By : 
Mr Credit Card
Mr Credit CardIntroduction
Card Details
Intro APR: 0% APR on purchases for 6 months
APR: 13.74% to 22.74%*(v)
Foreign Transaction Fee: 0%
Rewards: 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants for up to combined $1000 each quarter. 1% Cash back on all other purchases.
Cashback MatchTM : Discover will match all cash back you earned during your first year. That means you will double the cash back you earn for the first year.
Good Grade Rewards - Get $20 cash back if you GPA is 3.0 and above (good for first five years)
FICO Score Monitoring: TransUnion FICO
Freeze It - Discover allows you to freeze your account from your app or from their website. This is useful when you accidentally misplaced your card but are sure you will find it. Things like recurring payment will still continue.
Peer Comparison
| Card | Annual Fee APR FX Fee Rewards Score |
| Discover Chrome Student | Annual Fee = $0 APR = 13.74% - 22.74% FX Fee = 0% Rewards = 2% gas and dining 1% everything else Score Monitoring = FICO TU |
| Discover it Student | Annual Fee$0 APR = 13.74% - 22.74% FX Fee = 0% Rewards = 5% rotating categories 1% everything else Score Monitoring = FICO TU |
| BankAmericard Cash Rewards Student | Annual Fee = $0 APR = 13.74% - 23.74% FX Fee = 3% Rewards = 3% on gas and 2% on grocery & wholesale club for first $2500 in these spending a quarter 1% on everything else Score Monitoring = FICO TU |
| BankAmericard Student | Annual Fee = $0 APR = 12.74% - 22.74% FX Fee = 3% Rewards = N.A. Score Monitoring = FICO TU |
| BankAmericard Travel Rewards Student | Annual Fee = $0 APR = 15.74% - 23.74% FX Fee = 0% Rewards = 1.5X Score Monitoring - FICO TU |
| Citi ThankYou Preferred Student | Annual Fee = $0 APR = 14.74% - 24.74% FX Fee = 3% Rewards = 2X dining out and entertainment 1X everything else Score Monitoring = N.A. |
| Capital One Journey | Annual Fee = $0 APR = 20.74% FX Fee = 0% Rewards = 1.25% Cash Back Score Monitoring = Vantage 3.0 TU |
| Wells Fargo Cash Back College | Annual Fee = $0 APR = 11.9% - 21.9% FX Fee = 3% Rewards = 1% cash back Score Monitoring = Bankcard Score 2 - Experian |
| State Farm Student Visa | Annual Fee = $0 APR = 12.24% - 19.24% FX Fee = 3% Rewards = 1X for every $2 3X for State Farm Insurance Payments (up to $4000 a year) Score Monitoring - N.A. |
| SelfScore Classic | Annual Fee = $0 APR = 19.74% FX Fee = 0% Rewards = N.A. Score Monitoring = N.A. |
| SelfScore Achieve | Annual Fee = $0 APR = 19.74% FX Fee = 0% Rewards = 1% Cash Back Score Monitoring = N.A. |
Among student credit cards, the card that resembles the Discover It Chrome the most is the BankAmericard Cash Rewards for Students. The BankAmericard gives you 2% cash back at groceries and wholesale club and 3% at gas stations. Like the Discover Chrome, they cap you quarterly at $2,500 combined spending on these categories. The Discover it Chrome gives you 2% at restaurants (which BankAmericard does not). On gas, BankAmericard gives you a higher cash back (3% vs 2%). BankAmericard also has a higher quarterly spending cap on these items ($2,500 vs $1000).
So when we compare the cash back features versus BankAmericard, it is a mixed bag. Chrome has restaurant under the 2% category. But BankAmericard gives a higher cash back on gas and has a higher quarterly cap.
If you are considering this card, you will likely to have come across the Discover as well. So it is worth mentioning the differences. The cash back for the Discover it is really different and it will be like comparing apples and oranges. The "it" version allows you to earn 5% cash back on categories that change quarterly. If you are deciding whether that card will work better, you have to look at those categories and decide if they fit your spending habits.
As far as other cash back student credit card goes, Discover it Chrome is sure better than the generic 1% cash back cards like Wells Fargo. The Capital One Journey allows you to earn 1.25% cash back for all spending. Whether you will earn more or not depends on your spending.
Aside the cash back, Discover has other features that makes it standout. For example, they offer you a free TransUnion FICO score so you can monitor your credit score. BankAmericard does it for their card members as well. Capital One does not offer a real FICO score but instead offers a Vantage 3.0 (some would call that FAKO).
Discover, like all Capital One cards, does not charge foreign transaction fee. They also have a customer service that is totally US based.
One feature that Discover has and nobody else has is that they will give you a $20 cash back every year (for up to 5 years) if your GPA score is 3.0 and above. That may be a little incentive to some of you for get solid grades. No other student credit cards has this feature.
Pros and Cons
- 2% cash back at gas and restaurants
- Discover will match the cash back you earn during your first year (ie double you cash back)
- Earn 20% cash back if your GPA is 3.0 or higher
- Free FICO Score
- 0% intro APR for 6 months
Cons
- Cap of $1,000 quarterly on combined restaurant and gas purchases
Our Take
Discover's other features and attributes is what makes this a great card for students. Firstly, they will give you a $20 cash back bonus if your GPA is 3.0 and above. Secondly, there is no foreign transaction fee and their customer service is known to be top notch. You can also monitor your TransUnion FICO score as a card member for free. The website and app are also very user friendly.
To top it all, you will double the cash back bonus that you earn during your first year.
Whether you are a freshman looking for your first credit card, looking to start building a credit history or a junior or senior looking for another card, you simply will not go wrong with the Discover it Chrome.