Discover it® Student Cash Back
- Best for: College and grad students who’ll activate the 5% categories every quarter and pay in full; first-time cardholders with no credit score
- What Sets It Apart: 5% back on up to $1,500 a quarter in rotating categories; first-year cash back matched dollar for dollar; no credit score needed to apply
- Cost: $0 annual fee; no foreign transaction fee; 16.74% to 25.74% variable interest rate after 6 months at 0% on purchases; no fee on the first late payment, then up to $41
- Features: 1% back on all other purchases; 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; managed in Capital One’s app; runs on the Discover network
- Pros: First-year match; no credit history needed; no foreign transaction fee
- Cons: Quarterly activation; 1% base rate; 6-month intro rate on purchases and none on balance transfers; under 21, income must be your own
Get the Discover it® Student Cash Back if you’re a student who’ll activate its 5% categories every quarter and pay your balance in full. You can apply with no credit score, and the card matches your first year’s cash back dollar for dollar. If you won’t track categories, pick a flat-rate student card.
Discover is now part of Capital One, so you apply through Capital One and manage the card in its app, though it still runs on the Discover network. Its non-student version, the Discover it Cash Back, earns the same way and is the one to apply for after graduation.
Key Features
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fee when you buy abroad
- 5% back on up to $1,500 of purchases a quarter in categories you activate (restaurants, entertainment, and utilities through Dec. 31, 2026)
- 1% back on everything else, and 5% on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One’s travel site
- First-year cash back matched dollar for dollar, with no cap
- No interest on purchases for your first 6 months, then a 16.74% to 25.74% variable interest rate
Pros
- No credit score needed to apply, so it can be a first card for building credit at 18
- Spending $100 a month in the categories and $200 elsewhere earns $84 a year, against $54 on a flat 1.5% card, and the match doubles year one’s total to $168
- No late fee the first time you pay late
Cons
- You have to activate the categories every quarter, and the 5% stops at $1,500 of purchases a quarter
- Only 1% outside the categories, less than the 1.5% a flat-rate student card pays on every purchase
- No interest-free period for moving a balance from another card, and the one on purchases lasts only 6 months
- Applicants under 21 need income of their own, and student loans don’t count as income
It suits students who activate the categories every quarter and pay in full, and after the first year it still beats a flat 1.5% card once at least an eighth of their spending falls in the 5% categories. Students who’d rather not activate anything should pick the Capital One Quicksilver Student for 1.5% on every purchase or the Discover it Student Chrome for 2% back on up to $1,000 of gas and restaurant spending a quarter.
Learn more about the Discover it® Student Cash Back or see how it compares to the best credit cards for college students.
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