Cash Back Card information Blog

The name Discover is often associated with the top credit card issuers in the United States. Since the Discover card was first introduced in 1985, customers have been drawn to its various reward programs. Following is a closer look at a few of Discover’s most popular credit card picks among consumers today.

Discover More Card

With the Discover More Card, the rewards start off with a 1% cash back bonus. You’ll earn this every time you use the card for ordinary purchases. By shopping at certain places, such as department stores, gas stations, and restaurants, you can qualify for 5% cash back. Using the card toward travel expenses can also bring in 5% cash back.

By using the card at ShopDiscover, which is Discover’s online shopping site, you can earn 20% cash back. To do this, you’ll want to buy from merchants such as Eddie Bauer, Lego, and Sears, among others.

This card also comes with a 0% interest rate for the first six months. A 0% APR also can be used toward balance transfers for the first year. There’s no annual fee with the card.

Before applying, it should be noted that the cash back rewards are offered on a scale. You’ll receive only 0.25% cash back on the first $1,500 that you spend on the card. Then from $1,500 to $3,000, you’ll earn 0.50% cash back, and when purchases exceed $3,000, you’ll earn the full 1% cash back.

Discover Open Road Card

The Discover Open Road Card caters to those with long commutes who want a break on gas prices. The card offers a full 5% cash back on all gas purchases. It also includes an initial 0% interest rate for the first six months. After that, the regular interest rate will kick in. This is a reasonable rate compared to other gas rewards credit cards.

In addition to the gas rewards, this card gives 5% cash back on car maintenance purchases. For those that shop at Discover’s exclusive online shopping site, they’ll receive up to 20% cash back through retailers such as the NFL.com Shop, Hotwire.com, Lego, and more.

Once the rewards begin to add up, you can start redeeming them. You’ll be able to begin once you have $20 in cash back bonuses. If you choose to receive your rebates through retailers that participate in the Discover program, you can earn up to double the amount of cash back.

Miles by Discover Card

The Miles by Discover Card is a travel rewards credit card. Through this card, you get the chance to book trips at any time, as there are no blackout dates. You can choose any travel destination you’d like.

You can start building up miles by making purchases. You’ll receive one mile for each dollar that you spend. The number of miles you build up is unlimited as long as the account remains active. And you’ll earn double miles on both travel and food. There’s no annual fee with this card.

Most of the cards issued by Discover include several perks that appeal to customers. To get the most out of your Discover card, look through the details carefully before you sign up. Then set up a system that enables you to get cash back, gas discounts, or travel benefits.

While this credit card may appear to be like any other student credit card, upon further inspection, you will realize that the Discover Student Clear Card comes in a variety of flashy and funky designs.

Apart from that, internet account related services are also tagged along with the Discover Student Credit Card, with additional benefits such as no annual fee and a 0% introductory APR for the first six months or until the end of the billing cycle in December, whichever comes first.

Additionally, the Discover Student Credit Card also offers double cash rebates at participating stores through the Cashback Bonus award program. Fantastic! Plus, a 5% full cash rebate at participating retailers. Marvelous.

But all that glitters is not gold, and all that shimmers will fade away. Once the intro period is up, the APR for this credit card is found to hover on the high side of exorbitant rates.

Couple that with the demonic method of calculating finance charges called the “Two Cycles Average Daily Balance”, this card will suck the lifeblood out of your fledgling student finances. You will probably be put you into economic servitude and shackles through debt servicing. The only way out is not to accrue any outstanding balances, paying them off before charges apply.

From that point of view, the rest of the reward program starts to lose its shine. With the exception of the promotional offers mentioned earlier, it seems unreasonable to spend $3000 or above just to earn 1% cash rebate. Unless you actually have that kind of money, this is just another gimmick. And if the fact that the 1% will only apply to the sum above the first $3000 doesn’t tell you that this is a gimmick, what will?

In a nutshell, the Discover Student Clear Card, as it is officially called, is ideal if you regularly spend above $3000 a month and pay off the outstanding balance each month, or if you plan to take advantage of the Cashback Bonus it offers. Otherwise this card will just take advantage of you.

While this credit card may appear to be like any other student credit card, upon further inspection, you will realize that the Discover Student Clear Card comes in a variety of flashy and funky designs.

Apart from that, internet account related services are also tagged along with the Discover Student Credit Card, with additional benefits such as no annual fee and a 0% introductory APR for the first six months or until the end of the billing cycle in December, whichever comes first.

Additionally, the Discover Student Credit Card also offers double cash rebates at participating stores through the Cashback Bonus award program. Fantastic! Plus, a 5% full cash rebate at participating retailers. Marvelous.

