Discover it® Student Cash Back
Issued by Discover
Earning Categories
Current period: Q2 2026: Restaurants and Home Improvement Stores
Current Welcome Bonus
Unlimited Cashback Match — Discover automatically matches all cash back earned at end of your first year. No minimum spend or maximum. Effectively doubles all year-1 earnings.
Year 1 net value: +$1 (bonus − annual fee)
Card Perks
Discover monitors thousands of Dark Web sites for your Social Security number and alerts you if found.
Freeze your account on/off with the Discover mobile app or online if your card is misplaced, lost, or stolen.
View your FICO® Credit Score for free on monthly statements, in the Discover app, and online.
Maximize Your Discover Miles Points
Program Overview
Discover Miles is the rewards program for the Discover it Miles card. Miles are earned at 1.5x on all purchases and redeem at 1¢/mile for travel statement credits or direct cash, making it effectively a 1.5% cashback card with travel branding. Discover matches all miles earned in the first year (new cardmember offer), effectively doubling the earn rate to 3% for year one. Best for: new cardmembers who want to maximize the first-year match bonus, and consumers who want a simple flat-rate card with no annual fee.
Earning Tips
Discover it Miles: - 1.5x miles on all purchases (no categories) - No annual fee - First-year Cashback Match: Discover automatically matches all miles earned at the end of the first cardmember year First-year effective rate: 3% equivalent (due to match) Ongoing rate: 1.5% — competitive with other no-fee flat-rate cards No category optimization needed. Use as a catch-all card for spending that has no better bonus elsewhere.
Redemption Tips
Miles redeem at 1¢ each toward travel purchases on your statement (flights, hotels, car rentals, etc.) or as direct cash/statement credit. No transfer partners, no award charts. Best use: redeem toward travel statement credits for the most flexibility. Miles never expire as long as the account is active.
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