Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
Both cards cost $0/yr. The NHL® Discover It® leads on grocery stores; the Rakuten American Express Card on dining.
Card data as of September 27, 2026.
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
| Category | NHL® Discover It® | Rakuten American Express Card |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery Stores | 5X | 2X |
| Streaming | 5X | 1X |
| Wholesale Clubs | 5X | 1X |
| Dining | 1X | 2X |
Network
Key Benefits
The Rakuten American Express Card wins in 1 of 1 categories. The NHL® Discover It® leads in 0. 3 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Grocery Stores
Depends: up to $1,500/quarter
NHL® Discover It® earns 5X when conditions are met; Rakuten American Express Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Streaming
Depends: up to $1,500/quarter
NHL® Discover It® earns 5X when conditions are met; Rakuten American Express Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Wholesale Clubs
Depends: up to $1,500/quarter
NHL® Discover It® earns 5X when conditions are met; Rakuten American Express Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Dining
Rakuten American Express Card earns 2X vs 1X
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Both scenarios favor the Rakuten American Express Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | NHL® Discover It® | Rakuten American Express Card |
|---|
Both scenarios favor the Rakuten American Express Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Ongoing winner |
|---|
| Year-one winner |
|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $120 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $120 Year one: $120 | Rewards: $234 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $234 Year one: $334 | Rakuten American Express Card | Rakuten American Express Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $480 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $480 Year one: $480 | Rewards: $936 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $936 Year one: $1,036 | Rakuten American Express Card | Rakuten American Express Card |
Get the Rakuten American Express Card if you:
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
