Discover it^® Miles Review [2024]: Simple Rewards, Unlimited Miles

Key takeaways

Who should get the Discover it Miles credit card?

We think the Discover it^® Miles can be a great fit for someone who enjoys travel rewards, whether they’re an occasional or frequent traveler. This is because this card makes it easy to earn travel rewards without worrying about its cost since this card has a $0 annual fee.

The Discover it^® Miles, which has been around since 2015, offers a straightforward reward structure that doesn’t require you to remember specific categories. You automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase.

This is why we think this card is a good choice if your spending tends to be all over the map instead of concentrated in a particular credit card rewards category. Discover will match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year.

The Discover it^® Miles can also be a good fit for someone who wants a card that offers intro APRs on purchases or balance transfers. It comes with these offers:

• Intro APR of 0% on purchases for 15 months, then 17.24% - 28.24% Variable
• Intro APR of 0% on balance transfers for 15 months, then 17.24% - 28.24% Variable

Card basics

What we like about the Discover it Miles: benefits and perks

• Generous welcome offer: Discover will match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. This miles match is automatic, and there are no limits.
• Easy rewards: Since you can automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase, it's very simple to amass some miles with this card. You don't have to worry about tracking rotating categories, and you earn whether you're spending at a gas station or a grocery store.
• No blackout dates: You can redeem miles for travel purchases at any time with no restrictions. This includes redeeming for airline tickets, hotels, or car rentals.

• Intro APR on purchases: New cardmembers can take advantage of a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 15 months after account opening (then 17.24% - 28.24% Variable).
• Intro APR on balance transfers: Intro APR of 0% for 15 months, then 17.24% - 28.24% Variable.
• No annual fee or late fee: Not only is there a $0 annual fee, but your first late fee is waived if you pay late. However, you'll need to pay a late payment fee of up to $41 if you miss a subsequent payment. There are also no fees for paying your bill by phone and no over-the-limit fees charged — your card will just be declined if you exceed your credit limit.

What we don't like about the Discover it Miles: drawbacks

• No travel perks: Unlike higher travel rewards cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, the Discover it^® Miles doesn’t offer a long list of travel perks.
• No bonus categories: This card has an unlimited rewards rate of 1.5X Miles, but there are also no opportunities to earn bonus points in special categories. To access elevated rewards on different categories, consider the Discover it^® Cash Back.

Earning & redeeming miles

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your miles can add up with the Discover it Miles credit card. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of 1 cent per mile.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $1,275

Year two earnings: $638

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which takes a look at points earned via spending, the welcome bonus, and the annual fee.

Best ways to earn

Unlike many other credit cards, you don't have to spend in specific purchase categories to earn the most miles. That's because with the Discover it Miles credit card, you can automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase with no limits.

Discover will match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. So your best bet to get the most possible miles is to open this card at a time when you're planning on spending some money.

Maximizing your redemptions

Discover it Miles can be redeemed for: 

• Travel purchases 
• Purchases on Amazon.com 
• Purchases when you pay using PayPal 
• Cash deposited into your bank account

No matter how you redeem your miles, they’re worth around one cent each. Since you don't get any more bang for your buck by redeeming against a specific category, you can simply redeem them on anything you wish.

There’s no minimum number of miles required to redeem either, so you can use your miles as soon as you earn them. You can also let them build up and use them to finance a family vacation or a big purchase. This makes for very flexible redemptions.

Other cards to consider

If the Discover it^® Miles doesn’t feel like the best credit card for you, there are other options to consider from other credit card issuers.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

We think that the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card is one of the best travel credit cards. If you're okay with its $95 annual fee, this card can give you access to various travel-related benefits.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a generous welcome offer. You can earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. It also offers various travel protections, up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays booked via Chase Travel, point transfers to Chase's partner loyalty programs, and more.

Learn more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred review.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

We recommend the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card because it provides the chance to earn miles with a simple rewards program while offering various travel benefits. You can earn Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase. Additionally, you can earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.

This card has a $95 annual fee. But you also get extra perks, including up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® and travel insurance.¹

Learn more in our Capital One Venture Card review.

Earn 2 Times the Miles in Your 1st Year

Discover it^® Miles

4.0

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Discover it^® Miles

4.0

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Apply Now

Why We Like It

Discover will match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year.

Rates and fees

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See how these cards compare:

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 25% more value when redeeming rewards for travel through Chase Travel℠
• 10% anniversary point bonus each year
• $50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through Chase Travel℠
• Premium travel protection benefits

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

• Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
• 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
• Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® credit
• No foreign transaction fees
• 19.99% - 29.99% (variable) purchase APR
• Rates and fees

Discover it Miles FAQ

Discover it^® Miles review: bottom line

We recommend the Discover it^® Miles(Rates and fees) for people who want a simple and easy-to-keep travel credit card. With a $0 annual fee and the ability to automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase, this card offers a solid base for travel rewards.

However, as a $0-annual-fee card, it doesn’t offer many travel benefits and perks. Consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or review our list of the best travel credit cards.

Earn 2 Times the Miles in Your 1st Year

Discover it^® Miles

4.0

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Discover it^® Miles

Apply Now

Rates and fees

Current Offer

Discover will match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year.

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase
• Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
• Discover will match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
• No foreign transaction fees

Drawbacks

• No bonus categories
• No luxury travel perks

Card Details

• UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers - only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
• Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase
• No annual fee
• Turn Miles into cash. Or redeem as a statement credit for your travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more.
• 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.24% - 28.24% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
• Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. It’s free, activate with the mobile app.
• Discover is accepted nationwide by 99% of the places that take credit cards.
• Terms and conditions apply.