The Discover it Miles is a rewards credit card that keeps it simple. You don’t have to keep track of rotating categories, nor do you need sticky notes to remember what type of purchases to put on this card.
It can make a great first credit card for someone. If your family wants a rewards credit card that is simple and rewarding, this may be it, no pun intended.
The information for the Discover it Miles card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: The best credit cards for everyday spending
Earn 1.5 miles on all purchases
Once upon a time, I tried to get my husband to use one credit card for this type of purchase, another for that and a third for something else. It worked with mixed success, but it wasn’t the best scenario for someone who isn’t as into maximizing rewards and purchases as I am.
If someone in your family is like this, they can still earn valuable rewards with just one card. The Discover it Miles is a fantastic choice for single-card wallets because it is so simple — just swipe and earn 1.5 miles on every dollar of every purchase.
Related: The best credit cards for each type of purchase
All miles matched at the end of the first year
While 1.5 miles per dollar is pretty strong, it’s not the best in class on the market. For example, you can earn 2% cash back (1% when you buy, 1% as you pay) with the Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees).
For the first year you have the Discover it Miles, however, it will out-earn the Citi Double Cash. That’s because new Discover it Miles cardmembers get all of the miles they earn in the first 12 consecutive billing cycles matched. The bonus is applied to their accounts within two billing periods after the 12th month.
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For example, if you earn 35,000 miles with your Discover it Miles in your first year, once your miles are matched at the end of the year, that amount becomes 70,000 miles earned. Discover values 70,000 miles as $700 when used for travel or redeemed as cash. Of course, since there are no minimums or maximums, you can earn as much or as little as you want on the card in that first year. If you have a large purchase coming up for your family, this is a great way to earn many reward points.
Related: Cash back vs. travel rewards
Use Discover it Miles to cover travel charges
This card calls its currency miles, which shouldn’t be mistaken for airline miles. In some ways, these rewards are better than airline miles because there are no award charts, blackout dates or secret handshakes necessary to book travel. The miles are worth a fixed 1 cent each toward travel charged to the card.
To use the miles, simply charge your travel purchase of choice (defined as airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, travel agents, online travel sites, commuter transportation and more) to your Discover it Miles card, and within 180 days of the charge, you can use your miles to offset the charges as a statement credit.
This is a great, flexible type of mile to have on hand for families who often need to travel during peak holiday seasons and can’t always get award availability to line up with their schedules. An important family-friendly detail of the Discover it Miles is that unlike with some other similar cards, there is no minimum travel charge redemption. This means you can redeem miles against any airline ticket, checked bag fee or train ticket without a problem.
Related: Best travel card
Discover perks
Since it is a Discover Card, the Discover it Miles comes with some other good benefits for cardmembers, such as:
- Quickly freeze (or unfreeze) your account via Freeze It on Discover’s mobile app and website
- $0 fraud liability
- No foreign transaction fee
- Online privacy protection
- View your FICO score for free
Related: The best Discover credit cards
U.S.-based customer service
I don’t call credit card companies frequently, but when I do, it is usually because of a problem or complex issue. In those cases, I want prompt and empowered service from a real person. Easy and efficient customer service can make owning a credit card more enjoyable and hassle-free.
As a Discover card, the Discover it Miles offers high-quality customer service. According to Discover, cardholders are guaranteed 100% U.S.-based customer service from real, live service representatives.
Related: How to reach airline customer service quickly
Bonus perk: Pick a color, any color
If you like to use a rewards card that is fun to look at, you might care that Discover lets you pick the color and style of your Discover it Miles card. There are many options, from solid colors to detailed artwork.
Related: The best no-annual-fee cards
Bottom line
Whether your family wants one simple-to-use credit card for everything or wants to add a fixed-value point card to its larger points and miles strategy, the Discover it Miles card is a strong rewards credit card. The first-year miles-for-miles match benefit is one of the top reasons to consider adding this card to your wallet.
To learn more, read our full review of the Discover it Miles.
Related: Why the World of Hyatt credit card is great for family travelers
