McAfee SECURE sites help keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams
August 12, 2011 6:00 AM PT
Share this on Facebook Tweet this Subscribe for more Review

Discover Student Card Review


The Discover Student card offers cash back and a great interest rate, without charging an annual fee. Mobile account management and helpful customer service also makes this card easy to use. Students who might carry a balance but still want a reward credit card should check out the Discover Student card.

Discover® Student Card - $20 Cashback Bonus

Discover® Student Card - $20 Cashback Bonus

Intro APR (P)Intro APR (BT)APR as low as
0% for 6 months
-
12.99% - 18.99% (Variable)
StudentIntroductory Bonus Cash BackCash Back RewardsBonus Cash Back
  • Experience Discover's great reward program. Earn $20 Cashback Bonus®* when you make your 1st purchase within 3 months of approval
  • 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 12.99% - 18.99%*
  • 5% Cashback Bonus® in categories that change like gas, restaurants, department stores and more. Limitations apply*
  • Up to 1% unlimited Cashback Bonus on everything else you buy.
  • $0 Fraud Liability- you will not be responsible for unauthorized charges
  • No Annual Fee
  • Text and Email Alerts
  • *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information
Apply for Discover® Student Card - $20 Cashback Bonus
Related

Another nice benefit of the Discover Student card is that it comes with an introductory annual percentage rate (APR) of 0% for purchases. The intro rate lasts for the first 6 months and after that will be as low as 12.99% as determined by creditworthiness and other underwriting factors. This is a great rate for students considering the average rate for rewards credit cards was 17.27% as of July 31, 2011.

One drawback of this card is the APR for cash advances. While the APR for purchases can be as low as 12.99%, the APR for cash advances is as low as 23.99%. This means you will only want to use your credit card to draw out money in instances of emergency and you’ll want to repay that amount immediately. Otherwise, you’ll be paying quite a bit in interest. For example, if you withdraw $500, you would pay nearly $10 in interest in the first month alone. That might not sound like much, but if this is something you do frequently, it adds up fast.

While the cash advance APR is a drawback, two features that make this student card worthwhile are the cashback rewards and account management capabilities.

Easy Cash Back

Students earn up to 1% unlimited cashback bonus on their purchases with this credit card. It’s important to note that the cardholder must first make $3,000 in purchases before they start to earn the 1% bonus. During the first $3,000 of purchases, cardholders do earn 0.25% in cashback.

To help increase possible earnings, there is a 5% cashback bonus when cardholders use their Discover Student card for purchases in specific merchant types like travel, department stores, gas, groceries and restaurants. Cardholders do need to enroll for the 5% bonus and should be aware that there are specified limits on the bonus; once the maximum bonus amount has been earned, cardholders will earn their regular 1% cashback in these categories.

To maximize cashback earnings, students are able to shop through Discover’s exclusive online shopping mall. By shopping through the online mall, students can earn anywhere from 5% to 20% depending upon the selected merchant. Cardholders can make their earned rewards go even further when they choose to redeem their points for gift cards or eCertificates instead of cash.

Easy to Manage

Discover has acknowledged students’ need for easy management of credit cards. With their mobile banking, cardholders are able to view and manage their Discover account at anytime from anywhere. Mobile banking features account summary, transaction history, rewards and payment capabilities. This makes it easy for students to make payments on the go so they don’t accrue late fees or interest charges.

Discover also has a robust customer service team that helps out first time credit card users. Available through the phone or email, the customer service team is available to help cardholders with their account and answer important questions. And they promise timely response to emails so cardholders can avoid unnecessary fees.

Next Step - View the issuer's official application, terms, and details

Follow @CreditDonkey or write to Meghan Clark at meghan@creditdonkey.com

Share this on Facebook or Twitter

Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by Discover. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of Discover, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Discover. This site may be compensated through Discover Affiliate Program.

Disclaimer: This content was first published on August 12, 2011. This content may have been updated on April 8, 2012. Information including APR, terms and benefits may vary, be out of date, or not applicable to you. Information is provided without warranty. Please check Discover website for updated information.

