In the quest of earning rewards, the Discover it® Cash Back has a larger work load, but with little diligence, you can make those rewards work far more than the Discover it® Chrome.
Distinguishing between Discover’s cash-back cards, the Discover it® Cash Back and Discover it® Chrome, requires weighing their unique benefits. While both share the same annual fee, sign-up bonus, and introductory APR, the choice hinges on your spending habits. The Discover it® Cash Back offers rotating bonus categories, ideal for diverse expenses. Conversely, the Discover it® Chrome caters to those with extensive commuting and dining preferences.
If your spending transcends gas and dining, the Discover it® Cash Back emerges as the more fitting choice. Here’s your guide to selecting the perfect Discover credit card for your lifestyle.
Quick Comparison
Discover it® Cashback
- 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter, up to the quarterly $1,500 maximum when you activate.
- Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 17.24%-28.24% Variable APR.
Discover it® Chrome
- 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter.
- Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 17.24%-28.24% Variable APR.
While the Discover it® Cash back and Discover it® Chrome are nearly identical cards, they still hold benefits in different categories from each other.
At a glance
| Discover it® Cashback | Discover it® Chrome | |
| Annual Fee | $0 | $0 |
| Sign up bonus | INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300. | INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a dollar-for-dollar match. |
| Ongoing rewards | – 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places each quarter, up to the quarterly $1,500 maximum when you activate. – Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. | – 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. – Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. |
| Foreign transaction fee | – None | – None |
| APR | – 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 17.24%-28.24% Variable APR. | – 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 17.24%-28.24% Variable APR. |
| Additional benefits | – Rotating categories | – None |
| Limited time offers | – None | – None |
| Bonus Categories | – Rotating Bonus Categories for 2024 | – None |
Which card is best for most people?
Higher rewards and extra categories
The Discover it® Cash Back has a 3% difference over the Discover it® Chrome, which only has a 2% cash back reward. This leaves the Discover it® Cash Back card superior when compared side by side. Not only does it have a higher cash back percentage, but it also includes rotating categories, that change every quarter. While this may seem like a hassle if you only want set reward categories, it’s actually super beneficial to the everyday spender, since these rotating categories usually include gas and dining rewards.
Not only do you get higher rewards in more areas, you also get these bonus rewards at 5% for up to $1,500 spent per quarter, while the Discover it® Chrome only gets 2% on up to $1,000 spent per quarter.
Here are the bonus categories released so far on Discovers website.
Bonus Categories
| Discover Bonus Rewards Categories | |
| Rollover (Oct – Dec) | – Amazon.com – Target (online and in stores) |
| Quarter 1 (Jan – Mar 2024) | – Restaurants – Drug stores |
| Quarter 2 (Apr – Jun 2024) | *Announcing on March 1st* |
| Quarter 3 (Jul – Sep 2024) | *Announcing on June 1st* |
| Quarter 4 (Oct – Dec 2024) | *Announcing on October 1st* |
💸Quick Tip💸
*The grocery stores category does not include grocery purchases at Walmart or Target or at other superstores or wholesale clubs.*
The rotating categories do not seamlessly activate once the quarter of new rewards starts. Instead, Discover cardholders will need to activate through the website, through the reminder email sent each quarter, or by calling 800-347-2683.
Do note that if you miss the start of the rewards quarter, you can still activate anytime through the calendar quarter, but the rewards will only apply on the day you opted into that quarter. This means that if you opt in on January 10th, 10 days after the start of the rewards quarter, any purchases made before January 10th will NOT be eligible for the 5% cash back rewards rate. Only purchases on January 10th to the end of the calendar date will receive the 5% bonus cash back.
Why not the Discover it® Chrome?
The Discover it® Chrome is a great choice for those who strictly want a card for dining and gas, but for the vast majority of people, this card doesn’t make sense to have as a standalone card. Since there are many cards that outshine the Discover it® Chrome, but it does seem appealing not to have an annual fee attached to it.
Most other gas and dining cards include a small annual fee, but if they’re used correctly, the annual fee comes out of the rewards from the card in no time at all.
One great example of the perfectly well rounded card for everyday use, is, the American Express Cash Blue card.
Cash back potential
* These numbers are assuming the bonus categories are fully maxed out per quarter*
| Q1 Cash Back | Q1-4 Cash Back | Cash back match after 1 year | |
| Discover it® Cash Back | $75 | $300 | $600 |
| Discover it® Chrome | $25 | $80 | $160 |
FUNDSamentally Pick
There are substantial rewards for your daily expenses with the Discover it® Cash Back, including gas and dining, which are the only two pillars the Discover it® Chrome has. While Discover it® Chrome provides a simple, and hassle-free approach with fixed bonus categories, it falls short in comparison to the earning potential of Discover it® Cash Back, which excels with versatile rewards structures. It almost seems like a no brainer.
So, without a doubt, the Discover it® Cash Back is the triumphant card in this matchup.
Looking for another rotating bonus category card? Checkout our post on the Chase Freedom Flex Card, which also has no annual fee and receives 5% cash back on all bonus categories up to $1,500!
