Discover it Miles Review: A Strong Cash-Back Card With an Impressive First Year Offer

Discover it Miles Benefits

Discover it Miles benefits aren’t as robust as other rewards credit cards offer, but it’s got some tricks up its sleeve that can be incredibly valuable for the right consumer.

First Year Miles Match™

After your first year with the card, Discover will match all of the miles you’ve earned. The Discover it Miles earns 1.5 miles per dollar, so you’ll receive a total of 3 miles per dollar in your first year. Since miles are worth 1 cent each towards redemptions such as travel reservations or cash back, this card offers the equivalent of 3% cash back on your purchases during the first year.

Introductory 0% APR

New cardholders can enjoy a 0% Intro APR on purchases and on balance transfers for 15 months, then 17.99% – 26.99% Variable APR. There’s a 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*. This can be a great way to save money by completing a balance transfer or spreading out payments on new purchases without incurring interest, so long as you make your minimum payment on time each month.

I like to deposit what I would have paid toward my balance into an interest-earning account, and then use it to pay the entire balance off before the promotional financing period ends.

Earn 1.5 Miles per Dollar Everywhere

You can redeem Discover miles for travel, cash back, gift cards and merchandise, and each mile is worth 1 cent. I prefer to redeem my miles for cash back, allowing me to earn additional rewards for any necessary travel or gift card purchases.

Strong Customer Service Reputation

I’ve consistently spoken to raving fans of Discover credit cards who swear by the issuer’s excellent customer service experiences. These anecdotes are backed up by historically high rankings in J.D. Power customer satisfaction surveys, as well as Discover’s commitment to providing 24/7 human customer service.

No Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fees

The Discover it Miles is a good choice for those who like simple credit cards with few fees. Unlike some no-annual-fee cards, you won’t incur extra charges in the way of perky foreign transaction fees when you make international purchases.

Discover Cash at Checkout

Discover credit cards, including the Discover it Miles, offer a unique feature that allows you to access cash when you use it for purchases at dozens of participating major stores. You can withdraw as much as $120 every 24 hours, just like a purchase. You won’t pay any ATM fees or cash advance fees, and the standard purchase APR will apply.

Discover it Miles Drawbacks

Not the Highest Rate of Return

When the Discover it Miles Card was first released, earning 1.5% in return was very competitive for a card with no annual fee. But today, several no-annual-fee cards earn 2% cash back on all purchases. And travel rewards cards with annual fees can offer points or miles, often worth more than 1.5% back.

No Travel Benefits

While the Discover it Miles’s name might lure those looking for a travel rewards card, you may be surprised to learn that it lacks common travel benefits provided by many other cards, including rental car insurance, travel delay coverage or lost luggage benefits. You can redeem your rewards for travel reservations, but this card offers no other travel-related features.

If built-in travel insurance is important to you, check out our guide to the best credit cards with travel insurance.

Limits on International Acceptance

The Discover it Miles is accepted in most countries, but not all. There are large gaps in its coverage throughout Africa, as well as in Southern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and even common tourist destinations such as Panama and Cuba.

Make sure to look at Discover’s map of International Credit Card Access before traveling abroad, and be sure to carry an alternate payment method if you will be visiting a country where Discover isn’t well accepted. That said, according to the February 2025 issue of the Nilson Report, Discover cards are accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards within the US.

Who Is the Discover it Miles Best For?

The Discover it Miles is worth it for several types of users. The first is someone who wants a simple cash-back card with strong rewards and very few fees. This would be the type of credit card user who values cash-back offers, but doesn’t want to deal with having to understand bonuses for certain purchases or limits on those bonuses.

This is also a great card for those who see the strong value in the Miles Match™ offer, as there are few, if any, cards that will offer 3% cash back on all purchases for a year. I took advantage of this offer to make it my primary card for the first year, and I even earned $450 cash back when I bought a used car for $15,000 with my card. The cash back that I received amounted to significant savings when buying the vehicle from one of those “no haggle” dealerships that wouldn’t budge on the price.

Many will appreciate this card for its intro APR offer on both new purchases and balance transfers. I would just recommend that those who make a balance transfer pay it off steadily each month, so that you have no balance left by the time the standard interest rate applies.

Is It the Right Card for You?

If the following sounds like you, then the Discover it Miles might be the right card for your needs:

• You are excited to earn 3% cash back in your first year
• You are looking for a simple rewards program
• You’re able to use its intro APR offer
• You value excellent customer service
• You aren’t looking for premium perks and benefits

Alternatives to the Discover it Miles

Several no-annual-fee travel credit cards compete with the Discover it Miles, including these options:

• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card: This card offers 1.25 miles per dollar (except hotels, rental cars and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, which earn 5x miles). Capital One miles are worth 1 cent each as statement credits towards travel purchases or Capital One Travel bookings. Miles can be worth even more when transferred to Capital One’s airline and hotel partners and redeemed for high-value flights and hotel stays. Among other Capital One VentureOne Card benefits, there’s no annual fee for this card, and no foreign transaction fees.
• Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card: This card also offers 1.5x miles on purchases, and rewards are worth 1 cent each toward dining and travel purchases, with no option to transfer rewards to airline and hotel partners. Similar to the Discover it Miles, this card also features a a generous intro APR. The Travel Rewards card is also light on benefits, but it has no annual fee or foreign transaction fees.