But all that glitters is not gold, and all that shimmers will fade away. Once the intro period is up, the APR for this credit card is found to hover on the high side of exorbitant rates.

Couple that with the demonic method of calculating finance charges called the “Two Cycles Average Daily Balance”, this card will suck the lifeblood out of your fledgling student finances. You will probably be put you into economic servitude and shackles through debt servicing. The only way out is not to accrue any outstanding balances, paying them off before charges apply.

From that point of view, the rest of the reward program starts to lose its shine. With the exception of the promotional offers mentioned earlier, it seems unreasonable to spend $3000 or above just to earn 1% cash rebate. Unless you actually have that kind of money, this is just another gimmick. And if the fact that the 1% will only apply to the sum above the first $3000 doesn’t tell you that this is a gimmick, what will?

In a nutshell, the Discover Student Clear Card, as it is officially called, is ideal if you regularly spend above $3000 a month and pay off the outstanding balance each month, or if you plan to take advantage of the Cashback Bonus it offers. Otherwise this card will just take advantage of you.

The Discover Platinum Clear Card is issued by Morgan Stanley and is intended for those who have very good credit who are looking for a cash reward credit card.

The rewards program on this card earns cardholders a 5% rebate on purchases made at participating merchants, up to 1% for general purchases, and .25% for purchases that are made at participating warehouse clubs and discount stores. The rebates for general purchases are based on the amount with those spending $1,500 receiving a .25% rebate, between $1,500 and $3,000 will receive a .5% rebate, and those who spend over $3,000 will receive a 1% rebate. In addition, cardholders can earn a double cash back bonus for redeeming their rebates for gift certificates from participating Discover Card partners. There is no limit on the amount of rebates that can be earned in a year, nor do they expire as long as the account is active within a three-year period.

The card has no annual fee and offers a 0% introductory rate for purchases and balance transfers for twelve months. Following the introductory period, purchases will be assessed finance charges of 10.99% variable based on Prime Rate, and cash advances will be 20.99% fixed rate. On the down side, finance charges are calculated on a two cycle average daily balance method instead of the customary single cycle average daily balance charged by most card issuers. A 3% cash advance fee is charged with a minimum of $5, and a 3% balance transfer fee is assessed with a minimum of $5 and a maximum of $50.

The cardholders who will gain the most benefit from the Discover Platinum Credit card are those who plan to spend at least $3,000 annually in order to earn the 1% rebate, use their Cashback Bonus award at participating stores in order to earn a double cashback bonus, and pay in full each month after the introductory period to avoid finance charges.

Some of the other benefits that the cardholder can receive from the use of this card include the following:

• Different card designs

• Online access to account information

• Emergency replacement of cards

• Protection against fraud

• Insurance for auto rental

• Travel accident insurance up to $500,000

The Discover Platinum American Flag Card may be a card you are more than just proud to carry with you. This credit card is given to individuals that have very good credit and are looking for a reward program that allows for cash back benefits. If you are interested in cash back, consider what it can do for you. The Discover card is issued by Morgan Stanley.

The Discover Platinum American Flag Card will provide you with excellent benefits in interest rates even before you get to the need for rewards. You will have 12 months time in which you have a 0% introductory offer on your purchases and balance transfers made within that time period. You will need to consider specific details of this offer. When it is over, you will have an APR at 10.99% variable for those purchases that you make and 20.99% on cash advances that you make (fixed.) Although there is no annual fee to this credit card, you do have the two cycles average daily balance method of calculations which can make it a bit more expensive in the long run if you do carry a balance.

The Rewards are a plus, though for the Discover Platinum American Flag Card. You will earn from .25% to 5% in rebates. To get the full 5%, use the card at participating retailers that work through the Cashback Bonus program. You earn just .25% at warehouses and discount stores. You can get double CashBack Bonus when you use the card at participating departments of Discover. You can redeem your rebates in $20 increments and there is no expiration date. The amount you get back depends on the amount that you spend.

The Discover Platinum American Flag Card provides for a good amount of reward in the form of cash back. You will appreciate the lower fees and the very good APR on this credit card. In addition, you are sure to find benefits in the double bonus rewards.

According to credit card reviews, Discover is the third of four largest credit card providers after MasterCard and Visa. This is as Discover is widely accepted in the United States although the same cannot be said internationally. Thus, the best reasons for owning a Discover Platinum Card would be because of the high credit limit and the cashback reward program. In addition to that, this no annual fees are also applicable for the Discover Platinum Card, another attraction to consumers.

Like most cards, the APR of the Discover Platinum Card for both balance transfers and purchases remain at 0% for a year after a successful application. After this period, rates will increase: balance transfers will rise to a rate of between 16% and 29% while the APR for purchases is around the range of 11% to 18%. Cash advances are charged with an APR of 20.99%. The switch to these higher APRs will be automated if users make a late payment, even it is just for a day.

