Discover it^® Cash Back Review [2025]: Impressive Welcome Offer, Less Impressive Rewards Cap

Card basics

Who should get the Discover it Cash Back?

The Discover it Cash Back credit card won't be right for everyone, but it will be a good fit for people who are rewards-hungry and want to earn a high cash back rate. With this card, you can earn 5% Cashback Bonus® at Grocery Stores and Wholesale Clubs, April 1 through June 30, 2025, on up to $1,500 in purchases, when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

I'd suggest it for you if:

• You want to earn the most rewards possible with strategic spending.
• You don't mind keeping track of the Discover 5% cashback calendar and its rotating categories.
• You already have a great flat-rate cash back card.

You should get the Discover it Cash Back card if you're willing to put in some effort to get the highest cashback rewards you can. To make the most of it, you have to pay attention to the quarterly categories, activate them, and keep them in the back of your mind all year. You also have to be mindful of how much you're spending, because once you reach the quarterly cap of $1,500 on 5% cash back, you'll earn just 1% on all other purchases (at which point I'd recommend tagging in a different card).

If you can make friends with the card's cashback calendar, you aren't likely to be disappointed with it.

Who this card isn't right for

You need to be willing to juggle cards and keep track of quarterly categories to really use this card effectively. It's not as simple as a flat-rate cash back card, so skip this one if you're looking for straightforward rewards on all of your spending.

I think everyone should have a flat-rate rewards card for purchase categories that don't qualify for elevated cash back. The Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card and Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card are great ones to consider if this type of credit card is missing from your wallet.

Discover it Cash Back credit card benefits

Impressive welcome offer

Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. That's huge. Most issuers offer a set amount of cash back or points that you earn by meeting a minimum spending level. For example, an issuer may give $250 in cash rewards for spending $500 in 90 days. With those offers, there's a limit to how much you can earn, but there isn't a limit in place with Discover's welcome offer.

Introductory APRs

The Discover it Cash Back offers two intro APR offers:

• 0% intro APR (annual percentage rate) on new purchases within the first 15 months as a cardmember (then 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR)
• 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers (then 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR)

The intro APR offer on purchases is competitive with other cards. I wouldn't recommend this card for a balance transfer, though, as the introductory period is relatively short.

Instead, I'd look for a card with a longer 0% intro APR period — the Citi Simplicity^® Card offers a 0% intro APR for 21 months from date of account opening on balance transfers (then 18.24% - 28.99% (Variable); balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening), for example.

Credit and privacy monitoring

Discover offers a few options for monitoring your financial well-being:

• Free FICO Score: Monitor your credit easily so you can see how your borrowing behavior affects your credit score over time.
• SSN alerts: You can opt-in to receive optional SSN alerts that tell you if your Social Security number is found on the dark web.
• Privacy protection: You can activate assistance with removing your personal info from certain people-search websites.

While other issuers offer credit monitoring services to some degree, Discover's privacy protection really sets it apart. You typically have to pay a fee to get help with removing your personal information from people-search sites. These sites often sell your data, which leads to annoying spam calls and texts.

You can contact these sites to get your information removed yourself, but the process is often confusing and time-consuming.

While I wouldn't apply for a Discover card just for this feature, I would definitely take advantage of it. You need to activate it through the Discover app.

Drawbacks

The primary drawback to any Discover card is its more limited worldwide acceptance than a Mastercard or Visa. It is accepted more places worldwide than American Express, though. If you plan to use this card while you travel (which is worth considering since it has a 0% foreign transaction fee), make sure it's accepted at your destination before your trip.

Earning and redeeming cash back

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your cash back can add up with the Discover it® Cash Back.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $1,070

Year two earnings: $535

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which takes a look at points earned via spending, the welcome bonus, and the annual fee.

Note that the values above do not account for bonus category spending.

Best ways to earn

The best way to earn the maximum cash back with your Discover it Cash Back card is to shop within the bonus categories each quarter. You can earn 5% Cashback Bonus® at Grocery Stores and Wholesale Clubs, April 1 through June 30, 2025, on up to $1,500 in purchases, when you activate, then 1% on all other purchases.

