Discover It Chrome Review: Is It Good or Bad?

The Chrome has a simple premise: You get 2% cash back when you use it at gas stations and restaurants (on up to $1,000 worth of purchases per quarter) and 1% on everything else.

And as a promotional offer for new cardmembers, Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your 1st year - automatically.

Another big plus? Unlike similar rewards cards (including the more simply named Discover It), the Discover It Chrome does not require you to sign up for the extra cash back categories every three months.

Read this review before you apply for your next rewards credit card.

Who This Card Is Good For

• Drivers and diners: This card is aimed at people on the go — those who commute or those who take leisurely road trips often and have to eat on the go. They will benefit the most from this card by getting 2% at gas stations and restaurants (on up to $1,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and gas stations every quarter). If you want a little something back for your driving and dining purchase, this is a nice card to have.

• People looking for a good second card: You can get a more rewarding cards elsewhere (the Discover It, for example, gives 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter on a rotating set of categories). But you may find that because of its simplicity and consistent focus on dining and gas purchases, the Chrome is a useful card to have in the second slot of your wallet.

• Someone about to make a big purchase: The Chrome gives you 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 14 months. After that, a variable APR, currently between 11.99% and 23.99%. The introductory APR can be a helpful feature for giving you time to pay off a large purchase (you still have to pay at least your minimum balance every month).

• Worriers: The Chrome is reassuring for cardholders who are overly worried about keeping their credit score intact and who worry about identity theft. Every month, you'll see your FICO score on your statement, and all Discover cards have a Freeze option, which you can use to immediately stop purchase, cash advances, and balance transfers from occurring on your card. Plus, this card comes with a $0 fraud liability guarantee.

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Need a Cash Back Card? Why This Is a Good One

You get rewarded for purchases you make on this card, either 2% (on up to $1,000 in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each quarter) or 1% cash back everywhere else.

But that's not all. You could get more for your dollars by redeeming your cashback for a gift card through the well-known brands that have partnered with Discover or by shopping through the ShopDiscover portal (by clicking through the site to get to a retailer’s site and making a purchase with your card, you could get a significant percentage of cash back, as much as 5% to 20%).

Why You May Want to Look Elsewhere

The trade-off to all those positives? The cash back percentage is a bit lower than some other rewards cards. We'd be more in favor of this card if Discover raised the $1,000-per-quarter limit on the 2% cash back.

The lower percentage makes this card useful as a supplemental card to a more rewarding card, like the Discover It or Chase Freedom (detailed below). You could use Discover It or Chase Freedom for some purchases and then switch to the Discover It Chrome for your everyday gas and restaurant purchases.

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Rewards

Eligible purchases for the 2% cash back include not just fueling up gas at gas stations but other purchases you make at gas stations, in addition to purchases at full-service and fast food restaurants as well as cafes.

There are several ways to redeem your accumulated cash back, one of which is to use it instantly at Amazon.com checkout.

Fees

There’s no annual fee to own the Discover It Chrome, nor are there any overlimit fees or foreign transaction fees. And there’s no late fee on your first late payment, but subsequent missed payment dates will result in a late payment fee of up to $37.

Balance transfers will cost you 3% of the amount transferred, and cash advances are either $10 or 5% of the advance amount — whichever is greater.

Introductory APR

New cardholders enjoy 0% intro APR for 14 months on purchases and balance transfers, after which the interest rate will be a variable APR between 11.99% and 23.99%, depending on the cardholder’s creditworthiness.

Benefits

One of the biggest perks of being a Discover cardholder is monthly access to your FICO credit score, which is printed directly on your statement each month. It’s free, and you don’t have to do anything to get it.

If you opt for the Discover It Chrome, you’ll also enjoy the following perks:

• Access to U.S.-based customer service 24/7
  
• Paying late won’t automatically raise your APR
  
• The $0 Fraud Liability Guarantee protects cardholders against unauthorized purchases on their card by not holding them responsible for any of those charges

Pros

• Simple reward structure
  
• 14-month introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers
  
• No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
  
• Access to FICO credit score directly on statement

Cons

• Discover credit cards are accepted by fewer merchants than Visa and MasterCard
  
• Purchases eligible for 2% cash back top off at $1,000 per quarter
  
• Does not have rotating bonus categories

How It Compares

Discover It Chrome vs Discover It:

The Discover It is similar to the It Chrome in cardholder perks and fee structure, but has a different reward structure:

• Extra cash back potential with Discover It: Users of the regular It card get 5% cash back when they spend in certain bonus categories that change every quarter, on up to $1,500 in purchases. Everything else earns 1%. For the Chrome, you get the same 1% baseline rate, but the higher cash back percentage is just 2% and the categories never change (you earn that higher amount on gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 per quarter).

  Participation in the regular It's bonus categories requires quarterly signup, and cardholders need to stay informed about which types of spending earn the higher cash back percentage (and when); however they have the potential to earn more in the long run.

Discover It Chrome vs Chase Freedom:

The Chase Freedom rewards structure is similar to that of the non-Chrome Discover It card: 1% on all purchases with 5% on rotating bonus spending categories up to a quarterly maximum. The Freedom comes with two very generous introductory offers: earn a $150 Bonus after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening, and an introductory APR on balance transfers and purchases.

Why you may opt for the Chrome: Unlike the Discover cards, the Freedom does have a foreign transaction fee (3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars). And this card doesn’t include your FICO score with your monthly statement.

Bottom Line

The Discover it Chrome's cash back structure is simple and easy to understand. This is a great supplemental rewards card for anyone who is often on the go.