Discover It Chrome Credit Card Review
Key Takeaways
The Discover It Chrome is our least recommended Discover card. Instead of offering a traditional welcome bonus, Discover matches all cashback earned during your first year. While that may sound attractive to beginners, the earning structure severely limits the upside. The card only earns 2% back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases per quarter, with all other purchases earning 1% back. Even if you maximize the quarterly bonus category every quarter, you’d only earn $80 in bonus rewards annually, which becomes $160 after Discover’s cashback match. Compared to the welcome bonuses and ongoing rewards available from competing cards, that return is underwhelming.
Why This Card Could Be Right For You
You earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants each quarter, with a $1,000 quarterly cap on this bonus rate. After reaching this limit, purchases earn 1% back, matching the rate for all other spending categories. At the end of your first year, Discover matches all cash back rewards earned, which serves as their sign-up bonus alternative.
This card has no annual fee. The Discover It Chrome also offers 0% APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, along with a 3% introductory balance transfer fee.
Your rewards never expire and can be redeemed in multiple ways: direct deposit, statement credit, Amazon purchases (by linking your account), PayPal shopping, Apple Pay, donations to select charities, or gift cards to participating merchants. Discover does not have any travel transfer partners.
When The Usual Advice Doesn't Apply
Situations where this card might not suit your needs:
- You want to use rewards for travel, but Discover doesn't offer transfer partners or allow you to offset travel purchases with this card
- Better category multipliers exist on other cards that will help you maximize your spending and rewards
How The Discover It Chrome Credit Card Fits In The Cash in Cents Ecosystem
Discover’s other no-fee cash back option is the Discover It Cash Back card. While we still don’t recommend it, it offers more upside than the Chrome card if you’re willing to track rotating categories. The card earns 5% cash back each quarter on categories selected by Discover, up to $1,500 in quarterly spending. Categories change throughout the year and may include gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, or Amazon purchases. Like the Chrome card, Discover matches all rewards earned during your first year.
The Discover It Miles card is the simplest option in the lineup, earning 1.5x miles on all purchases with no caps. Discover also matches all rewards earned during your first year. Unlike Discover’s cash-back cards, rewards can be redeemed against travel purchases, allowing you to erase eligible travel charges from your statement.
The biggest weakness of the entire Discover ecosystem is the lack of airline and hotel transfer partners. Combined with the absence of traditional large welcome bonuses, that’s why we rarely recommend Discover cards compared to competing rewards programs.
Card Information
Differentiating Perks
Rules
Historical Card Offers
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Estimated Next Offer
Discover It Chrome Application Rules
Card approval not subject to 5-personal-cards-in-24-months rule
You can only get one Discover card every 12 months