More Articles in Review

Discover® Student Card - $20 Cashback Bonus
Apply for Discover® Student Card - $20 Cashback Bonus
  • Experience Discover's great reward program. Earn $20 Cashback Bonus®* when you make your 1st purchase within 3 months of approval
  • 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 12.99% - 18.99%*
  • 5% Cashback Bonus® in categories that change like gas, restaurants, department stores and more. Limitations apply*
  • Up to 1% unlimited Cashback Bonus on everything else you buy.
  • $0 Fraud Liability- you will not be responsible for unauthorized charges
  • No Annual Fee
  • Text and Email Alerts
  • *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information
  • Go to issuer's official application, terms, and details
StudentIntroductory Bonus Cash BackCash Back RewardsBonus Cash BackNo Expiration on RewardsNo Limits on Rewards$0 Fraud Liability
Intro APR for PurchasesIntro APR for Balance TransferAPR as low asAnnual Fee
0% for 6 months
-
12.99% - 18.99% (Variable)
$0

Compare Discover Student Card to:

Discover® More Card - 18 Month Promotional Balance Transfer
Apply for Discover® More Card - 18 Month Promotional Balance Transfer
  • 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 10.99% - 20.99%*
  • 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, then the variable standard purchase APR of 10.99% - 20.99%*
  • 5% Cashback Bonus® in categories that change like gas, restaurants, department stores and more. Limitations apply*
  • Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty--16 years in a row! (2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
  • 24/7 access to a U.S. based Account Manager within 60 seconds
  • $0 Fraud Liability plus automatic mobile and email fraud alerts
  • Great rewards with no annual fee, no rewards redemption fee, and no additional card fee
  • *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information
Cash Back RewardsBonus Cash BackNo Expiration on RewardsNo Limits on Rewards$0 Fraud Liability
Intro APR for PurchasesIntro APR for Balance TransferAPR as low asAnnual Fee
0% for 6 months
0% for 18 months
10.99% - 20.99% (Variable)
$0

Comments about Discover Student Card Review

  • yumi from California
    on August 14, 2011 11:58 PM said:

    you should actually split it up. Use Discover for the 5% for the category they have, and use the capital one student card (1.25% cash back) instead for all other purchases. that way, you get the most out of it.

Comments may be filtered for language. CreditDonkey makes no guarantee of comments' factual accuracy. Some comments may be solicited, aggregated from external sources and/or compensated. Visitors may report inappropriate content by clicking the Report abuse link.

Name (required)
Email (required; won't be published)
Website (optional)

or you can also trackback from your blog.
May
18
2012

Citi Dividend Card Review: $100 Cash Back Bonus

If you’re looking for a cash back card with a 0% introductory APR and no annual fee, you should consider the Citi Dividend Platinum Select Visa Card. This card also offers rotating cash back bonus categories and a sign-up bonus. But big spenders ...
More Articles in Review

Learn more about Student, Cash Back and $0 Fraud Liability cards:
Student
Infographics: Build Credit for Students

How to Build Credit for Students

Rising student loan debt and record high unemployment among young adults has made establishing good credit more challenging than ever.
Cash Back
Infographics: Where Does All My Money Go

Where Does All My Money Go?

Our analysis suggests that many people are most likely spending more than they earn each month. It also shows steady movement away from cash and checks toward plastic and electronic payment instruments, which can result in unfamiliar or ...
$0 Fraud Liability
Razor Fence

5 Benefits to Credit Cards with $0 Fraud Liability

Legally, your credit card company can only hold you responsible for $50 of unauthorized purchases on your credit card. However, if you fail to report the fraud within a reasonable amount of time, you may be required to pay for all the fraudulent ...







About CreditDonkey®
CreditDonkey is a credit card comparison website. We publish credit card reviews, deals, and tips to help you make informed credit decisions.

IMPORTANT LEGAL DISCLAIMERS. READ CAREFULLY.
CreditDonkey