Best Discover credit cards for 2025

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Discover it® Cash Back

• Annual fee
  $0
• Welcome offer
  Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year, with no minimum spending requirement or maximum rewards cap
• Introductory APR
  0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months (18.24% to 27.24% variable APR after that; 3% intro balance transfer fee until Nov. 10, 2025, then up to 5%)

• Rewards rate
  • 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter — including grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more — up to the quarterly maximum
  • 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases

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Discover it® Miles

• Annual fee
  $0
• Welcome offer
  Discover will automatically match all the miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year, with no minimum spending requirement or maximum rewards cap

• Rewards rate
  1.5x miles on every purchase

• Benefits
  • No minimum spend required to earn the welcome bonus
  • Use Miles at Amazon.com checkout and when you pay with PayPal
  • Turn Miles into cash or redeem as a statement credit for travel purchases like hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants, and more

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Discover it® Student Cash Back

• Annual fee
  $0
• Welcome offer
  Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year, with no minimum spending requirement or maximum rewards cap
• Introductory APR
  0% intro APR on new purchases for the first 6 months and 10.99% intro APR on balance transfers for 6 months from date of first transfer (17.24% - 26.24% variable APR after that)

• Rewards rate
  • 5% cash back in rotating categories (grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more) up to the quarterly maximum, then 1%
  • 1% on all other purchases

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Discover it® Secured Credit Card

• Annual fee
  $0
• Welcome offer
  Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year, with no minimum spending requirement or maximum rewards cap

• Rewards rate
  • 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants up to a combined $1,000 spent quarterly (1% after that)
  • 1% cash back on all other purchases

• Benefits
  • No credit score required to apply
  • No annual fee
  • After 7 months, Discover will begin automatic monthly account reviews to see if you qualify to upgrade to an unsecured card and get your deposit back

What to look for in a Discover credit card

Discover makes it surprisingly easy to compare its credit cards, as most share similar perks and benefits. You can expect to pay no annual fee, and there’s a good chance any Discover card you’re researching will have a decent or above-average 0% introductory APR offer.

Every Discover card also provides an Unlimited Discover Match or Unlimited Cashback Match. That means Discover will match all the miles or cash back you’ve earned during your first year of card membership.

The primary difference between some Discover cards is the rewards rate. Most Discover cards earn cash back, but the Discover it Miles Credit Card earns miles. There are also different spending categories between certain cards, so that’s worth comparing as you research.

What is Discover Cashback Match?

The Discover Unlimited Cashback Match gives qualifying new cardholders an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of the cash-back rewards earned at the end of their first card membership year.

That means if you earn $500 in your first year as a Discover cardholder, Discover will match that and give you another $500 in cash-back rewards.

What are Discover cash-back categories?

Certain Discover credit cards, including the Discover it Cash Back, offer a 5% Cashback Bonus in different categories each quarter on up to $1,500 in purchases when you activate. Categories have included grocery stores, wholesale clubs, restaurants, select streaming services, and more.

Remember to activate this bonus each quarter to earn up to 5% cash back on purchases in applicable categories. The current categories are on the Discover rewards calendar.

After activating, you would need to spend $1,500 in a Cashback Bonus category to maximize your earnings. Maximizing your quarterly earnings with the Discover Cashback Bonus would net you $75 cash back. Doing this each quarter would net you $300 cash back per year.

Should I open a Discover credit card?

Discover credit cards make sense if you:

• Don’t want to pay an annual fee

• Like straightforward rewards programs

• Prefer traveling domestically

• Want to take advantage of a 0% intro APR offer

• Generally prefer earning cash back over points or miles

Discover cards don’t offer premium travel benefits, such as airport lounge access, and Discover isn’t as widely accepted as Visa or Mastercard in other countries. Better travel credit cards are available from other card issuers, but Discover has excellent cash-back, student, and secured options.

About Discover Bank

Discover is a U.S. bank established in 1986. It offers various financial products and services, including credit cards, bank accounts, and loans. As of December 31, 2024, the Federal Reserve listed Discover as the 27th-largest U.S. bank by consolidated assets.

In 2024, it was announced that Capital One would acquire Discover.

Discover credit cards FAQs

What is the best Discover card to get?

The Discover it Cash Back is the best credit card in the Discover lineup because of its high rewards rate, generous welcome bonus, and multiple 0% intro APR offers. It also has a $0 annual fee, making it an affordable option if you want a straightforward cash rewards credit card.

How do Discover credit cards compare to other credit card options?

Discover’s credit cards don’t charge an annual fee, and they all offer the Unlimited Cashback Match or Unlimited Discover Match welcome bonus. This is unique to Discover cards and provides new cardmembers with a match of any rewards earned at the end of their first year of card membership.

What Discover credit card has no annual fee?

All Discover credit cards have no annual fee.

What are the benefits of using a Discover credit card?

Discover credit card benefits include:

• No annual fees

• Rewards in the form of cash back or miles

• Multiple redemption options, including statement credits and gift cards

• Intro APR offers

• Unlimited Cashback Match the first year

• Free FICO score

Our methodology

We used our existing credit card rubrics to see how Discover credit cards rank in different categories, including travel, cash back, student, and more. We created our list of the best Discover credit cards using the highest-ranking Discover cards.

We included all available Discover cards in our existing comparison rubrics and research. We did not include all available credit cards from every credit card company in our comparisons, but we included most credit cards from major credit card issuers.

The cards in our rubrics are ranked against each other according to multiple criteria, such as annual fees, rewards, interest rates, and other factors, which vary depending on the category.

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to the Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.