Discover it® Miles review 2024: Simple flat-rate rewards with first-year bonus match
Discover it Miles offers straightforward rewards for earning and redeeming, combining elements of both travel and cash back cards with a unique first-year match on all miles earned.
Written by
Writer
Joseph Hostetler is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF) and a travel rewards expert who has written professionally about credit cards and card loyalty programs since 2016.
Updated November 15, 2024, 1:06 PM EST
Written by
Editor
Gabriela Walsh is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance® and a personal finance editor at Red Ventures. Her previous work experience includes various editorial positions at FinanceBuzz. She combines her understanding of language and literature with her commitment to delivering content that empowers others to build healthy money management skills.
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Known for its relatively fee-free approach to rewards, the Discover it® Miles might catch your eye — especially if you’re tired of complicated rewards programs. While it’s not the most luxurious travel card on the market, its straightforward approach could be exactly what you need.
Fox Money rating: 7.8/10
The Discover it Miles keeps things simple with a flat rewards rate on all purchases, making it ideal if you want to earn uncomplicated rewards without tracking bonus categories.
How the Discover it Miles works
Despite its name, the Discover it Miles functions more like a cash back card than a traditional travel card. You’ll earn the same rate on everything you buy, whether booking flights or buying groceries. In other words, it’s a great option even if you aren’t a frequent traveler.
Pros
- Simple rewards structure
- Lengthy intro APR offer
- No annual fee
Cons
- Can’t transfer miles to travel partners
- Limited ongoing benefits
- No bonus spending categories
Discover it Miles rewards
Here’s what you need to know about the card’s rewards program:
Earning rewards
Appealing to those who don’t want to juggle bonus spending categories, the Discover it Miles earns an uncomplicated 1.5X miles per dollar on every purchase.
This deviates from the earning structure of most rewards credit cards, which often offer a collection of bonus categories that allow you to earn considerably more than 1.5X miles per dollar (or 1.5% back) on common purchases.
The catch is that these cards often earn a base return of 1% back for purchases that don’t conform to a bonus category. For all these purchases (think medical bills, auto maintenance, and other expenses), the Discover it Miles earns up to 50% more rewards.
Redeeming rewards
The Discover it Miles is somewhat deceptively named. Though Discover calls its rewards “miles,” they’re more like flexible rewards points, each worth a penny. You can redeem Discover miles for:
- Cash back
- As a statement credit for your travel
- At checkout through Amazon or with PayPal
No matter how you use your rewards, you’ll receive a value of 1 cent per mile. For example, you can redeem 1,000 miles for a $10 statement credit. You can redeem any amount — even just a dollar’s worth of miles, so there’s no need to save up for a minimum redemption threshold.
Discover it Miles benefits
No-annual-fee credit cards don’t often offer many valuable ongoing benefits. The Discover it Miles is no exception. It has a couple of nice features, but its primary purpose is to earn rewards for everyday spending.
Welcome bonus
Discover’s unique approach to welcome bonuses sets it apart. Instead of a traditional sign-up bonus with spending requirements, Discover will match all the miles you earn in your first year.
If you’ve earned $200 from spending, Discover will give you another $200 at the end of your anniversary year. If you’ve earned $2,000, Discover will match it. All to say, this bonus has the potential to be hyper-generous.
This structure rewards big spenders but doesn’t pressure you to hit a specific spending requirement in a short time frame.
Intro APR offer
The Discover it Miles has a solid intro APR offer for purchases and balance transfers. This feature can help you finance a large purchase you might have coming up and avoid interest charges while building your rewards. As always, it is wise to make sure you have a plan to pay off the card before the intro period ends.
No foreign transaction fees
For a “travel” credit card, Discover it Miles offers a narrow selection of ongoing benefits. It comes with no travel insurance or travel-centric statement credits. It doesn’t even partner with travel loyalty programs — so you can’t convert your rewards into airline miles or hotel points for award travel.
The one benefit travelers will like about the Discover it Miles is that it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. This is still a surprisingly rare perk among no-annual-fee credit cards, which often charge a fee of around 3% for all purchases processed outside the U.S. If you spend a significant amount abroad, Discover it Miles can help you save.
Additional perks
The Discover it Miles also comes with a handful of account protections, including a free FICO score to help you monitor your account health and suspicious activity. You’ll also get online privacy protection and the ability to freeze your account with the tap of a button using Discover’s Freeze it ® tool if you misplace or lose your card.
Discover it Miles drawbacks
Rewards can’t be redeemed for outsized value
It's great to know the exact value you’re getting back every time you swipe the Discover it Miles. In all cases, 1.5 miles equals 1.5% back.
However, other “travel rewards” programs, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards® points and Citi ThankYou points, also allow you to redeem rewards for cash back at a flat rate — but they also allow you to transfer those points to airline and hotel partners for potentially much greater value.
The fact that Discover it Miles doesn’t provide this option is a significant disadvantage for those willing to work hard to maximize credit card rewards.
No bonus categories
A feature that some consider a perk may be a drawback for others. The Discover it Miles’ no-nonsense 1.5X miles per dollar on all purchases makes earning rewards simple. But the fact that the card doesn’t offer a single bonus category means it’s a less-than-optimal card for many everyday purchases.
Competing no-annual-fee credit cards frequently offer a better return on expenses such as groceries, gas stations, and restaurants.
How the Discover it Miles compares
The Discover it Miles has a lot going for it. But how does it stack up against its competition?
Discover it Miles vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is perhaps the strongest nemesis of the Discover it Miles, as it offers an identical 1.5% base return rate and no annual fee. However, the card also offers a collection of bonus categories:
- 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3% back on dining at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery services)
- 3% back at drugstores
Discover it Miles’ only advantage over Chase Freedom Unlimited is its lack of foreign transaction fees. Chase Freedom Unlimited charges a 3% fee for spending outside the U.S.
Discover it Miles vs. PNC Cash Unlimited® Visa Signature® Credit Card
Like the Discover it Miles, the no-annual-fee PNC Cash Unlimited® Visa Signature® Credit Card earns a flat return on all purchases — but at a slightly more generous rate of 2%. The card also waives foreign transaction fees and offers perks like cell phone protection and purchase security.
Who should get the Discover it Miles?
The Discover it Miles is an excellent fit if you value simplicity in a credit card. It’s a foolproof rewards credit card with a decent return on all spending and the ultimate flexibility of redeeming miles for cash.
It’s particularly well-suited for those just starting their credit card rewards journey who want to earn meaningful rewards without needing a spreadsheet to track their spending.
The card is also a good companion for those who plan to travel internationally, as it charges no foreign transaction fees.
Who should choose a different card
If you’re a frequent traveler or love to maximize every point, the Discover it Miles probably isn’t your best option.
Serious travelers will likely find the lack of premium benefits — like airport lounge access, travel insurance, or the ability to transfer points to airlines — too limiting. Many of the best travel credit cards charge an annual fee, but they almost always come with ongoing benefits that offset the price tag.
Those who spend heavily in specific categories might also want to look elsewhere. If you’re frequently spending at restaurants, grocery stores, or gas stations, you could earn substantially more with a card that offers bonus points in these categories.
How we rated this card
Every card review we publish undergoes a rigorous editorial process to ensure accuracy and objectivity. Learn more about our methodology here.
Editorial disclosure: Opinions expressed are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.