The Basics of the Discover it Miles Card

If you travel locally or internationally on the regular, a travel credit card is your best companion. By doing the same thing and making the same purchases as you would without one, you earn rewards, miles, and points at the same time.

With that said, which one is the best you can get right now? For this article, we’ll review the Discover It Miles credit card and how it might benefit you.

Read our Discover It Miles review to see if it’s the right card to take with you on your travels.

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The Basics

The Discover It Miles card is a travel rewards credit card that offers unlimited travel rewards on all purchases. It earns 1.5 miles for every dollar you spend – from groceries to airfare. It doesn’t have any blackout dates, so you can book a flight any day of the year.

Your Annual Percentage Rate, also called APR, for your purchases and balance transfers will be somewhere between 13.49% to 24.49% depending on your credit score, and it will alter with the market depending on the Prime Rate. For cash advances, the APR will be 26.49%, which will also vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. The good thing about this card is that there’s no penalty APR.

A few of the fees you have to note include the balance transfer fee, which is 3% of the transfer amount, and the cash advance fee, which is $10 or an equivalent 5% of the cash advance value, depending on whichever is greater.

You also have to pay a penalty of $37 for late payments after the first time you pay late and a penalty of up to $37 for a returned payment.

The Pros

Getting a Discover It Miles card and using it instead of other travel credit cards has some unique benefits. Read on to see what this Discover Miles review likes about it.

No Annual and Foreign Transaction Fees

Shopping abroad? Like the other Discover offerings, the Discover It Miles credit card doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees. This can save you money when you travel abroad or when you make an online purchase.

What’s more, you won’t ever have to worry about an annual fee.

0% APR for the First 14 Months

That’s right, the Discover It Miles card offers 0% introductory APR for your first 14 months from the date of account opening. Once the 14 months have passed, the rate will change into the regular APR for purchases.

For balance transfers, this credit card also has an intro APR of 10.99% for the same period, but this offer is only valid for transfers posted on your account by September 10, 2018. Again, the rate will change into the regular APR for balance transfers after 14 months.

Flexible Redemption Options

Another good thing about the Discover It Miles card is that it allows you to redeem your points in different ways. You can redeem the miles as a statement credit on travel-related purchases or as cash back.

It doesn’t have any penalty when converting miles into cash back, so you can think of it as a 1.5% cash back credit card in essence. The Discover It Miles card is better than other options in this regard.

Generous Sign-up Bonus

Like sign-up bonuses? You’ll love this one.

The Discover It Miles card matches all the miles you’ve earned in your first year. That means that if you earn 30,000 miles, you get 60,000 miles. This translates to an extra $300 worth of miles if you spend $20,000 in your first year.

Fee Credit for In-flight Wi-Fi

In-flight Wi-Fi is pretty costly that we’d much rather sleep or order a glass of champagne, but there are times when we must to send an email while we’re up in the air. In that case, the $30 annual fee credit will help.

Access to FICO Credit Score

Discover will give you free access to your FICO score online and on your monthly statement, like with their other credit cards. This is incredibly important as you’ll get to review your transactions on the regular, and you’ll also spot discrepancies right away.

The Cons

A faultless card doesn’t exist, and the Discover It Miles card comes with a few faults. This Discover Miles review details what these are, which may or may not be a deal breaker for you. Here are reasons why you might want to opt for another travel credit card.

Not Widely Accepted

Visa and Mastercard are more widely accepted than Discover. This doesn’t make the Discover It Miles card appealing as a travel credit card. If you’re a traveler who wants to use their card abroad, this is a major setback.

Lower Rewards Rate

On that note, a 1.5% rewards rate isn’t all too tempting either if you’re a big spender when you’re traveling in another country. You’re better off carrying another travel card that’s more widely accepted and with a better rewards rate, even if it has an annual fee.

Limited Range of Travel-Related Purchases

Discover has a limited range of what it considers to be travel-related purchases, which is as follows:

• Plane Tickets
• Hotel Bookings
• Car Rentals
• Travel Agency Fees
• Online Travel Sites Purchases
• Commuter Transportation Expenses

It’s not as inclusive as other travel credit cards, which might even have a better rewards rate.

Discover It Miles Review: The Verdict

The Discover It Miles card is a versatile option that’s low maintenance and with flexible rewards. However, it’s not the card that will fit every traveler. So, should you get the Discover It Miles card or not?

Get it if you:

• don’t like paying annual fees
• take vacations occasionally
• are looking for competitive cash back offer
• don’t like spending on in-flight Wi-Fi
• you want great returns on day-to-day purchases

Don’t get it if you:

• plan to use it for all your travels
• a frequent traveler
• can choose a different card
• are looking for a better sign up bonus

As a conclusion to this Discover It Miles card review, we think it’s a good credit card with great benefits. Still, it caters to a specific market that may not include you.

We hope this Discover It Miles review helps you in choosing the right credit card for your needs. Visit our blog now to see what we think about other credit cards and for more advice on credit management, like this review of Bank of America’s Cash Rewards card.