The Discover it^® Cash Back is a standout card for consumers who want a high cashback rate in rotating quarterly categories and solid intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers, too.

You’ll earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically.

However, because the rotating categories differ from year to year, and because cardholders must activate a new category each quarter, some consumers may prefer a card with categories that don’t change and don’t require activation. We examine where the Discover it^® Cash Back stands out, where it falls short, and provide an alternative Discover card worth considering.

• High cashback rate

  Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter like Amazon.com, grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases - automatically. Your cash back can be redeemed in any increment, at any time — even if you close your account.

• Cashback match the first year

  The Discover it^® Cash Back offers a unique sign-up bonus for new cardmembers: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300.

• Intro APR offers

  The Discover it^® Cash Back offers an intro rate on purchases of 0% Intro APR for 15 months, after which a 16.24% - 27.24% Variable APR applies. There’s also an intro rate on balance transfers of 0% Intro APR for 15 months, after which a 16.24% - 27.24% Variable APR applies — making this card a solid choice if you need to pay down high-interest debt from another card. Note that there’s a 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*.

• $0 annual fee

  Not only does the Discover it^® Cash Back earn a generous cashback rate, but you don’t have to pay anything to carry the card.

• Foreign transaction fee: None

  You don’t have to worry about being charged an extra fee on each transaction if you use this card outside the United States. However, be aware that in some countries, Discover is less widely accepted than Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

• Categories change from year to year

  Though the Discover it^® Cash Back offers a generous cashback rate, its slate of cashback categories changes from year to year. There are categories that tend to reappear, such as gas stations and restaurants, but some consumers may prefer a credit card with set rewards categories — or one that earns flat-rate cash back on every purchase regardless of category.

• Rotating categories require activation

  If you don’t activate the new cashback category every quarter, you’ll earn just 1% cash back on all purchases.

• There's a cap on the higher cashback rate

  After you’ve spent $1,500 in the bonus cashback category for the quarter, your earning rate will drop to 1% on all purchases until the next quarter. That means if you hit the spending cap, you can earn $75 in cash back each quarter at the higher rate, then your earning rate will drop.

• There are cards with longer intro APR offers

  Though this card’s intro APR offers for purchases and balances transfers are solid, it’s possible to find intro periods that are much longer. For example, the Wells Fargo Platinum card offers an intro rate of 0% intro APR for 18 months from account opening on purchases, after which a 16.49%-24.49% (variable) APR applies. And for balance transfers, it offers an intro rate of 0% intro APR for 18 months on qualifying balance transfers, after which a 16.49%-24.49% (variable) APR applies.

A balance transfer with the Discover it^® Cash Back cannot exceed your available credit limit. That includes the amount you transfer, plus the balance transfer fee. This card has a 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*.

For example, if you have a $8,000 credit limit, you can’t transfer a balance that is $10,000. You also won’t be able to transfer a balance of $8,000, because the balance transfer fee will put you over the limit.

To complete your balance transfer online, from your account dashboard select the “Credit Options” tab, and select “See Offer” under “Balance Transfers”’ to view your intro offer. Once you select your offer, fill in your transfer information and verify and submit your information. Transfers typically take 14 days to process, so continue to make payments to your other creditors to avoid late fees until the transfer is complete.

Compare it to the Discover it^® chrome

For those who don’t want to deal with rotating cashback categories, a better choice than the Discover it^® Cash Back might be the Discover it^® chrome. 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically

Like the Discover it^® Cash Back, the Discover it^® chrome offers a unique sign-up bonus to new cardmembers: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.

If you don’t mind dealing with rotating bonus categories, the Discover it^® Cash Back offers the opportunity to earn a generous amount of cash back.  And if you need time to pay off a big purchase or a balance transferred from another card, the Discover it^® Cash Back works for that too. However, there are cards with longer intro APR periods, so make sure to do the math on how long you’ll need to pay off your purchase or balance transfer.