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Credit Cards » Credit Card Reviews » Discover It Student Cash Back Card: 2024 Review

Discover It Student Cash Back Card: 2024 Review

The card is ideal for clients starting their credit journey and wish to earn up to 5% cashback rewards including match bonus for the first year
Author: Lorraine Smithills
Interest Rates Last Update: November 15, 2024
The banking product interest rates, including savings, CDs, and money market, are accurate as of this date.
Author: Lorraine Smithills
Interest Rates Last Update: November 15, 2024

The banking product interest rates, including savings, CDs, and money market, are accurate as of this date.

We earn a commission from our partner links on this page. It doesn't affect the integrity of our unbiased, independent editorial staff. Transparency is a core value for us, read our advertiser disclosure and how we make money.

Table of Contents

Discover it® Student Cash Back is a credit card designed for students alone. It is one of the best products for those in higher institutions in the US. It is ideal for clients starting their credit journey and wish to earn cashback rewards. Customers are liable to claim a 5% cash back on activated rotating category purchases (up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter, then 1%) and 1% on all other purchases. Also, there is a match bonus on all cash backs after your first year.

The card is widely accepted across the US, and it offers a series of benefits, including good grade rewards for students with a Cgpa of 3.0 and higher. These clients are liable to claim a $20 statement credit. You have the chance to freeze your account in emergencies like theft, to avoid unauthorized transactions. 

After graduation, you may be eligible for a credit line increase based on your creditworthiness and can continue enjoying the card’s rewards and benefits. Discover also offers a user-friendly mobile app, available on the Apple Store for iPhone and Google Play Store for Android, where you can easily manage your account and redeem cashback rewards.

Discover it® Student Cash Back

discover-it-student-cash-back_5mNPw7i

Rewards Plan

1-5% 5% cash back on activated rotating category purchases (up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter, then 1%) and 1% on all other purchases

Sign up Bonus

Match Bonus Match Bonus for the first 12 months

0% Intro

6 months on purchases

PROS

CONS

APR

18.24% - 27.24% Variable

Annual Fee

$0

Balance Transfer Fee

%5

Credit Requirements

No Credit – Poor

Card & Issuer Reputation

  • 3.9/5  on J.D. Power U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study 2020

In order to avoid bias based on a small number of reviews, we present only ratings with at least 200 reviews.

Advantages

Let’s take a look at the advantages of this card and see if it’s the right one for your wallet or not.

Discover It Student Cash Back does not require a minimum credit score or your credit history. The focus is on your educational qualification, personal and financial information. It is ideal for a first-time credit card.

This product offers one of the best features in a student's credit card. There are rotating bonuses at the end of each quarter of the year for different purchase categories. Customers are liable to 5% cash back on activated rotating category purchases (up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter, then 1%) and 1% on all other purchases. There is a good grade reward of $20 statement credits per year up to five years on campus. 

You have the chance to freeze your account, which means to halt transactions. This feature activates within seconds and may help your card is lost or stolen to prevent fraudulent activities. However, the freeze option does not interfere with already programmed transactions like recurring payments or delayed purchases. 

Discover It Student Cash Back has a variable APR of 18.24% – 27.24% Variable, which falls within most student cards' average rate. 

New cardholders are introduced to a 0% intro rate on all transactions and a 10.99% intro rate for balance transfers, all within the initial six months of joining. This feature may give customers the time to repay school-related debts and make some financial adjustments. Also, it eases them into paying the regular rates. 

The mobile app allows you to oversee all transactions in your account conveniently and within your home's comfort. The software will enable you to make payments, purchases and converse with customer service representatives. You will also get notifications anytime your Social Security Number has been compromised and used for unauthorized dealings. Discover It Student Cash Back protects customer information by monitoring the dark web and guarding against breaches.

Discover it® rotating categories 2022

Disadvantages

Let’s take a look at the disadvantages of this credit card and see if it’s the right one for your wallet or not.

Cardholders can enjoy 5% cash back to a total of $1,500 each quarter. 

A few student cards are open to foreigners, so; it is not much of a surprise that Discover It Student Cash Back isn't one of them. Here, clients must register as US citizens with their Social Security Numbers. The card is operational everywhere in America. 

The card has no foreign transaction fees; however, it can't be used in most places outside the US. It is not advisable to travel with this product as it may not be accessible in foreign locations.

How To Apply For Discover It Student Cash Back Card?

Visit the Discover It Student Cash Back website and click on “Apply Now” to start the process. 

Pick a design for your product and scroll down to fill in your personal information. You will fill in your name, date of birth, address, phone number, e-mail, social security number (SSN), citizenship, year in college, graduating year, gross income, rent and bank accounts.

Scroll down to fill in all your details and click “Next” to continue.

Read all the terms and conditions, including interest rates and charges. Scroll down and tick both boxes if you agree. Proceed by clicking “Submit.”

Please be patient. You will be requested to wait for a minute or less – please keep the site open while waiting. Once the sixty seconds countdown is over, you will be given a phone number and a reference number. Follow the instructions and place a call to complete your order. 

Is the Discover it® Student Cash Back Right for You?

The Discover It Student Cash Back card is perfect for students with limited or no credit history. With its introductory rates and typical APR for student cards, it's a great option for first-time cardholders. The card offers rotating bonus categories each quarter, but be sure to enroll before claiming them.

Compare The Alternatives

There are more cards to build credit with – here are some good alternatives to the Destiny card:

capital_one_secured_mastercard

citi secured mastercard review

Discover It Secured review

Capital One Secured
Citi Secured
Discover It Secured
Annual Fee
$0
$0
$0
Rewards
None None
None None
1-2% 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
None None
None None
Cashback Match™ Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
Foreign Transaction Fee
$0
3%
3%
Purchase APR
29.99% (Variable)
21.24% – 29.24% (Variable)
28.24% Variable

Review Secured Credit Cards

Picture of Lorraine Smithills

Lorraine Smithills

Lorraine is a freelance finance writer with years of experience in the banking sector and after a successful career in one of the largest retail and commercial financial services providers. She has a passion for helping people with less financial confidence to get control of their money through budgeting, saving, and responsible credit practices.
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Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

Credit Card Reviews Methodology

In order to determine the best possible credit cards, we look at things like fees, interest rates and rewards. We do this with companies that are associated with us as partners as well as other offerings. From there, we make a decision about what the best card is related to different categories and needs. We focus on interest rate cost & fees, especially the cost of carrying a balance, rewards – cards accumulate rewards in different currencies—points, miles, cash back—and their values vary widely usability – cards that accept a wide range of credit profiles and offer simple solutions for things like checking your credit score or contacting. We also consider customer reviews.

We look at cards related to good or excellent credit ratings that will then provide a range of different benefits and improvements for someone who has these scores. We also look at low fees when it comes to those who have lower credit scores.

This website is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. The product offers that appear on this site are from companies from which this website receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear).

This website does not include all card companies or all card offers available in the marketplace. This website may use other proprietary factors to impact card offer listings on the website such as consumer selection or the likelihood of the applicant’s credit approval.

This allows us to maintain a full-time, editorial staff and work with finance experts you know and trust. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impacts any of the editorial content on The Smart Investor.

While we work hard to provide accurate and up to date information that we think you will find relevant, The Smart Investor does not and cannot guarantee that any information provided is complete and makes no representations or warranties in connection thereto, nor to the accuracy or applicability thereof.

Learn more about how we review products and read our advertiser disclosure for how we make money. All products are presented without warranty.