Key Takeaways
The Discover It Miles program is straightforward and easy, but the lack of significant welcome offers makes this a poor program to invest in
- Discover does not offer transferable miles either, making the program even less valuable
- You can only open one Discover card in 12 months, which significantly limits your ability to collect miles
- The best way to use Discover It Miles for travel is by using them to cover any travel purchase made in the last 180 days
Reward Program Ratings
Hobby Score
4.3Travel Partner Transfers
Transfers In
Transfers Out
Points Transfer Guide
How to Earn Miles
The only way to earn Discover it Miles is to hold the Discover it Miles credit card. All other Discover cards earn cash back, not miles. The Discover it Miles card doesn’t offer a traditional signup bonus. Instead, Discover matches all the miles you earn in your first calendar year.
- Base earning: You earn 1.5x miles for every dollar you spend.
- First-year match: Discover matches all miles earned after your first year ends.
- Example: Spend $10,000 in year one and earn 15,000 miles, then receive a 15,000-mile match for a total of 30,000 miles.
- Value: Miles redeem at 1 cent per point, so 30,000 miles = $300 toward travel purchases.
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How to Redeem Miles
Any points earned with the Discover It Miles cards can be redeemed as a credit to your account, cash via an electronic deposit, or as credit for travel purchases made within the past 180 days. So you can use the points from this card to redeem for free travel. The redemption ratio is 1:1; however, and there are no transfer partners to take advantage of outsized redemptions.
Sweet Spots Finder
Discover your points' highest-value redemption options. Use the filters to find the optimal sweet spot for your next trip.
Booking Tips
Who is it best for?
While the Discover It Miles card could be good for someone brand new to the points and miles hobby, there are so many other beginner cards that would be better. We understand the idea of dipping your toes in the water before jumping straight in, but there are other systems to do that with that are more beneficial. Even if you aren’t ready to learn about transfer partners and award charts, you can still get a card with a mix of simple and more complicated redemption options. That way you at least have the option of learning more and getting more value out of the card and points system. Then if you really want to start maximizing your points collection, you won’t have to worry about wasting a 5/24 spot with a card like this.
What to Know Before Canceling
Since Discover doesn’t have any transfer partners or method for transferring your points to another person, you will want to use your points before canceling the card.
FAQs
- How do I cash out my Discover miles?
- You can redeem your Discover miles as a deposit into your bank account at a 1 cent per point rate. If you spend $5000 on the Discover it Miles card, you earn 1.5x miles, or 7500 miles total. That would convert to $75 deposited into your account.
- What is the difference between Discover and Discover It Miles?
- All Discover cards except the Discover it Miles earn cash back that you can redeem as a statement credit or bank deposit. The Discover it Miles card lets you use your miles for a credit toward travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, and more.
- What airlines take Discover Miles?
- You can’t transfer Discover miles to any airline. But if you buy airfare with your Discover it Miles card, you can redeem miles for a statement credit toward that purchase. For example, 20,000 miles would give you $200 back for eligible travel.
