Annual Fee

Welcome Bonus

Base Earn Rate

Top Earn Categories

Network

Key Benefits

Pros

• +Cashback Match doubles ALL rewards earned in first year - unlimited
• +5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500 spend/quarter)
• +No annual fee ever
• +No foreign transaction fees (rare for no-AF cards)
• +0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers

• +No annual fee
• +Simple 1.5x miles on all purchases with no category tracking
• +Miles Match doubles all miles earned in the first year (effectively 3x)
• +Flexible redemption - miles can be redeemed for any travel purchase
• +No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• −Discover network has lower acceptance than Visa/Mastercard, especially internationally
• −Must activate 5% categories each quarter or earn only 1%
• −$1,500 quarterly cap on 5% categories limits high spenders
• −After year one, effective earn rate drops significantly
• −Base rate of 1% on non-bonus spending is below flat-rate alternatives

• −Discover network has more limited merchant acceptance than Visa/Mastercard
• −Miles are worth 1 cent each - no transfer partners for outsized value
• −No travel protections like trip delay insurance or lost luggage coverage
• −No airport lounge access or TSA PreCheck credit
• −After first year, 1.5x is lower than premium travel cards offer

Annual Fee

Welcome Bonus

Base Earn Rate

Top Earn Categories

Network

Key Benefits

Pros

• +Cashback Match doubles ALL rewards earned in first year - unlimited
• +5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500 spend/quarter)
• +No annual fee ever
• +No foreign transaction fees (rare for no-AF cards)
• +0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers

• +No annual fee
• +Simple 1.5x miles on all purchases with no category tracking
• +Miles Match doubles all miles earned in the first year (effectively 3x)
• +Flexible redemption - miles can be redeemed for any travel purchase
• +No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• −Discover network has lower acceptance than Visa/Mastercard, especially internationally
• −Must activate 5% categories each quarter or earn only 1%
• −$1,500 quarterly cap on 5% categories limits high spenders
• −After year one, effective earn rate drops significantly
• −Base rate of 1% on non-bonus spending is below flat-rate alternatives

• −Discover network has more limited merchant acceptance than Visa/Mastercard
• −Miles are worth 1 cent each - no transfer partners for outsized value
• −No travel protections like trip delay insurance or lost luggage coverage
• −No airport lounge access or TSA PreCheck credit
• −After first year, 1.5x is lower than premium travel cards offer

Annual Fee

Welcome Bonus

Base Earn Rate

Top Earn Categories

Network

Key Benefits

Pros

• +Cashback Match doubles ALL rewards earned in first year - unlimited
• +5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500 spend/quarter)
• +No annual fee ever
• +No foreign transaction fees (rare for no-AF cards)
• +0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers

• +No annual fee
• +Simple 1.5x miles on all purchases with no category tracking
• +Miles Match doubles all miles earned in the first year (effectively 3x)
• +Flexible redemption - miles can be redeemed for any travel purchase
• +No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• −Discover network has lower acceptance than Visa/Mastercard, especially internationally
• −Must activate 5% categories each quarter or earn only 1%
• −$1,500 quarterly cap on 5% categories limits high spenders
• −After year one, effective earn rate drops significantly
• −Base rate of 1% on non-bonus spending is below flat-rate alternatives

• −Discover network has more limited merchant acceptance than Visa/Mastercard
• −Miles are worth 1 cent each - no transfer partners for outsized value
• −No travel protections like trip delay insurance or lost luggage coverage
• −No airport lounge access or TSA PreCheck credit
• −After first year, 1.5x is lower than premium travel cards offer