Discover it Student Cash Back card review: Earn up to 5% cash back with no annual fee

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Review: Is the Discover it Student Cash Back the best credit card for you?

If you’re a student and over the age of 18, applying for your first credit card is a great first step in building credit and developing good financial habits for the future. However, getting approved for a credit card can be challenging if you’re young and have a limited credit history.

Fortunately, some banks offer credit cards specifically geared to students or those who are just starting out with credit. The Discover it® Student Cash Back is a solid choice if you’re looking for a no-annual-fee card that earns cash-back rewards, offers student-friendly features, and doesn’t require a security deposit.

With the Discover it® Student Cash Back, you can earn 5% cash back in popular rotating bonus categories when you activate, on up to $1,500 in combined spending each quarter (then 1% back), as well as 1% back everywhere else with no limits Discover It Cashback rotation. 

Read more: 5 steps you should take when applying for a credit card

While there’s no traditional welcome bonus, Discover will match all the cash back you earned with the Discover it® Student Cash Back after the first 12 months through its Cashback Match program, and there’s no limit to the amount matched.

If you’d rather not keep track of rotating bonus categories, Discover issues another student card — the Discover it® Student chrome — which offers 2% back at restaurants and gas stations on up to $1,000 in purchases each quarter (then 1%), and 1% cash back on everything else.

Keep in mind there are other student credit cards that do offer a welcome bonus. For example, the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students offers a Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students. And the Chase Freedom® Student credit card comes with a Chase Freedom® Student credit card.

If you want opportunities to earn strong rewards in different categories, consider the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card, which earns 3% cash back on dining, groceries, entertainment, and eligible streaming services, and 1% back on everything else.

Here’s our full review of the Discover it® Student Cash Back card to help you decide if it’s a good fit for your wallet.

Comparison: Discover it Student card vs other Discover credit cards

	Discover it® Student Cash Back	Discover it® Student chrome	Discover it® Secured Credit Card
Annual fee	Discover it® Student Cash Back	Discover it® Student chrome	Discover it® Secured
Rewards rate	5% cash back in categories that rotate each quarter on up to $1,500 in combined spending when you activate (then 1%) Discover It Cashback rotation 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases	2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined spending each quarter (then 1%) 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases	2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined spending each quarter (then 1%) 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus	None, but Discover will match all the cash back you earned after the first 12 months	None, but Discover will match all the cash back you earned after the first 12 months	None, but Discover will match all the cash back you earned after the first 12 months
Card benefits	0% APR on purchases for the first six months (then Discover it® Student Cash Back) Free FICO score No late payment fee on your first late payment (then up to $40) No foreign transaction fees	0% APR on purchases for the first six months (then Discover it® Student chrome) Free FICO score No late payment fee on your first late payment (then up to $40) No foreign transaction fees	After eight months, Discover will review your account and credit history monthly and may refund your security deposit Free FICO score No late payment fee on your first late payment (then up to $40) No foreign transaction fees
Review		Discover it Student Chrome card review	Discover it Secured card review

Discover it Student credit card vs other student credit cards

	Discover it® Student Cash Back	Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students	Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee	Discover it® Student Cash Back	Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students	Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card
Rewards rate	5% cash back in categories that rotate each quarter on up to $1,500 in combined spending when you activate (then 1%) Discover It Cashback rotation 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases	3% cash back in the category of your choice (gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drugstores, or home improvement/furnishings)* 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs* 1% cash back on all other eligible purchases	3% cash back on dining 3% cash back on entertainment, 3% cash back on popular streaming services 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target) 8% cash back on Vivid Seats purchases (through January 2023) 1% cash back on all other purchases
Welcome bonus	None, but Discover will match all the cash back you earned after the first 12 months	Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students	N/A
Card benefits	0% APR on purchases for the first six months (then Discover it® Student Cash Back) Free FICO score No late payment fee on your first late payment (then up to $40) No foreign transaction fees	Free FICO score 0% APR on purchases and cash advances (made in the first 60 days of account opening) for the first 15 billing cycles (then Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students)	Price protection*** Extended warranty*** Car rental coverage*** Roadside dispatch*** Travel accident insurance*** Complimentary concierge services Free credit monitoring with CreditWise from Capital One
Review			Capital One SavorOne Student credit card review

*3% and 2% cash-back categories on the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students on up to $2,500 in combined spending each quarter, then 1% cash back

*** Exclusions apply

How to earn rewards from the Discover it Student Cash Back card

To maximize the cash back you earn with the Discover it® Student Cash Back, you’ll need to activate the rotating bonus categories each quarter through your online Discover account.

