Discover it^® Student Chrome Review

The Discover it^® Student Chrome is a good credit card for students — especially those commuting to campus or dining out frequently — who are just beginning their credit journeys. The card also offers great credit-building benefits, like free access to your FICO® credit score — and all for a $0 annual fee. Plus, you won’t pay interest on purchases during the promotional period.

Still, while this card does offer decent value to students looking for a starter credit card, there are other student cards that can offer even more value when it comes to rewards. For example, the Discover it^® Student Cash Back offers the chance to earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically. That’s an additional $300 a year in cash back rewards if you hit the quarterly max.

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How much does it cost to own?*

The average cardholder will pay $0 in annual fees and will earn around $90 in cash back in the first year.

Rewards breakdown

	Estimated spending	Cash back earned
2% on restaurants	$545	$10.90
2% on gas	$387	$7.74
1% on other purchases	$2,668	$26.68
Cash back match	–	$45.32
Total		$90.64

*Based on LendingTree’s value methodology

Looking for a more rewarding student credit card? See our list of best student credit cards.

• Annual fee: $0
• Welcome offer: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – 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. So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 cash back into $200.
• Rewards: Earn 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.
• Intro purchase APR: 0% Intro APR for 6 months
• Intro balance transfer APR: 10.99% Intro APR for 6 months
• Regular purchase and balance transfer APR: 17.24% - 26.24% Variable APR
• Balance transfer fee: 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*
• No foreign transaction fee
• Other benefits: Reports your credit history to all three major credit bureaus, which can help you build credit, Free Social Security number alerts, No late fee the first time you pay late and Discover is accepted nationwide by 99% of the places that take credit cards.
  
• Recommended credit: Limited / Fair

• Elevated cash back at gas stations and restaurants

  The Discover it^® Student Chrome lets you earn 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. If you max out the $1,000 spend cap each quarter, you can earn $20 cash back on gas station and restaurant purchases. Cash back can be redeemed for cash, gift cards or Amazon.com and Paypal purchases, or donated to a charitable cause.

  These are excellent rewards for a starter credit card. But, as you can see from our estimates below, there are several cards that have higher earning potential, including the Discover it^® Student Cash Back.

• Unlimited cash back match for new cardholders

  The Discover it^® Student Chrome comes with a unique welcome offer: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – 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. So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 cash back into $200.

  For example, if you earn $20 cash back on gas and restaurant purchases each quarter, you’ll receive $80 cash back at the end of the year. Once you factor in the cash back match, that amount jumps to $160 for the first year of card membership. Just keep in mind that the cash back match only applies to the first year of card membership.

  This is an excellent welcome offer for a beginner credit card (many of which don’t have any welcome bonus), especially if you max out the quarterly maximum your first year. However, you can find better offers here and there. For example, the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students offers a $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.

• Intro purchase APR

  If you need to finance a large purchase, such as a laptop or textbooks, you can do so interest free for half a year with the Discover it^® Student Chrome. The card offers a 0% Intro APR for 6 months on purchases. After that, an ongoing 17.24% - 26.24% Variable APR applies. However, you won’t find an intro APR for balance transfers.

  This is a decent intro APR for a student credit card. But if you have good / excellent credit, there are a few cards that offer longer intro APRs. For example, the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students offers:

  • 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. Then a 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR applies.
  • 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. Then a 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on balance transfers applies.

  The Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students and Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students have similar offers.

• Good credit building card

  Unlike some other student cards, the Discover it^® Student Chrome card is available if you have a lower credit score or haven’t established credit yet. Plus, it’s loaded with features to help you build a strong credit history:

  • Credit reporting to the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — so your timely payments can help build your credit history
  • Free access to your FICO® Score to monitor your progress
  • Complimentary daily monitoring of your Experian® credit report, to flag problems before they seriously impact your score

  Read more about how to build credit with a credit card.

• Quarterly maximum on higher rewards rate

  With the Discover it^® Student Chrome, you can only earn the elevated cash back rate on gas station and restaurant purchases on the first $1,000 each quarter. All other purchases earn 1% cash back.

  If you plan to spend more than $1,000 each quarter, there are cards that offer elevated rewards without a quarterly maximum. For example, the Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a high rewards rate in several categories with no cap on how much you can earn at that rate. And if you don’t spend heavily on gas and restaurants, a card that earns the same on every purchase — like the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card — may be a better fit.

• No 0% intro APR on balance transfers

  If you need to transfer a balance from a higher-interest credit card, you won’t be able to do so interest free with the Discover it^® Student Chrome. That said, the card does offer a slightly lower introductory APR on balance transfers: 10.99% Intro APR for 6 months, then an ongoing 17.24% - 26.24% Variable APR applies.

  If you’re planning to do a balance transfer, a card with a 0% intro APR for balance transfers can give you a longer period of time to pay off your balance interest free. The BankAmericard® Credit Card for Students offers a long 0% Intro APR for 18 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days, then a 15.24% - 25.24% Variable APR.

  Compare balance transfer credit cards.

Discover it^® Student Chrome vs. Discover it^® Student Cash Back

The Discover it^® Student Cash Back card is another student credit card option issued by Discover. It offers better rewards than the Discover it^® Student Chrome card, if you’re willing to activate new categories each quarter. You can earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically. Categories may include restaurants, drugstores, gas stations, EV charging, grocery stores and more.

The Discover it^® Student Cash Back offers the same cash back match offer in your first-year of card ownership as the Discover it^® Student Chrome card. You’ll also get a 0% Intro APR for 6 months on purchases. Then, a 17.24% - 26.24% Variable APR applies.

Discover it^® Student Chrome vs. Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card is an excellent cash back card that offers a generous rewards rate in several categories with no quarterly caps or rotating categories to keep track of.

You’ll earn 3% Cash Back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply), 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, 1% Cash Back on all other purchases.

If the categories align with your spending habits, this card can offer more value than the Discover it^® Student Chrome.

Discover it^® Student Chrome vs. Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students

The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students is near the top of our list of most rewarding cards for building credit. It allows you to earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice. 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs for the first $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases. 1% cash back on all other purchases. Plus, there’s a generous sign-up bonus.

This card is a better choice if you’re looking to finance a large purchase or do a balance transfer, as you’ll get a 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases and 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. Then, a 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR applies. This can provide more savings on interest compared to the Discover it^® Student Chrome card.

However, you’ll need good / excellent to qualify for this card. If you’re still in the early stages of establishing credit, you may be better off with the Discover it^® Student Chrome card, since it doesn’t require a credit score to apply.

If you spend a lot on dining and gas, the Discover it^® Student Chrome card can provide an opportunity to earn a generous amount of rewards. Plus, you’ll get a cash back match at the end of your first year, doubling your earnings. This card is also a good option for building credit, as it reports your account activity to the three major credit bureaus.

But if you’re looking to earn more cash back, there are cards like the Discover it^® Student Cash Back and Capital One Savor Student Cash Rewards Credit Card that offer a higher rate. Or, if you’re hoping to use your card to finance a large purchase or do a balance transfer, a card with an interest-free period like the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students might be better.