Card review

Discover it Cash Back review

Discover · Discover

4.2 / 5 How we rate

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.

Sources