As a reminder, balance transfers from the Discover Platinum Card to other types of Discover credit cards are not allowed. As for the Cashback rewards program, the percentage of cash back really depends on the amount you spend on purchases which are charged to your credit card.

$1500 entitles you to a 0.25% cash back rebate, whilst spending more than $3000 allows you to gain 1% of the purchase value in cash. The cash will be sent by check with the minimum amount being $20. Also, this card also allows customers to acquire redemption of gift certificates from their merchant partners at double the cash-back value.

However, most card users do not find the reward program a strong enough incentive to keep the card for long as there are many other cards in the market which offer better returns. Furthermore, this card works on a two-cycle average daily balance, an attribute which is unfavorable for card holders with unpaid outstanding balances each month.

It is important for college students to begin building their credit histories before stepping out into the real world completely unprepared. Many credit cards are available specifically to college students that will help accomplish this task, but the Discover Student Card goes a bit further, putting forward nice rewards and respectable interest rates at the same time.

Covering the Interest and Fees for this Credit Card

First things first, let’s cover everyone’s least favorite part about credit cards – the interest rate and fees. Actually, this Discover Student Card ranks well among student credit cards in the interest and fee category.

The zero annual fee is notable for a card offering rewards like the Discover Student Card does, especially when considering the fact that most students are only beginning to establish their credit history and don’t exactly have stellar credit yet. Much the same, the purchase interest rate is fitting and overly fair for the category of credit card this is. If it does seem prohibitive, do remember that those who pay any balance of charges off in full on time with every bill will not pay any interest whatsoever.

While many college students are indeed just starting off with a credit card for the first time, those who have racked up balances on high interest credit cards will be relieved to know that they can transfer at least some of those balances to the Discover Student Card and not have to pay interest on those balance transfers for six months.

It’s All About the Benefits and Rewards

Moving on to the good part, the Discover Student Card definitely excels when it comes down to the rewards offered. Skipping the point for trinkets type of reward plan many student credit cards offer, Discover begins with their renowned and unique Cashback Bonus® program. This means the rewards earned are given back in the form of a cash rebate allowing the freedom to spend in a variety of ways instead of only being able to redeem points for overpriced merchandise of limited choosing.

And the rebate rewards of the Discover Student Card do add up. In fact, a 5 to 20% Cashback Bonus is offered at some perpetual favorite online retailers like iTunes.com, Barnes and Noble, and Target.com – perfect for many of the most important regular purchases of college students. Additional 5% rewards rotate across different categories including travel, gas, restaurants, and others throughout the year, allowing for the strategic accumulation of rewards. Of course, the standard 1% bonus is applied automatically across the board on all other purchase.

So, All Things Considered, How Does the Discover Student Card Rank?

The Discover Student Card is strong more or less in all areas when it comes to student credit cards. There is one downfall, however – Discover isn’t known for being as widely accepted as MasterCard and Visa are. That said, most will probably have a hard time finding places where Discover is not accepted. With that caveat taken into consideration, the Discover Student Card easily scores recommended status.

Since its national unveiling during the 1986 Super Bowl, Discover has focused on rewarding its customers. Discover’s first campaigns featured no annual fee and cash back programs – two benefits that very few credit card issuers offered at the time. Today, Discover continues to lead the field with top reward programs for its cardholders. One of these is the Discover Get More program. By signing up for a Discover More card today, you can earn a $40 cash back bonus.

How it Works

The Discover More card is a cash back rebate card. When you sign up, you get a chance to accumulate rewards as you use the card. After spending $500 in purchases, you will be eligible for $40 cash back.

While this will get you off to a great start, the Discover More card offers plenty of other ways to receive cash back. The Get More program gives you 5% cash back when you shop in certain categories. The categories, which include items such as gas, travel, home, restaurants, and movies, change four times a year. When you make purchases at these participating locations, 5% comes back to you.

When you shop through Discover’s online site, you can receive between 5% and 20% cash back. After accumulating $20 in rewards, you will receive a cash rebate for that amount. You can also choose to redeem your rewards for gift cards. When you do so from one of Discover’s 80 Cashback Bonus Partners, you can double the amount of rewards you receive.

Even when you make purchases in other areas, you will still be rewarded. You can earn up to 1% on all other purchases. For the first $1,500 you spend on general purchases, you can expect to receive 0.25% cash back. For the next $1,500, the reward will be 0.50%. After that you will get the full 1% in cash back rewards. There is no limit on the amount of cash rewards you can receive.

