The Discover it® Miles is a no annual fee card that automatically earns unlimited 1.5 miles per dollar of every purchase. Plus, Discover matches the miles earned during the first year of new membership at the end of the first year.
This credit card review will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let’s dive right in.
- 1.5 Miles Per Dollar on Every Purchase
- Discover Will Automatically Match All the Miles You Earn at the End of the First Year
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- No Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus of Discover it Miles
Discover it® Miles currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Discover will match all the miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earned 20,000 miles in your first year, Discover will give you a welcome bonus of 20,000 additional miles at the end of your first year.
Earning Miles with Discover it Miles
Discover it Miles cardholders will automatically earn unlimited 1.5 miles per dollar of every purchase.
This is equivalent to earning 1.5% cash back on all purchases after redeeming miles toward travel purchases or for cash back.
There is no limit to the number of miles that can be earned, but these miles can’t be transferred to airline or hotel programs like other points programs.
Discover it Card Benefits
The Discover it Miles card has very limited benefits but it does offer:
0% intro APR: Enjoy an 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months of account opening. After that, a variable APR of 17.24% – 28.24% applies. A balance transfer fee of up to 5% of the amount transferred applies.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Free Credit Alerts- You can set up free alerts when your social security number is found on thousands of dark web websites. Or when any new credit card, mortgage, car loan, or other credit account shows up on your credit report.
Ability to Freeze Your Account– You can freeze your Discover it Miles card at any time to prevent new purchases on the card.
Redeeming Discover it Miles
Each miles equals one cent towards travel. For example, 10,000 miles equals $100 towards travel.
You can redeem your miles as statement credits on airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, travel agents, online travel sites, and commuter transportation, restaurants and gas stations.
Pros and Cons
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of this card:
Pros:
- No annual fee.
- Double miles the first year.
Cons:
- Limited benefits.
- Only 1.5 miles per dollar (equivalent to 1.5% cash back) after the first year isn’t great compared with other no-annual fee cards.
- Discover cards are not widely accepted outside the US.
Alternatives to the Discover it Miles
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® (review) sets itself apart with 1.5% back on non-bonus purchases, plus higher rewards in select categories including dining and travel. This flexible rewards card becomes even more valuable when paired with a premium Chase card, allowing you to transfer your rewards to travel partners. Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full Earning Cash Back: 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3% back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services; 3% back on drugstore purchases; 1.5% back on all other purchases CaBenefits: Purchase protection, extended warranty, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, secondary rental car insurance, and 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, after that reg_apr,reg_apr_type APR applies; 
Bilt Mastercard®
The Bilt Mastercard® (review) lets you earn valuable travel rewards on rent payments without fees while offering bonus points on dining and travel purchases. This no-annual-fee card stands out for its unique rent payment feature and strong travel benefits like rental car coverage and trip protection. Earning Rewards: 5x points on Lyft; 3x points on dining; 2x points on travel purchases; 1x points on rent payments without any transaction fees up to 100,000 points per year, and 1x points on everything else. (Five transactions are required per billing cycle to earn points.) Card Benefits: No transaction fees to pay rent and earn 1x points, primary rental car insurance, cell phone protection, trip delay and trip cancellation insurance, purchase protection, and no foreign transaction fees.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the most popular travel rewards cards because it offers nice welcome bonus and extra points on travel and dining, which can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel℠. The Sapphire Preferred also offers great travel and purchase protections for a card with a $95 annual fee. Welcome Bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Earning Rewards: 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2x points on all other travel purchases, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Card Benefits: Ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners, 25% bonus when redeeming points through Chase Travel, $50 annual hotel stay credit via Chase Travel, 10% anniversary points bonus, no foreign transaction fees, primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty. Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Emirates, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Hyatt, IHG, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Singapore KrisFlyer, Southwest, United, and Virgin Atlantic.
The Verdict
The Discover it® Miles is a decent option for a no annual fee card, especially for the first year. However, I would recommend a card such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (review), which offers better benefits and perks.
