Discover it® Miles Review: Consistent Rewards, Easy Redemption

The Discover it® Miles card is a flexible travel card with a straightforward rewards structure and a miles match feature for the first year. It also comes with a 15-month 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers. However, its lack of bonus categories and premium perks may be a dealbreaker for some people.

This card is best for:

• Consumers who want a consistent reward rate on their purchases and an uncomplicated rewards redemption process

This card can also work for:

• People looking to finance a significant expense or consolidate debt with a 0% APR for the first 15 months.

This card is not ideal for:

• Frequent travelers seeking premium benefits or higher rewards in specific spending categories

The Discover it® Miles card works like a cash back card, offering 1.5 miles per dollar on all purchases. Unlike other travel cards that decrease the value of points when redeemed for non-travel expenses, you can redeem your miles for either travel statement credits or cash, both at the same value of $0.01 per mile.

Aside from its flat rate, the Discover it® Miles also has a miles match feature, effectively doubling the miles you earn during the first year. Additionally, it offers a 15-month 0% intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers, ideal for managing large expenses or debt consolidation.

Despite its simplicity, its lack of bonus categories and travel perks may prompt some to consider cards that offer specialized travel rewards.

MORE >> MoneyGeek's Best Travel Credit Cards

The Discover it® Miles card works great if you want simple purchase rewards.

Earn 1.5 Miles: With a flat rate of 1.5 miles for every dollar spent, this card simplifies earning rewards on all purchases without having to deal with rotating categories and spending caps. For example, if you spend $1,000 monthly, you'll accumulate 18,000 miles over a year, equivalent to $180 when redeemed.

Miles Match: At the end of your first year, Discover matches the miles you've accumulated, effectively doubling your earned rewards. Depending on your spending habits, you can earn more than the usual $200 welcome bonus that comes with no-annual-fee cards.

Flexible Redemption: You can redeem miles for statement credit, credit for travel purchases in the past 180 days or cash. Regardless of the redemption method, your miles consistently hold a value of $0.01 each. This gives you the freedom to choose how to spend your miles, unlike other travel cards that often make miles less valuable if you don't use them for travel.

0% Intro APR: Enjoy 15 months of 0% interest on purchases and balance transfers. This can be a relief whether you're spreading out payment for your vacation or managing existing credit card balances.

Although its simplicity is appealing, power users looking for specialized travel perks may feel underwhelmed by the Discover it® Miles card.

No Bonus Categories: If you spend heavily in certain areas, you might miss out on extra rewards other cards offer for those purchases. Similar cards provide up to 5% cash back or 5X rewards on bonus categories. For example, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards offers 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Higher Cash Back Rate Available: The Discover it® Miles is effectively a cash back card that provides 1.5% cash back. You can find other cards that offer a higher rate. For example, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card provides 2% cash back on all purchases.

Limited Travel Benefits: If you travel often, the absence of perks like lounge access or travel insurance might lead you to consider other travel cards. Additionally, you can't transfer the miles you earn with this card to other rewards programs.

We compare the Discover it® Miles to similar credit cards to help you determine if it is a good fit for you.

Discover it® Miles vs. Discover it® Cash Back

The Discover it® Cash Back provides 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500) and 1% on all other purchases. It also has a similar, first-year cash back match feature. This card can be an alternative if you want to earn high rewards and don’t mind dealing with rotating categories and spending caps.

Discover it® Miles vs. Capital One Savor Cash Rewards

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards offers 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars via Capital One Travel and 3% cash back on dining, entertainment and grocery stores. If you want to earn rewards on travel and everyday expenses, the Savor can be a more lucrative option.

Our review of the Discover it® Miles card involved comparing it with 22 other travel rewards cards. We assessed the length of 0% APR offers, subsequent variable APRs, fees and the rewards program's value, if any.