Card review
Discover it Cash Back review
Discover · Discover
Best rotating-category cash back card with no annual fee
| Annual fee | No annual fee |
|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Unlimited Cashback Match: Discover matches all cash back earned in your first year |
| Rewards rate | Up to 5% |
| Intro APR (purchases) | 0% intro APR for 15 months |
| Intro APR (balance transfers) | 0% intro APR for 15 months |
| Regular APR | 17.49% to 26.49% variable |
| Foreign transaction fee | None |
| Recommended credit | Good to Excellent (690-850) |
Rewards
- 5% Rotating quarterly categories (activation required) ($1,500 per quarter, then 1%)
- 1% All other purchases
Key perks
- Unlimited Cashback Match for the first year
- Free FICO score access
- No foreign transaction fees
- Cash back never expires
- 5% back on Capital One Travel and Capital One Entertainment bookings (added with the Capital One transition)
Pros
- No annual fee
- First-year Cashback Match can effectively double rewards
- Strong 5% rotating categories
- Long 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
Cons
- 5% categories are capped at $1,500 per quarter and need activation
- Rotating categories may not match your spending
- Discover acceptance abroad is more limited than Visa or Mastercard
- Only 1% on non-category spending
- Account servicing moves to the Capital One website and app on July 27, 2026, with redemption options changing
The bottom line
Discover it Cash Back scores 4.2 out of 5 in our rubric. Best rotating-category cash back card with no annual fee. Current welcome offer: Unlimited Cashback Match: Discover matches all cash back earned in your first year.
Rates and offers verified 2026-07. Terms change often, so confirm the current details on the issuer's site before you apply.