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The Discover it® Student chrome is a great credit card for students – especially those commuting to campus – who are just beginning their credit journey. In addition to cash back on every purchase, the card offers benefits, such as free access to your FICO® Credit Score – all for a $0 annual fee.
Cash back can be redeemed for gift cards, instant eCertificates, charitable donations, credits to your card account, electronic deposits into any account you designate and merchandise.
We break down the pros and cons of the Discover it® Student chrome, and show how it compares to the Discover it® Student chrome, which also offers cash back on every purchase.
Intro Purchase APR
0% Intro APR for 6 months
Regular Purchase APR
17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR
Intro BT APR
10.99% Intro APR for 6 months
Regular BT APR
17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR
Annual Fee
$0
Cash Advance Fee
see terms
Foreign Transaction Fee
None
Balance Transfer Fee
3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*
Rewards rate
The Discover it® Student chrome offers 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 alone.
Sign-up bonus
Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
So, 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 Cashback Match bonus – that amount jumps to $160 for the first year of card membership.
Just keep in mind that the Discover Cashback Match bonus only applies to the first year of card membership.
Introductory 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 an intro APR of 0% Intro APR for 6 months. After that, an ongoing 17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR applies.
Annual fee
The Discover it® Student chrome comes with a $0 annual fee.
Quarterly maximum on higher rewards rate
With the Discover it® Student chrome, you can only earn the elevated cashback rate on gas station and restaurant purchases on the first $1,000 each quarter. All other purchases earn 1% cash back.
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 17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR applies.
Balance transfer fee
Keep in mind that if you do transfer a balance, you will be subject to a 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*.
The Discover it® Student Cash Back also offersUnlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match.
Beyond the rewards programs, the Discover it® Student chrome and Discover it® Student Cash Back are virtually identical. Both cards offer Cashback Match bonuses, $0 annual fees and intro APRs on purchases and balance transfers. The cards also offer the same benefits, including free access to your FICO® Score.
However, with the Discover it® Student Cash Back, you stand to earn quite a bit more cash back each quarter if you max out the card’s bonus spending cap. For example, if you spend $1,500 per quarter in the bonus categories with the Discover it® Student Cash Back, you can earn $300 cash back on those purchases at the end of the year. And with the first-year Cashback Match offer, that amount will double to $600.
By contrast, if you max out the Discover it® Student chrome ’s $1,000 spend cap each quarter, you’ll only earn $80 cash back on gas station and restaurant purchases at the end of the year.
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| Discover it® Student chrome | Discover it® Student Cash Back | Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students | Journey Student Rewards from Capital One |
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Apply Now on Discover's secure site
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Apply Now on Discover's secure site
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Apply Now on Bank Of America's secure site
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Apply Now on Capital One's secure site
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| Annual Fee | |||
| $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Welcome Offer | |||
| Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match. | Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year! So you could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 into $200. There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match. | $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening | No bonus |
| Rewards Rate | |||
| 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 | 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 | 3% cashback 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 purchases; 0.25% Cash Back bonus on the cash back you earn each month you pay on time; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply) |
| Intro Purchase APR | |||
| 0% Intro APR for 6 months | 0% Intro APR for 6 months on purchases | 0% Intro APR for 18 billing cycles for purchases | N/A |
| Regular APR | |||
| 17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR | 17.49% - 26.49% Variable APR | 17.49% - 27.49% Variable APR | 29.74% (Variable) |
| Recommended Credit | |||
| Fair/Limited | Fair/Limited | Excellent/Good | Fair/Limited |
| Card Details | |||
| Discover it® Student chrome | Discover it® Student Cash Back | Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students | Journey Student Rewards from Capital One |
If you eat out frequently, commute to campus or have an upcoming road trip planned to visit family, the Discover it® Student chrome can provide a great opportunity to earn a generous amount of rewards, thanks to its solid cashback rate on restaurant and gas station purchases and Cashback Match bonus. But if you want the ability to earn a higher amount of cash back in a wider range of categories that rotate quarterly, such as Restaurants and Wholesale Clubs, the Discover it® Student Cash Back may be a better choice.
