Discover Card
By Curtis Arnold updated on May 24, 2012

While some credit card companies like American Express trace their origins back 150 years, Discover has been in business just since 1986. Despite its relative youth, Discover has earned a great reputation for offering rewards on all its credit cards. It was the first company to offer cash-back rewards to customers and one of the first to offer a credit card without an annual fee. Today, Discover offers a wide range of credit cards to meet your needs.

What makes Discover Card different from other credit card issuers?

When it was launched in 1986, Discover Card revolutionized the way credit cards did business. It was the first to offer customers a cash back reward on their purchases, and also pioneered cards with no annual fee and competitive fees for merchants accepting the card.

Today, Discover can be credited with creating an entire market of consumer-friendly rewards credit cards. That includes cards that offer unlimited cash back, as well as travel opportunities and other rewards. Is it any wonder then that a TNS 2008 Consumer Card Strategies Research survey found that more U.S. households choose a Discover Card for cash rewards than any other credit card?

What types of credit cards does Discover Card offer?

Discover Card credit cards for consumers fall into the following three categories:

Cash back cards: Cash back cards are the classic Discover credit cards. Generally, they offer cash back bonuses of up to five percent. In addition, some cards offer special cash bonuses such as the Motiva Card which gives you a pay-on-time bonus after six timely payments. The Discover Open Road card offers 2 percent cash back on your first $250 in combined restaurant and gas purchases each month.

Miles cards: Not all travel rewards cards are created equal. Some will give you frequent flier miles on one airline, while others allow you to build up airline miles that you can use on various airlines. The Miles by Discover card allows you to earn double miles for every dollar you spend, along with 1,000 bonus miles for every month you make a purchase during the first year you have the card. This travel rewards card is flexible, with the ability to use rewards for a variety of airlines, hotels, rental cars and more with no blackout dates. 

Student cards: If you are a college student, you may think you will be lucky to get a student credit card at all, much less one that offers rewards. In that case, it's high time you discovered the Discover Student Card, which provides you with 5 percent cash back bonus rewards in certain categories and up to 1 percent cash back on all other purchases. In addition, you can earn from 5 percent to 20 percent cash back bonus awards for purchases made through Discover's online shopping mall.

How do I choose a Discover credit card?

Before you zero in on zero APR credit cards or apply for the best travel rewards card, you may want to think carefully about how you use your credit cards now and how you intend to use them in the future. If you tend to pay off your credit card balance each month and have excellent credit, you may want to pay more attention to the rewards you can rack up rather than the interest rate.

If you travel often, look for a credit card that helps you boost your frequent flier miles. If you're looking to save money on everyday expenses, a cash back card may be your best bet.

If you want to pay off some existing credit card debt, compare balance transfer offers to find one that offers the longest period of zero percent or low interest financing and has a low balance transfer fee.

For all credit card offers you should compare:

• Introductory interest rate
• Regular interest rate
• Annual fee
• Rewards program
• Credit requirements

If you have decided you want to apply for a Discover credit card, look through the credit card offers on this page to see which one best meets your financial goals.

How do I find the best credit cards from Discover Card?

To start, spend some time reading reviews for Discover Card credit cards. Information such as APRs, introductory rates and the level of credit you need to be eligible for the card are factors to consider before you apply for a credit card. It doesn't take long to find the best credit card when you know where to look!