Woman shopping with bags and coffee to go

Is Discover a Good Credit Card for Your Needs?

6 min read

Last Updated: October 29, 2025

Table of contents

Key Takeaways

Figure out what type of credit card you want–travel, everyday purchases, cash back rewards–to help determine if a Discover® Card would be good for you.
Secured and student credit cards can be good options for those with limited or no credit history.
Your Discover rewards card will earn rewards on every purchase, big or small.

Searching for a new credit card can feel overwhelming. For some, it can seem like there are too many options to choose from. For those with poor credit or a lack of credit history, it can feel like there aren’t enough options available. Whether you’re looking for the best credit card to start out with or a cash back card with bonus categories that line up with your shopping habits, there’s a wide array of rewards credit card choices from Discover that may meet your needs.

Reasons a Discover card may be good for you

As you compare credit cards, consider your priorities. What are you looking for in a credit card? A card you can use for everyday purchases that charges no annual fees? A travel credit card you can use overseas? Or, do you plan to make a large purchase that you can’t pay off in one month, and want an introductory low interest credit card offer so you can break it up over time?

Discover credit cards offer all of these benefits and more:

Rewards on every purchase: No matter where you like to shop or how you want to use your card, you can earn rewards. Every Discover Card lets you earn rewards on every purchase. Some Discover rewards credit card options allow you to earn at the same rate for every purchase, while others offer higher rates for purchases from a bonus category. Redeem rewards for cash in any amount to help pay down your balance.

Relief from fees: Some rewards credit cards may charge you an annual fee to use them and take advantage of their rewards, but Discover has no annual fee on every credit card. Discover Cards also have no late fee on your first late payment.¹

Discover Mobile App: No matter where you are, you can instantly access your credit card information with the Discover mobile app. It’s simple to make an on-the-go payment or manage your spending from your Apple^® or Android^™ phone, tablet, or watch.

Great customer service: If customer service is important to you, then you may have another reason to consider a Discover credit card. Discover offers real human customer service 24/7.²

Are you curious about which Discover Card you may be approved for? Use the Discover Credit Card pre-approval form to see if you’re pre-approved with no harm to your credit score.³

See if You’re Pre-Approved

Discover card options for bad, good, or excellent credit

Having good to excellent credit can improve the chances of getting approved for the credit card of your choice. If you have good credit, you might compare credit cards mostly on the basis of their benefits. For example, you may find yourself choosing between a miles card and a cash back card.

Even if you don’t have excellent or good credit, you still have options.

Discover it® Secured Card may help you build good credit history

Discover has credit cards available for those with poor credit or limited credit history that can help you build credit with responsible use.⁴ You typically don’t need a high credit score to qualify for a secured credit card. Instead, you have to put down a security deposit prior to opening your account. The card’s credit limit will equal that deposit amount. You can use a secured card like any other card. As long as the card issuer reports your activity to at least one credit bureau, this can give you the opportunity to build or rebuild your credit.

With Discover, you can get the Discover it^® Secured Card, with no credit score required to apply.⁵ You can earn 2% Cashback Bonus^® at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.⁶

With Discover, you can get your deposit back after 6 consecutive months of on-time payments and maintaining good status on all your credit accounts.⁷

Start your credit journey with a Discover student credit card

If you’re a student looking to establish credit, a student credit card can be a good option. A student credit card functions like a regular, unsecured credit card but typically offers better terms for a student with limited or no credit. Student credit cards may have a lower credit limit than a regular credit card, which can be good for college students who are just getting started and learning to practice responsible credit card use.

Discover offers a selection of student credit cards that have no credit score required to apply.⁸ And if you’re looking for a student cash back card, Discover offers the benefit to earn cash back on everything you buy with Discover student credit cards. You don’t have to just take our word for it: the Discover it^® Student Chrome Card, NerdWallet's 2025 winner for Best Credit Card for College Students.⁹

Discover card rewards that may be good for you

If you’re still questioning whether Discover is the right credit card issuer for you, consider these additional benefits and rewards.

Cash back credit card. Discover credit cards can be a good option for those looking to earn cash back rewards. Discover it^® Cash Back lets you earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. In fact, the Discover it^® Cash Back card was The Motley Fool Ascent’s 2024 winner for Best Cash Back Credit Card.

Did you know?

With any Discover cash back card, you can get an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you earn at the end of your first year, automatically. There is no limit to how much we’ll match.¹⁰

Learn More

Travel. For those who love to travel, with Discover it^® Miles, automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase.¹¹ And we’ll automatically match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year.¹² Your Miles won't expire for the life of the account.¹³

Gas and restaurants. If you spend a lot filling up your vehicle or eating out at restaurants, the Discover it^® Chrome Card may be good for you. Earn 2% Cashback Bonus^® at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically.⁶

To find out which is the best Discover credit card for you, and to compare against another credit card issuer, check out the Discover credit card comparison tool.

The bottom line

Whether you have good credit, low credit, or no credit, Discover may have a credit card to fit your needs. Plus, Discover credit cards come with cash back rewards and Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide.¹⁴

Important Information >