The best Discover credit cards of 2021

OSTN Staff

This page includes information about the Discover it® Miles, Discover it® Secured, Discover it® Cash Back, Discover it® Student Cash Back, and Discover it® Business Credit Card products, which are currently not available on Business Insider and may be out of date.

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Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky

The best Discover credit cards in 2021:

Category Discover credit card
Best for travel: Discover it® Miles
Best for cash back: Discover it® Cash Back
Best for students: Discover it® Student Cash Back
Best secured option: Discover it® Secured
Best for business: Discover it® Business Credit Card

Discover offers a wide range of credit cards for different types of consumers, and its cards have a lot going for them.

For starters, Discover credit cards never come with an annual fee, and Discover is well known for its US-based call centers. Due to the quality of its customer service and the entire cardholder experience, Discover even beat out all other card issuers in J.D. Power’s 2019 US Credit Card Satisfaction Study, which considered the experiences of more than 28,000 credit card customers across the nation.

Some Discover credit cards even waive your first late payment fee, and many offer identity protection perks like Social Security Number monitoring and free overnight card replacement in the event your card is lost or stolen. Discover rewards credit cards also make things easy by letting you redeem for cash back at any time you want, and in any increments you want. And as a Discover cardholder, you get free access to your FICO score.

If you’re in the market for a Discover credit card and you’re wondering which one might suit your needs best, you’ll need to consider what you hope to gain and the type of customer you are.

Best Discover card for travel: Discover it® Miles

Discover it® Miles

The Discover it® Miles keeps things simple by letting you earn a flat 1.5 miles for each dollar you spend, but remember that all your miles will be matched after the first year. From there, you can redeem them for travel purchases charged to your card at a rate of 1 cent per point.

You can also get cash back or statement credits to cover other charges made to your card, so you aren’t tied down to making a specific redemption. There is no annual fee to keep this card, and you can get access to your FICO score for free on your monthly statements.

Best Discover card for cash back: Discover it® Cash Back

Discover it® Cash Back

The Discover it® Cash Back is similar to the Chase Freedom Flex℠ in that it lets you earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent each quarter in bonus categories once activated (then 1%).

Discover has already shared all of its bonus categories for 2021, which include grocery stores, Walgreens, and CVS (January to March), gas stations, wholesale clubs, and select streaming services (April – June), restaurants and Paypal (July – September), and Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and Target.com (October – December).

Best Discover card for students: Discover it® Student Cash Back

Discover it® Student Cash Back

The Discover it® Student Cash Back is basically a student version of the Discover it® Cash Back. You’ll earn the same 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent in rotating quarterly bonus categories after activation, then 1%. You’ll also earn 1% cash back on everything else you buy.

It may be easier to qualify for this card with limited credit history. You can also receive a $20 statement credit each school year your GPA is 3.0 or higher for up to five years in a row.

Best secured option among Discover cards: Discover it® Secured

Discover it® Secured

Where many secured credit cards charge annual fees, application fees, and other fees, the Discover it® Secured doesn’t charge any fees. You do have to put down a cash deposit to get started, but your deposit is fully refundable provided you close your account in good standing.

You’ll also earn 2% cash back on up to $1,000 spent at gas stations and restaurants each quarter followed by 1% back, as well as 1% back on everything else you buy. Like other rewards from Discover, you can earn unlimited cash back that never expires, and you can redeem it for cash back, statement credits, and gift cards.

You can get free access to your FICO score on your credit card statement each month, which can help you monitor and improve your credit over time. Further, you won’t pay a late fee on your first late payment, and there aren’t any over-the-limit fees with this card, either.

Best Discover card for business: Discover it® Business card

The Discover it® Business card is a solid option if you’re looking for a business credit card without an annual fee. You’ll earn 1.5% cash back for each dollar you spend, as well as a FICO score on your credit card statement each month.

Perks for your business include business expense tracking assistance and free employee cards. You also get free Social Security Number alerts that can help you protect your identity, as well as a $0 fraud liability guarantee.

Holly Johnson is a credit card expert, award-winning writer, and mother of two who is obsessed with frugality, budgeting, and travel.

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