People apply for a credit card based on three different categories: 1) The sign up offer, 2) The points earned when making purchases, and 3) The benefits that come along with the card. While I typically talk about cards with the best sign up offers, I want to point out a card that might be one of the best for everyday purchases which a twist on the sign up offer.
Discover just launched a new card called the Discover It Miles Credit Card. While you typically earn 1.5x miles on all purchases with this card, the “sign up offer” is that you will get double the number of miles typically earned for the first year. So for the first year you have the card, you will get 3x miles on all purchases with no category restrictions or cap!
While there are other cards out there that give you a higher number of points or cash back, they are limited to specific category purchases and are typically capped at the number of points you can earn. This is a great card for the everyday person as you do not have to think about which card to use on every single purchase. If you know that you have many large purchases over the course of the next 12 months, this could be a great way to get a nice “rebate” on your purchases. This is also a no annual fee card which is great!
Redeeming your miles… Although you are earning “miles” you are not redeeming them in the tranditional way directly with the airline. They are a fixed value where 100 points = $1. You can decide to either redeem your miles for a statement credit towards travel (purchases made within the pat 180 days) OR as cash back that is deposited straight to your bank account. The redemption value is exactly the same, so there is no benefit to do one over the other. While you will earn your regular 1.5x miles once your statement credit closes every month, the double bonus miles will not be credited to your account until the end of your first year with the card.
Who does this card cater to… Now, if you are one that signs up for credit cards to get a free flight or hotel room with an immediate dump of points into your account then this is most likely not the card for you. But, if you are a big spender and do not want to deal with the points and miles redemption game, then this can be a nice addition to your wallet. Also, for those that pay taxes with their credit card (with a service that charges less than 2%) you can definitely come out ahead.
There are some other benefits that come along with the card as well:
- Up to a $30 statement credit on in-flight WiFi
- Free FICO score on monthly statements
- No foreign transaction fees
- Baggage delay insurance – Must purchase your ticket in full with the card (cannot just pay for the taxes when using miles), and you can be reimbursed up to $500 if your bag is delayed $300 or more
- Price Protection – If a price goes down within 90 days of making the purchase, they will refund the difference up to $500
- Purchase Protection – If you are not able to return your purchase at the store directly, Discover will refund the purchase price up to $500 on eligible items within 90 days
- Discover Online Shopping Portal – This portal actually offers some of the best cash back offers for your online purchases
- Discover Deals – Various deals at participating merchants
As you can see the benefits are pretty standard, but I do like that a no annual fee card will still give you a statement credit on a commonly used purchase (WiFi). I actually might apply for this card for the sole purpose of paying my taxes. I’ll write more about that on a future post, but if you pay actuals or a hefty amount come April, you can get a nice rebate. Other than that, I prefer to use a points or miles card where I most likely can redeem my points earned for more. Although there are many scenarios where the average person (and many times myself) are not able to redeem for 3 cents/mile so this could be the perfect card to get for those folks who do not want to think about it and spend a decent amount.
Key Links:
- Discover It Miles: Earn double the number of miles for the first year you have the card. This means you will earn 3x miles on all purchases for the first year with no cap. No annual fee.
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You are not earning 3x right away. You only earn 1.5x. You will earn the other 1.5x only at the end of the 1st year.
@alex – correct. As I mentioned in the post you get the double miles when your 12 months is over.