Discover it Student Cash Back
- Annual Fee
- $0
- Top Rate
- 5%
Terms checked against the issuer on October 10, 2026
At a Glance
- Annual Fee
- $0
- Authorized User Fee
- $0
- Foreign Transaction Fee
- $0
- Network
- —
- Rewards Currency
- Cash
- Point Valuation
- 1¢ (cash back)
- Credit Required
- Poor to Excellent
Earning Rates
- 5%
Rotating Quarterly
5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500 spend per quarter when activated; cap per Discover's cash back calendar)
Cap: $1,500/quarterly
- 5%
Capital One Entertainment
5% cash back on tickets bought on the Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform with this card; excludes cardholder-exclusive pre-sales, Capital One Hall/Arena direct ticketing and Capital One Dining
- 5%
Hotels Capital One
5% cash back on hotels and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel; purchases outside Capital One Travel earn the standard rate
- 5%
Car Rentals Capital One
5% cash back on rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; purchases outside Capital One Travel earn the standard rate
- 1%
All Other
1% cash back on all other purchases
Benefits & Perks
Insurance & Protections
4 protections$0 fraud liability—never pay for unauthorized charges
Complete protection from fraudulent charges with zero liability for unauthorized transactions
Free monthly FICO credit score
Get your FICO Credit Score free on monthly statements and online, updated monthly with no credit impact.
$0 fraud liability on unauthorized purchases
Never responsible for unauthorized purchases. Discover monitors every transaction and alerts you of suspicious activity.
Instant account freeze and unfreeze
Freeze your account instantly to block new purchases if your card is lost. Unfreeze just as quickly when found.
Details & Terms
Payment Terms
| Purchase APR | 16.74%–25.74% (Variable) |
| Cash Advance APR | 28.74% (Variable) |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | $0 |
| Authorized User Fee | $0 |
Card Family
Discover Cashback family
| Card | Tier | Annual Fee | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover It Cashback | mid | $0 |
Product changes available between family members without a new credit inquiry.
Reviews & Analysis
Pros and Cons
Pros
- +Cashback Match doubles all cash back earned in year one automatically
- +5% on rotating quarterly categories (when activated)
- +No annual fee or foreign transaction fee
- +No credit score required to apply
- +First late fee waived to help students learn
- +0% intro APR for 6 months on purchases
- +Free Social Security number monitoring
- +Cash back never expires
Cons
- -Must activate categories each quarter to earn 5%
- -$1,500 quarterly cap on 5% categories
- -Only 1% on non-bonus spending
- -Discover network has less acceptance than Visa/Mastercard
- -Shorter 6-month intro APR than some competitors
- -Rotating categories may not match your spending habits
Who It's Best For
Best For
- Students who can maximize rotating 5% categories each quarter
- First-year cardholders who benefit from Cashback Match (doubles all rewards)
Not Ideal For
- Students who forget to activate quarterly categories
- Those who prefer consistent earning rates over rotating bonuses
- Heavy spenders who exceed the $1,500 quarterly category cap
Media & Resources
Card Design
Evidence Sources
| Source | Verified | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Discover Official | — | Discover Official |
| Discover Official | — | Discover Official |
| RewardsCC API | — | RewardsCC API |
| CardRatings | — | CardRatings: Welcome offer.bonus cash |
| Issuer Page | Issuer Page: Earn rates | |
| Issuer Page | Issuer Page: Welcome offer | |
| Issuer Page | Issuer Page: Welcome offer | |
| Issuer Page | Issuer Page: Welcome offer | |
| Discover Official | Discover Official |
Top brands for this card
Brands where this card's earn-rate structure makes it a strong choice. Open a brand for the full ranked list.