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How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.
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Discover it® Miles Review

Updated on:
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
LendingTree's Review

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4.3
Discover it<sup>®</sup> Miles
Sign-Up Bonus
Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. You could turn 35,000 Miles to 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
Rewards Rate
1.5 Miles per dollar on all purchases.
0% Intro APR for Purchases
0% Intro APR for 15 months, then 18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024
We receive commissions from our advertising partners. These commissions do not influence our recommendations. Click here to learn more.

Key takeaway

The Discover it® Miles is lacking in actual travel benefits, but it’s a good option for earning simple rewards that you can redeem for travel purchases or cash back.

Pros and cons

  • Simple flat-rate rewards
  • Rewards match the first year
  • Long intro APR
  • $0 annual fee
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • Can’t transfer miles
  • No travel benefits
  • Not always accepted abroad

Is the Discover it® Miles a good card?

The Discover it® Miles is a good card for people looking for a $0-annual-fee travel credit card to get started using miles. It earns a flat rate of 1.5 Miles per dollar on all purchases.

Even though it’s a travel credit card, it operates almost exactly like a cash back credit card. You can’t transfer miles — you could redeem them for cash back or statement credits on travel purchases. Since it doesn’t offer other common travel credit card features like travel insurance or credits, this card may be best for people who rarely travel or prefer a flat rewards rate.

Its unique sign-up bonus makes it a valuable card for occasional travelers to use for at least a year.

Quick facts

    • UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. You could turn 35,000 Miles to 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
    • Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase
    • No annual fee
    • Turn Miles into cash. Or redeem as a statement credit for your travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more.
    • 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 18.49% - 27.49% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply. Rates as of December 12, 2024.
    • Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
    • Discover is accepted nationwide by 99% of the places that take credit cards.
    • Terms and conditions apply.
  • Recommended Credit
    Credit scores ranges may vary. Your individual chance at approval may vary due to factors such as creditors using a particular variation at their discretion
  • 660 720 850
    Good / Excellent
  • Free FICO Score access
  • Social Security Number monitoring when you sign up
  • Customer service based 100% in the U.S.
  • Freeze and unfreeze your credit card online
  • No late fee on your first late payment; up to $41 after that
  • No penalty APR
  • $0 fraud liability

Intro Purchase APR

0% Intro APR for 15 months

Regular Purchase APR

18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024

Intro BT APR

0% Intro APR for 15 months

Regular BT APR

18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024

Annual Fee

$0

Cash Advance Fee

Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.

Foreign Transaction Fee

None

Balance Transfer Fee

3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*

What we like about the Discover it® Miles

  • Simple flat-rate rewards

    The Discover it® Miles lets cardholders earn 1.5 Miles per dollar on all purchases. Each mile is worth 1 cent — meaning you get 1.5% back on your purchases — which is a solid rate for a $0-annual-fee card.

    Your miles won’t expire as long as your account is in good standing, and there’s no cap on how many you can earn. And Discover makes redeeming miles easy:

    • Get cash back via an electronic deposit to your bank account.
    • Redeem miles for travel purchases you’ve already made with the card.

    When redeeming miles for travel purchases, you must make the redemption within 180 days of the purchase date. Travel purchases that qualify include:

    • Airline tickets
    • Hotel rooms
    • Car rentals
    • Travel agents
    • Online travel sites
    • Commuter transportation
    • Restaurants
    • Gas stations

  • Rewards match the first year

    This card comes with a unique sign-up bonus for new cardmembers: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. You could turn 35,000 Miles to 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.

  • Long intro APR

    If you need time to pay off a big trip, then the Discover it® Miles can offer some help. It offers a 0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases. After, a 18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024 applies. Plus, there’s a 0% Intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers (then 18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024).

    Introductory APRs can be hard to come by. When cards do offer them, they’re usually just 12 months. So the Discover it® Miles‘s intro period is a great option if a long introductory APR is important to you.

  • $0 annual fee

    For those looking to earn travel rewards without an annual fee, the Discover it® Miles is a great option. It offers one of the highest rewards rates of the no-annual-fee cards in the travel niche.

  • Foreign transaction fee: None

    The Discover it® Miles is a viable option for making purchases while traveling outside the country, because it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. However, you may have some difficulty using it as your primary card for foreign travel, since acceptance is limited outside of the United States (more on this below).

What to watch out for with the Discover it® Miles

  • No transfer partners

    Some travel cards, such as the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card, let cardholders transfer miles to airline and hotel loyalty programs — this card doesn’t. In many cases, transferring miles to travel partners can increase the value of your points. With the Discover it® Miles, you’re limited to redeeming your miles for either cash back or statement credits for certain travel purchases.

  • No travel benefits

    The Discover it® Miles doesn’t offer travel benefits like insurance, travel credits, airport lounge access or hotel elite status. While the most robust travel benefits come with premium travel cards that have expensive annual fees, you’ll find that no-annual-fee travel cards usually come with a few benefits like lost luggage coverage.

  • Not always accepted abroad

    While Discover has made rapid strides in the United States and is widely accepted at most locations that take credit cards, that’s not always the case in other countries. You may want to have a Visa or Mastercard credit card in your wallet when traveling abroad.

Alternate travel cards to the Discover it® Miles

Discover it® Miles vs. Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

| Disclosures
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site
Rates & Fees
0% intro on purchases for 15 months
19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)
$0
1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per
  • $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
  • Earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
  • Earn unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day
  • Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
  • Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
  • Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
  • Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.49% - 29.49% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
  • For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
660 720 850
Good / Excellent

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appears on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.


 
Another top travel card with a $0 annual fee is the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card (see rates & fees). It earns a slightly lower rate on most purchases than the Discover it® Miles: 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. The card also comes with more travel benefits, such as concierge services and rental car insurance. Plus, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a Visa card, which means you’ll find wider acceptance for it abroad.

Discover it® Miles vs. Wells Fargo Autograph Card

| Disclosures
Wells Fargo Autograph Card*
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases
19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable APR
$0
Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming
  • Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
  • Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.
  • Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.
  • $0 annual fee.
  • 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% variable APR thereafter.
  • Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
  • Redeem your rewards points for travel, gift cards, or statement credits. Or shop at millions of online stores and redeem your rewards when you check out with PayPal.
  • Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
660 720 850
Good / Excellent
*The information related to the Wells Fargo Autograph Card has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appears on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.


 
The Wells Fargo Autograph Card offers more valuable ways to earn points and flexible ways to redeem them. While the Discover it® Miles offers the same rate for all purchases, the Wells Fargo Autograph Card offers more points in several common spending categories. You’ll earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases.

Unlike the Discover it® Miles, you have more redemption options for your miles. You can redeem them for airline tickets (must be redeemed through Wells Fargo Rewards), hotel rooms, car rentals, cruises and more. So if you want to earn more points and flexibility and don’t mind a more complicated rewards rate, the Wells Fargo Autograph Card might be a better fit.

Also, while not as impressive as the Discover it® Miles‘s introductory APR, the Wells Fargo Autograph Card does offer a 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases (then a 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable APR applies).

Is the Discover it® Miles right for you?

The Discover it® Miles, with its $0 annual fee, is an overall good choice for the occasional traveler. It offers a solid flat-rate rewards program and makes it easy to redeem miles for cash back or past travel purchases. Plus, its rewards match in the first year makes it a great deal for new cardholders.

However, due to the lack of travel benefits on this card, consumers who would like to have protections such as lost luggage coverage will likely want to consider other credit cards, like the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply

The information related to the Discover it® Miles and Wells Fargo Autograph Card has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.

The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.