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September 2, 2011 8:00 AM PT
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Discover Miles Review

Read more about Miles by Discover® Card

With a potential 20,000 bonus miles offer and no annual fee, the Discover Miles card offers great benefits to travelers. Redeeming miles also couldn't be easier: just make a travel purchase through any airline, travel agent or online travel site then tell Discover to put your miles toward that purchase. This review will describe the other benefits of the Discover Miles card for travel enthusiasts.

Miles by Discover® Card
Apply for Miles by Discover® Card
  • Earn 10,000 Bonus Miles with every $2,000 in purchases within the first 6 months – up to 20,000 Bonus Miles
  • 1 Mile on every $1 you spend - Plus flexible redemption options like travel credits, merchandise, gift cards or cash
  • 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 12 months, then the variable purchase APR of 10.99% - 15.99%*
  • No restrictions on travel--fly on any airline, book any hotel or car, with no blackout dates
  • Travel benefits include secondary collision damage insurance when you rent a car with your Miles by Discover card
  • Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty--16 years in a row! (2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
  • 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
  • Go to issuer's official application, terms, and details
Introductory Bonus Airline RewardsAirline RewardsHotel RewardsTravel RewardsCar Rental RewardsDining RewardsNo Expiration on RewardsNo Limits on RewardsCar Rental Insurance $0 Fraud Liability
Intro APR for PurchasesIntro APR for Balance TransferAPR as low asAnnual Fee
-
0% for 12 months
10.99% - 15.99% (Variable)
$0

Overall Score

4.2

Rewards

4.0

Fees

4.5

Benefits

4.0
5-point scale (the higher, the better)

Pros and Cons

  • Bonus miles promotion
  • Double Miles on your first $3000 in travel and restaurant purchases each year
  • No annual fee
  • No travel restrictions
  • No airline-specific loyalty status

Bottom Line

Excellent travel card with no annual fee

The card is free of annual fees, making it affordable to use. Discover also offers a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 12 months. After the introductory period, the rate is adjusted to a 10.99% to 15.99% variable rate, depending on your creditworthiness. This is a fair rate for a rewards card, so even cardholders who carry balances will be happy with this card.

Here are some of the additional benefits Discover Miles cardholders enjoy:

Introductory Bonus

So that cardholders can get a jump start earning miles, Discover has included an introductory airline miles bonus with this card. You can earn up to 20,000 bonus miles—10,000 bonus miles every $2,000 you spend within the first 6 months.

Easy Miles Accrual

The Discover Miles card provides consumers with 1 mile for every $1 spent on purchases, no matter the merchant. As an extra bonus, Discover provides cardholders with double miles (2 miles for every $1) on the first $3,000 in combined travel and restaurant purchases made each year. After the $3,000 limit is reached, travel and restaurant purchases will earn 1 Mile for every $1.

Easy Miles Redemption

Some rewards cards have blackout dates that cardholders have to plan their trips around when booking travel with points. But the Discover Miles card features completely unrestricted travel that can be booked for any date through any airline, travel agent or online travel site. This means that cardholders have the convenience and comfort of using the method they have always used.

It’s important to note that the rewards available through the Discover Miles card aren’t restricted to airline miles. Cardholders can use their accrued miles for other rewards as well, including cash back and gift cards. This is convenient for cardholders who are looking to save on gifts and other merchandise or simply don’t have any upcoming trips planned. Rewards can be redeemed online or over the phone.

Plus, all Discover credit cards have no foreign transaction fees, which is a convenient perk for international travelers.

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

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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 September 2, 2011. This content may have been updated on May 16, 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

Miles by Discover® Card
Apply for Miles by Discover® Card
  • Earn 10,000 Bonus Miles with every $2,000 in purchases within the first 6 months – up to 20,000 Bonus Miles
  • 1 Mile on every $1 you spend - Plus flexible redemption options like travel credits, merchandise, gift cards or cash
  • 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 12 months, then the variable purchase APR of 10.99% - 15.99%*
  • No restrictions on travel--fly on any airline, book any hotel or car, with no blackout dates
  • Travel benefits include secondary collision damage insurance when you rent a car with your Miles by Discover card
  • Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty--16 years in a row! (2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
  • 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
  • Go to issuer's official application, terms, and details
Introductory Bonus Airline RewardsAirline RewardsHotel RewardsTravel RewardsCar Rental RewardsDining RewardsNo Expiration on RewardsNo Limits on RewardsCar Rental Insurance $0 Fraud Liability
Intro APR for PurchasesIntro APR for Balance TransferAPR as low asAnnual Fee
-
0% for 12 months
10.99% - 15.99% (Variable)
$0

Compare Discover Miles to:

Escape by Discover® Card
Apply for Escape by Discover® Card
  • Earn up to $250 in travel rewards - 1,000 Bonus miles every month you make a purchase for the first 25 months
  • Double Miles on every $1 you spend
  • 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 6 months, then the variable APR of 10.99% - 16.99%*
  • No restrictions on travel - fly on any airline, book any hotel or car, with no blackout dates
  • Flexible redemption options like travel credits, merchandise, gift cards or cash
  • Travel Insurance benefits, including primary car rental, lost or damaged luggage, travel delay, and trip cancellation when you book with your Escape by Discover card
  • Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty--16 years in a row! (2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report)
  • *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information
Introductory Bonus Airline RewardsAirline RewardsTravel RewardsNo 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 6 months
10.99% - 16.99% (Variable)
$60

Blue Sky from American Express®
Apply for Blue Sky from American Express®
  • 7,500 bonus points when you spend $1,000 within 3 months – redeemable for a $100 statement credit.
  • No annual fee
  • Travel rewards with no blackout dates or travel restrictions. Redeem with any airline, any car rental, any hotel - anytime
  • Pay your bill all at once, or over time. It's up to you.
  • Blue Savings Program®: big deals on big brands, all the time
  • Get a decision in as little as 60 seconds
Introductory Bonus Airline RewardsAirline RewardsHotel RewardsTravel RewardsInstant ApprovalCar Rental RewardsEventsCar Rental InsuranceExtended Warranty Purchase ProtectionReturn ProtectionTravel Accident Insurance$0 Fraud LiabilityEmergency Assistance
Intro APR for PurchasesIntro APR for Balance TransferAPR as low asAnnual Fee
0% for 12 months
-
17.24% - 22.24% (Variable)
$0

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