Last updated on April 11th, 2023
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Discover it® Miles
Discover it® Miles
Discover it® Miles
- 16.74% to 27.74% variable based on creditworthiness and Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
- 16.74% to 27.74% variable based on creditworthiness and Prime Rate Balance Transfer APR
- 29.74% variable based on the Prime Rate Cash Advance APR
- 0% for 15 months from date of account opening Intro Purchase APR
At a Glance
The Discover It Miles Card is a straightforward travel card designed for those who want an easy way to earn miles. The card earns a flat-rate 1.5 miles per dollar spent on purchases, with Discover matching the total number of miles earned for the first year. The card also comes with 0% intro APR for 14 months on purchases, no annual fee, and no foreign transaction fees.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Earn unlimited 1.5x Miles for every dollar spent on all purchases
- Automatic cashback match your first year
- Redeem your Miles as a statement credit with no blackout dates
- Earnings never expire
- Intro Purchase APR: 0% for 15 months from date of account opening
- Regular Purchase APR: 16.74% to 27.74% variable based on creditworthiness and Prime Rate
- Intro Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 15 months from date of first transfer
- Balance Transfer APR: 16.74% to 27.74% variable based on creditworthiness and Prime Rate
- Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: 3% of the amount of each transfer posted at the promotional rate. After that, 5% of the amount of each transfer
- Cash Advance APR: 29.74% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: None the first time you pay late. After that, up to $41
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
- You plan to use this card to book travel frequently
- You don’t expect to use the card outside of the United States
- You want to double your miles after the first year automatically
- You don’t want to pay an annual fee
Discover It Miles Review
The Discover It Miles Card is the Discover Card for those who want a no-nonsense way to earn rewards miles. Cardholders earn unlimited 1.5X miles for every dollar spent on purchases, with no cap on the total number of miles they can make in a year. This point haul is on-par with the 1.5% back that comes with the Chase Freedom Unlimited (but less than the up to 5% with the It Cash Back or Chase Freedom Flex). Another somewhat similar competitor is the Citi Premier® Card, though that card also comes with a $95 annual fee.
Like other rewards cards from Discover, the Miles Card also benefits from the Discover match bonus for the first year of membership, meaning cardholders will receive double their miles automatically. This reward means earning 50,000 miles in the first year will automatically get holders 100,000 miles! This benefit isn’t exactly a sign-up bonus, but offers the sort of value some travel card bonuses simply can’t match.
Discover provides itself on getting rid of the hassles that come with many credit cards, and the Discover It Miles Card is no different. Cardholders never have to worry about paying hidden fees, meaning they don’t have to pay any annual fees or foreign transaction fees. Even better, with Discover Rewards, there are no blackout dates for travel redemptions, and miles earned never expire.
What Are Discover Miles Worth?
Discover matching mile-for-mile for the first year is great, but the value of such a reward entirely depends on what those miles are worth. Discover Rewards points (or miles, as is the case with this card) have a value of one cent per mile. This reward rate valuation means that the 50,000 miles mentioned earlier would have a cash value of approximately $500. Doubling that reward would give a cardholder $1,000 in rewards value, which is excellent for a bonus offer.
How to Redeem Discover Miles
Miles earned with the Discover It Miles Card are redeemable for either a direct deposit to the cardholder’s linked bank account or as a travel credits for purchases made with the card. Travel purchases that apply for statement credits include airline tickets, hotel bookings, car rentals, travel agents, online travel sites (like Booking.com or Travelocity), travel agents, or commuter transportation. Miles also apply towards an electronic deposit to your bank via Discover’s helpful mobile app.
As with other Discover credit cards, Miles cardholders can also use their rewards to offset purchases and use points to pay using PayPal or Amazon.
0% Intro APR
All Discover credit cards (with the exception of the credit building options) feature 0% intro APR. This introductory APR period of 15 months is comparable to the lengthy 0% APR on offer from both the Citi Simplicity® Card and Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card.
Should You Apply for the Discover It Miles Card?
The Discover It Miles Card is a decent travel reward credit card. The ability to earn 1.5 miles for every dollar spent on purchases is great, as are the no blackout dates, no foreign transaction fees, no annual fee, and no expiration on miles earned.
If you frequently travel within the United States and plan to take your card with you, the Discover It Miles is a solid choice. If, however, you plan to travel abroad, there are better options available. As with other discover credit card products, the Miles Card suffers as an international tool due to the sparse acceptance of Discover overseas. While Discover claims to be making in-roads in this area, the acceptance of the card is likely spotty at best outside of North America.
Additionally, if you plan on using the card for anything other than booking travel, the Discover It Cash Back is a much better option. The Cash Back Card earns 5% back on a revolving set of categories, meaning better value might be found there. Of course, all Discover Cards have no annual fee, meaning you could simply get both cards, which is a smart option. Be aware, however, that Discover only allows individuals to have two Discover Cards at any one time.
The information related to Citi Simplicity Card, Citi Diamond Preferred Card and Citi Double Cash Card has been collected by BestCards.com and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.