For 2025, the Discover Cashback Calendar bonus categories include:

• Restaurants, Home Improvement Stores, and Select Streaming Services (January to March)
• Grocery Stores and Wholesale Clubs (April to June)

For 2024, the Discover Cashback Calendar bonus categories included:

• Restaurants and drugstores (January to March)
• Gas stations and electric vehicle charging stations, home improvement stores, and public transit (April to June)
• Walmart and grocery stores (July to September)
• Amazon.com and Target (October to December)

For 2023, the Discover Cashback Calendar bonus categories included:

• Grocery stores, drug stores, and select streaming services (January to March)
• Restaurants and wholesale clubs (April to June)
• Gas stations and digital wallets (July to September)
• Purchases at Amazon.com and Target (October to December)

Check Discover's bonus cash back calendar each quarter to see what the bonus categories are. Then log into your account to activate the bonus — or ensure the activation was done properly — so you can earn your bonus rewards.

You also get 1% on all other purchases, and Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. Try to apply for the card at a time when you know you'll be charging a lot in order to maximize your cash back.

Maximizing your redemptions

Discover it Cash Back redemption options include:

• Statement credits
• Deposits to eligible checking or savings accounts
• Gift cards
• Charitable donations
• Pay with Cashback Bonus at select merchants (Amazon and PayPal)

Since you're getting a flat percentage of cash back, you can simply redeem your rewards anytime you feel like it. There's no minimum amount required to redeem cash back as a statement credit or bank account deposit, and your rewards don't expire as long as your account remains active. Just log into your account via Discover.com or the Discover mobile app whenever you're ready to redeem your rewards.

A unique alternative

If you like the idea of bonus categories but don't like the idea of activating them each quarter, the Citi Custom Cash^® Card is worth a look. It's unique in this category in that you earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spending category each billing cycle (up to the first $500 spent, then 1% cash back). And you don't have to choose the category — it's automatic.

Its welcome offer isn't as strong as the Discover it Cash Back's, though — you just 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.

FAQ

Bottom line

The Discover it Cash Back requires effort to use effectively, but if you don't mind that, it's worth a look. It works well alongside other flat-rate or rotating bonus cards so you can get the most out of every purchase. But if that doesn't seem like your cup of tea, check out some of our other picks for the best cash back card.

Up To 5% Cash Back

Discover it^® Cash Back

4.7

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Discover it^® Cash Back

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Rates and fees

Current Offer

Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

Earn 5% Cashback Bonus® at Grocery Stores and Wholesale Clubs, April 1 through June 30, 2025, on up to $1,500 in purchases, when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• $0 annual fee
• Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
• Dark web monitoring and other privacy protection services

Drawbacks

• Requires you to activate the highest-earning category each quarter
• Not accepted as widely overseas as Visa or Mastercard

Card Details

• INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers–only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.
• Earn 5% Cashback Bonus® at Grocery Stores and Wholesale Clubs, April 1 through June 30, 2025, on up to $1,500 in purchases, when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
• Redeem your rewards for cash at any time.
• Apply and you could get a decision in as little as 60 seconds. No annual fee.
• Start shopping and earning rewards in minutes with your digital card, before your physical card arrives in the mail, if eligible.
• 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. Activate by mobile app for free.
• Get a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 18.24% to 27.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
• Terms and conditions apply.

Author Details

Melinda Sineriz, ABFP™

Melinda Sineriz is a Managing Editor at FinanceBuzz and an Accredited Behavioral Finance Professional™ designee. Melinda has a B.A. in English from Miami University and a master’s degree from Bard College. Before focusing on personal finance content, she worked in insurance for six years, educating clients on Medicare supplements, life insurance, long-term care, and annuities.

Author Details

Christy Rakoczy

FinanceBuzz writer Christy Rakoczy has a Juris Doctorate from UCLA Law School with a focus in Business Law, and a Certificate in Business Marketing with an English Degree from The University of Rochester. As a full-time personal finance writer, she writes about all things money-related, but her special areas of focus are credit cards, personal loans, student loans, mortgages, smart debt payoff strategies, and retirement and Social Security. Her work has been featured by USA Today, MSN Money, CNN Money, and more, and you can learn more at her LinkedIn profile.