Once you’ve activated the bonus, you’ll earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined spending (then 1%) in that quarter’s categories Discover It Cashback rotation. All other purchases earn a 1% cash back, with no caps.

Read more: Discover Cashback Match is a unique program that matches your credit card rewards after your first year, and it couldn’t be easier to use

Discover will automatically match, dollar-for-dollar, all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year (even on bonus categories). You don’t need to do anything to activate this match.

How to use Discover cash back rewards

The simplest way to use rewards from the Discover it® Student Cash Back is by redeeming for a statement credit or direct deposit to an eligible checking or savings account. There’s no minimum redemption amount, and your rewards don’t expire as long as your account is open. 

Other redemption options include:

• Paying with rewards directly at Amazon or with PayPal
• Donating to Discover’s charity partners which include American Cancer Society, ASPCA, American Red Cross, Carbonfund.org, Children’s Miracle Network, Junior Achievement, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Make-A-Wish, Operation Homefront, and World Wildlife Fund
• Gift cards to popular merchants (minimum redemption amount may apply, some merchants offer a bonus)

Benefits and features

As you might expect from a student card with no annual fee, the Discover it® Student Cash Back doesn’t come with a huge list of benefits, but it does have a couple of handy perks that can save you money and help you stay on top of your finances.

0% introductory APR on purchases

The Discover it® Student Cash Back comes with an introductory 0% APR on purchases for the first six months (then Discover it® Student Cash Back), which is helpful if you have a lot of school expenses to pay for upfront that you need a little more time to pay off.

Just be sure you have the means and a plan to pay off your balance before the promotional APR period expires, otherwise, you could be on the hook for hefty interest charges.

Free FICO score

Discover it® Student Cash Back cardholders can access their FICO score for free, any time, through their online account. This makes it easy to keep an eye on your credit score and how it’s changed over time.

Late payment forgiveness

If you’re late with a payment on the Discover it® Student Cash Back, Discover won’t charge you a fee the first time it happens. After that, there’s a fee of up to $40. Paying late will not increase your APR, however.

Read more: The best credit cards with no late fees of 2022

Unique card designs

Discover it® Student Cash Back cardholders can choose from over a dozen colorful (and unusual) card designs that you don’t usually find on conventional credit cards. 

Fees and costs

The Discover it® Student Cash Back has no annual fee and doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, so if you’re making international purchases or traveling abroad it’s a good pick. Just keep in mind Discover isn’t always as widely accepted as other credit cards, so if you’re traveling you might want to have a backup card just in case.

As with most other cards, there are fees for late payments (except the first occurrence), returned payments, balance transfers, and cash advances.

Discover it Cash Back Student card — Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is the Discover it Student Credit Card only for students?

Yes, Discover’s terms and conditions state you must be a student enrolled in a two- or four-year college to qualify for the Discover it® Student Cash Back card. You’ll also be asked for your year in college and expected graduation dates when you apply for the card.

If you’re not a student but like this card’s features, check out the regular Discover it® Cash Back card instead.

How hard is it to get a Discover it Student card?

The Discover it® Student Cash Back is designed for students with fair credit or who are new to credit. Fair credit is defined as a FICO score between 580-669, and new to credit means you may have a score below that or no score at all.

In fact, the card’s application page says no credit score is required to apply. Discover will consider all the details you provide on your application, your credit report (which includes your credit score if you have one), and other information when they decide whether or not to approve you for the card.

How many Discover it Student cards can you have?

Discover allows you to have a maximum of one Discover student credit card account. However, you’re eligible to apply for a second Discover credit card after your first Discover credit card has been open for more than 12 months and you’re no longer a student.