Extra Benefits

You’ll find many additional attractive features with the Discover More Card. The card comes with no annual fee. You’ll also receive a 0% introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers for twelve months. For those with good credit, the regular interest rate that sets in after the initial period is relatively low. And when you decide to sign up for a Discover More card, you can choose among various card designs. This extra feature lets you add personality to your card.

Apply Today

If you have good credit and want a cash reward credit card, the Discover More card may be the best choice for you. Applying online only takes a few minutes. Within days, you’ll be able to use the new credit card.

When you sign up, you may choose to transfer a balance on to the Discover More card. While there is an initial transfer fee, there will be no interest charged to the balance for twelve months. This gives you time to pay off the amount and save on interest.

Look online today and fill out an application for a Discover More card. Starting with $40 cash back, you will see the bonuses add up quickly as you shop. With no annual fee and money back for each purchase, you’ll find it pays to use the Discover More card.

The Discover Gold Card, issued by Morgan Stanley, is designed for those with a good credit history seeking for a reward program that offers cash back. In fact, Discover’s Cashback Bonus reward program is one of the top cash back reward programs in America.

Through the Cashback Bonus program, cardholders of the Discover Gold Card are able to earn a 0.25% rebate for general purchase of up to $1,500, a 0.5% rebate for purchases of between $1,501 and $3,000, while purchases of $3,001 and above are eligible for a 1% rebate. But as with a lot of cash back programs, the different rebates only apply to the amount above the divisions. For example, if $3,200 is spent, the 1% rebate will be applicable for the $200, while the $1,500 is eligible for a 0.5% rebate. The remaining $1,500 will earn a 0.25% rebate. Add that all together and the amount is significantly less than 1%.

However, Discover offers the Get More promotions throughout the year which allows cardholders a chance to earn a full 5% rebate at selected merchants or merchant categories. On top of that cardholders are able to take advantage of the double Cashback Bonus offers at participating Discover Card Partners.

Those who qualify for the Discover Gold Card are eligible for a reasonably low APR if they plan to carry a balance. With no annual fees and a 12-month long 0% introductory APR, this credit card certainly seems attractive.

That is, until we find out that the “Two Cycles Average Daily Balance” method is utilized to calculate finance charges. This method works out to higher finance charges if it includes new purchases. Nonetheless, the long introductory period should offset this, provided you pay off the balance before the new billing cycle after the intro period is over and not carry any balance over for the next few billing cycles (to lower the finance charges calculated with this method).

So if you are looking for a credit card with a pretty solid cash back reward program, this card is for you. Otherwise, it is best that you pay off your outstanding balances before your intro period is over, or suffer the consequences of high interests.

The Discover Platinum Gas Card is another credit card that offers gas rebates, as well as rebates on other purchases. You can use this credit card to earn cash back at any gas station anytime. Every purchase you make with this credit card qualifies for cash back.

They claim a “Full 5% Cashback Bonus® on Gas purchases throughout the year*” and “Up to 1% Cashback Bonus on all your other purchases.*”, but you have to read the fine print:

“Each year, earn a full 5% on your first $1,200 in gas purchases. In addition, earn a full 1% on other purchases in excess of $3,000; your first $1,500 in other purchases earns .25% and your second $1,500 in other purchases earns .50%. Gas purchases in excess of $1,200 earn Cashback Bonus at the same rate as other purchases.”

So you actually only get 5% on your first $1200 in gas purchases each year. If you don’t have your calculator, that is $60 in cash rebates at 5%. After that your rebate percentage drops a lot. Depending on your spending habits, that could average out to only about 2% cash back through the year.

This credit card could be a good option for someone looking for a second credit card to use combined with an existing card with similar introductory bonuses. By using multiple credit cards and watching your spending, you could be averaging 5% or higher cash back throughout the year. Maybe you even have a different rewards credit card to use after your first $1200 in gas purchases. Another limit of this card is “Purchases made at select warehouse clubs, discount stores and their affiliates earn .25%.” So if you frequent such stores, don’t expect 5% or even 1% cash back.

There are no limits on the cash rebates you can earn and the rebates never expire. You can increase your bonuses by redeeming for gift cards or certificates from their partners. You do have to redeem your cash rebates in $20 increments. As rebates do not expire, the only way you would lose rebates is if you do not have card activity for 36 months or you close the account.

The Discover Platinum Gas Card has no annual fee and a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months. With credit cards from Discover, you can qualify for a regular APR rate as low as 10.99%. You also get $0 Fraud Liability.

Overall this is a very good credit card, but I do recommend using a secondary card once the yearly gas purchase limit has been met. It is a great card for someone looking for cash back everywhere and a low interest rate.