotating Category Bonuses With No Annual Fee

The Discover it® Cash Back card is a mainstay among top cash-back credit cards. Its rotating bonus categories give cardholders the chance to maximize rewards on everyday purchases, and with the first-year Cashback Match, you could earn far more than a traditional cash-back credit card sign-up bonus. The card offers 5% cash back on rotating categories for up to $1,500 in purchases quarterly and 1% back on all other purchases. Here’s what you need to know about the Discover it® Cash Back card and how it stacks up against some other options.

Rewards Rates

The Discover it Cash Back card offers 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent quarterly in rotating bonus categories and 1% back on all other purchases. The bonus categories can encompass an actual spending category or a single merchant. The quarterly maximum rewards amount you can earn from the Cashback Bonus is $75.

You need to activate your Cashback Bonus each quarter, but that's as easy as clicking on the button in your reminder email, logging in to your online account or calling the number on the back of your card.

Sign-Up Bonus

The Discover it Cash Back card doesn't offer a traditional sign-up bonus. Instead of giving you a set amount after you meet a minimum spending threshold, Discover matches the cash back you earn during your first year as a cardholder. Essentially you'll get 10% cash back on the rotating bonus categories and 2% back on everything else for that first year. Depending on how much you spend, you can easily rack up more cash back over 12 months than what you'd get with another card's sign-up bonus.

The only caveat is that Discover doesn't give you the Cashback Match until after your 12 months. But that dollar-for-dollar match can be great for big spenders. Many cash-back credit cards offer $150 or $200 as a welcome bonus. But if you max out your 5% categories with the Discover it Cash Back card every quarter, that’s an extra $300 with CashBack Match—on top of the $75 quarterly maximum you’re already getting.

Recommended Credit Cards

Credit Card	Rewards Rate	Annual Fee	Bonus Offer	Learn More
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Apply Now	1x- 5xPoints More Info Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.	$95	60,000Chase Ultimate Rewards Points More Info Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent: $1,380 (60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points * 0.023 base)	Apply Now
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Apply Now	1x - 2xPoints More Info Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.	$69	$400 statement credit + 40,000 pts.Southwest Rapid Rewards Points More Info Earn a $400 statement credit and 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening. Dollar Equivalent:	Apply Now
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card Apply Now Rates & Fees	2%Cashback More Info Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.	$0	$200Cash Bonus More Info Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.	Apply Now Rates & Fees
Citi Custom Cash® Card Apply Now Rates & Fees	1% - 5%Cashback More Info 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. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026.	$0	$200Cash Bonus More Info Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.	Apply Now Rates & Fees

How to Redeem Your Discover Cash Back

Here are the ways you can redeem your cash back:

• Get direct cash back: Request to have cash deposited into your bank account or receive a statement credit on your card account. 
• Spend online: You can use your rewards to shop online at Amazon.com or via PayPal
• or donate your cash back rewards to charity.
• Buy gift cards: If you use your rewards to buy gift cards, Discover will give you 5% or more value, depending on the merchant.

APR

This Discover card offers an introductory 0% APR for 15 months on both purchases and balance transfers. You can use the promotional intro APR to make a large purchase and pay it off interest free over 15 months. You can also use the promotion to make and pay down a balance transfer from another card. Intro APRs can be super useful, but remember that if you don't pay off your balance before the promotional period ends, you'll have to pay interest on the remaining balance. After the intro APR expires, your APR will be 17.24% to 28.24% based on your creditworthiness. 

There is a balance transfer fee, however. The intro fee is 3% of the amount of each transfer for transfers that hit your account by April 10, 2024, with the 0% intro APR balance transfer offer. After that, the fee is 5% of the amount of each transfer.

Fees

Here’s a quick look at the Discover it Cash Back card fees:

• Annual fee: $0
• Foreign transaction fees: $0 (but note that Discover cards aren't as widely accepted outside of the U.S. as some others)
• Late payment fee: $0 the first time, up to $41 each after that
• Returned payment fee: Up to $41
• Balance transfer fee: Intro fee of 3% of each transfer on your account by April 10, 2024, then 5% of each transfer
• Cash advance fee: $10 or 5% of the amount of each advance, whichever is greater

Discover it Cash Back Card Benefits

This card doesn't offer many standout benefits that stand out, but some you can look forward to are:

• Great CashBack Match offer for first 12 months
• Competitive ongoing rewards rate
• Zero-liability fraud protection and other security tools
• U.S.-based customer service
• Contactless payments
• Social Security number alerts (Discover will notify you if it finds your information on dark websites)

Recommended Cash-Back Credit Cards

Credit Card	Rewards Rate	Intro Bonus	Annual Fee	Learn More
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Apply Now	1.5% - 5%Cashback More Info Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases	1.5%Extra Cash Back More Info Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That’s 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.	$0	Apply Now
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card Apply Now Rates & Fees	2%Cashback More Info Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.	$200Cash Bonus More Info Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.	$0	Apply Now Rates & Fees
Citi Double Cash® Card Apply Now Rates & Fees	2%Cashback More Info Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, a special travel offer, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 12/31/25.	$200Cash Bonus More Info Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.	$0	Apply Now Rates & Fees
TD Cash Credit Card Learn More Applicants must reside in CT, DC, DE, FL, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VA or VT. Applicants must reside in CT, DC, DE, FL, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VA or VT.	1% - 3%Cashback More Info Choose your top two spend categories to earn unlimited 3% and 2% Cash Back. Earn unlimited 1% Cash Back on all other eligible purchases.	$200Cash Bonus More Info Earn $200 Cash Back when you spend $1,000 on eligible purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.	$0	Learn More
TD Double Up℠ Credit Card Learn More Applicants must reside in CT, DC, DE, FL, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VA or VT. Applicants must reside in CT, DC, DE, FL, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VA or VT.	2%Cashback More Info Earn unlimited 2% Cash Back on all eligible purchases.	$150 More Info Earn $150 Cash Back in the form of a statement credit when you spend $1,000 within the first 90 days after account opening.	$0	Learn More

Is the Discover it Cash Back Card Right for You?

The Discover it Cash Back card is an excellent option if you want a straight cash-back credit card with the chance to earn higher rewards on everyday purchases in its bonus categories. If your spending generally aligns with the quarterly categories for the year, it can be a solid choice. Plus, the first-year Cashback Match makes it worth using this card for just about all of your purchases.

That said, after that first year, it's likely a good idea to use another card for your non-bonus spending. That way, you can earn more than a measly 1% back. The Discover it Cash Back card also isn't a great card for trips abroad, even without no foreign transaction fee—plan to have a Visa or Mastercard backup in case you can't use your Discover card.

Regardless of which card you choose, it's always a good idea to consider using multiple credit cards to maximize your rewards and other value you can get from different credit cards.