Discover it^® Chrome Review [2023]: A Cashback Card for Drivers And Foodies

Cashback credit cards are a great tool to earn back some of the money you spend every day. The Discover it^® Chrome card earns bonus cash back in two areas where many individuals spend — gas stations and restaurants.

If your daily commute to work leads you to multiple trips to the fuel pump each month, you can earn some of that money back with Discover it Chrome. If the thought of cooking dinner yourself after a long day at work seems like too much, you can earn cash back whether you go out or order takeout from your favorite local spot.

Keep reading to learn more about this no-annual-fee, cashback card so you can decide whether it’s a good fit for your spending habits.

Who should get the Discover it Chrome?

The Discover it Chrome is great for individuals who spend considerable money at the gas pump or eating out each year. Purchases at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000 in purchases each quarter) net 2% cash back. With rewards capped each quarter, though, Discover it Chrome is not ranked among the best gas credit cards available.

The card also requires at least a good to excellent credit score for approval. Individuals who don't meet the card’s criteria should consider other rewards credit cards with lower requirements or work to build up their credit score before applying.

Finally, the Discover it Chrome comes with almost no travel perks other than charging no foreign transaction fees, so it’s not the ideal card to have and use if you travel extensively. It is well suited for dining and gas expenses in your local area.

The Discover it Chrome also comes with an introductory APR of 0% on purchases for 15 months and 0% on balance transfers for 15 months (then 16.74% to 27.74% (variable)). So if you have large purchases planned or an existing debt you’re paying high interest on, this card could be advantageous to have.

Card basics

Card typefa	Cash Back
Credit card issuer	Discover
Annual fee	$0
Intro bonus	Automatically get an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of any cash back you've earned at the end of your first year
Reward rate	2% cash back on purchases at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000 in purchases each quarter), plus 1% cash back on all other purchases
Recommended credit score	Good, Excellent
Intro APR	0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months, then 16.74% to 27.74% (variable) 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months, then 16.74% to 27.74% (variable)
Foreign transaction fee	None

Discover it Chrome benefits and perks

• Generous cash back match offer: New cardholders automatically get an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of any cash back you've earned at the end of your first year.
• $0 annual fee: As with all Discover cards, there is no annual fee with Discover it Chrome.
• Intro balance transfer and purchase APR offer: Cardholders benefit from a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then 16.74% to 27.74% (variable) APR. While the intro balance transfer APR is great, be aware that there is a balance transfer fee of 3% on balances transferred by August 10, 2023 and 5% after that. Once your intro interest rate ends, your balance will also become subject to the regular APR.
• Late fee forgiveness: None the first time you pay late; after that, up to $41. With the Discover it Chrome, your first late payment is on the house.
• No penalty APR: Discover it Chrome doesn’t charge a penalty APR if you’re late paying your bill. This is a rare perk, especially among rewards credit cards.
• Free access to credit score: Discover it Chrome comes with access to your free FICO score online, through the mobile app, and on your monthly statements.

Drawbacks to this card

• Cap on rewards quarterly: Discover it Chrome caps your cashback earnings in the bonus categories on a quarterly basis. After you reach that cap, all your spending will earn at the 1% rate. So if you make a lot of purchases in the cashback categories, you may not get the most out of your spending.
• Limited perks: The Discover it Chrome doesn’t offer many extra benefits or perks outside of earning rewards. If you’re after travel benefits or statement credits from vendors, then this card won’t be the right fit for you.
• Not as accepted outside of the U.S.: Discover isn’t as widely accepted by international vendors as Visa or Mastercard, though it does beat out American Express.

Earning & 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 Chrome.

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: $790

Year two earnings: $395

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which takes a look at points earned via spending, the sign-up bonus, and the annual fee. The more you spend with this card the more potential you have to receive a big cashback bonus at the end of year one, so you could see even higher earnings depending on your personal budget.

Best ways to earn

The best way to earn cash back is to use your Discover it Chrome card every time you fill up your gas tank or eat out (or get takeout) at a restaurant. This card earns 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000 in purchases each quarter). All other purchases only earn 1% cash back, which isn’t great but is fairly standard on similar cashback cards.

Be sure to maximize card use in your first year of card ownership. Discover it Chrome matches all rewards earned your first year like some other Discover credit cards. The cashback match occurs automatically after your first card anniversary, so there’s nothing you need to do except use your card for purchases. So if you earn $200 during your first year of spending, you’ll get another $200 at that point. Because the match only covers first-year spending, the card loses some value after that.

Categories	Rewards rate
Gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000 in purchases each quarter)	2%
All other purchases	1%

Maximizing your redemptions

Discover it Chrome lets you redeem your cashback rewards in multiple ways. You can redeem for statement credits like most cashback cards, with redemptions starting at just one penny.

You can also redeem your cashback rewards in the following ways:

• Electronic deposits to your bank account
• Purchases at select merchants
• Gift cards
• Donations to select charities

Cashback rewards from Discover have no minimums and no expiration date, so you can use them as quickly as you want or build them up for a large redemption later. The only restriction on cashback rewards is that your card account must be open and in good standing to redeem them.

Discover it Chrome FAQs

Other cards to consider

While the Discover it Chrome credit card might be a great fit for some people, the bottom line is that it isn't the only cashback credit card out there.

Discover it Chrome isn’t the only cashback card offered by this credit card issuer. Discover it^® Cash Back is another great option, especially if you want to maximize your spending with higher rewards rates. This $0 annual fee credit card earns 5% cash back in quarterly rotating categories (including gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, and Amazon.com), up to quarterly maximum, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Plus, you automatically get an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of any cash back you've earned at the end of your first year.

Another top cashback card that might be more appealing is the Citi^® Double Cash Card. This card has no caps on how much cash back you can earn in any spending category. Instead, the card earns 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. There are no complicated bonus categories to track. Just use your card for purchases, pay your monthly bill, and watch the rewards pile up.