Discover Announces All 5% Bonus Categories for 2019

The issuer adds Uber and Lyft and shuffles its lineup after a year in which its calendar was similar to Chase's.
Paul Soucy
By Paul Soucy 
Published
Edited by Kenley Young
Discover Announces All 5% Bonus Categories for 2019

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For the second straight year, Discover is showing its cards ... so to speak.

The credit card issuer has announced its 5% quarterly bonus categories for all of 2019, something it also did for 2018. In the past, the issuer would announce the categories one at a time as the designated quarter drew near. (A comparable card, the Chase Freedom®, still does it this way.)

Update: On May 1, 2019, the issuer added more bonus categories to those already announced. The additions: PayPal in Q3 and Target and Walmart.com in Q4.

Discover’s cash-back cards give you 5% back in bonus categories that change every three months, on up to $1,500 in combined spending per quarter, and 1% cash back on all other spending. Cardholders have to opt in, or “activate,” the bonus categories each quarter. Cards that earn 5% back include the Discover it® Cash Back, the Discover it® Balance Transfer and the Discover it® Student Cash Back.

The 2019 categories are:

  • Q1 (January - March): Grocery stores.

  • Q2 (April - June): Gas stations, Uber and Lyft.

  • Q3 (July - September): Restaurants and PayPal.

  • Q4 (October - December): Amazon.com, Target and Walmart.com.

Notable changes to the calendar for 2019

  • Gas stations move to second quarter. Every year from 2015 to 2018, Discover had gas stations as a first-quarter category. In recent years, the Chase Freedom® also had gas stations as a first-quarter 5% category. That forced consumers who carry both cards to choose. Additionally, both cards had grocery stores as a second-quarter category in 2018, meaning their calendars were similar for half the year.

  • Uber and Lyft added. In past years, Discover has sometimes had a 5% category made up of gas stations and "ground transportation," which included an array of alternatives to driving. In 2019, only ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft are called out.

  • No wholesale clubs. Discover had wholesale clubs as a 5% category in two quarters in both 2017 and 2018.

  • Amazon, Target and Walmart.com share a category. For the first time, Discover is offering bonus cash back at all three of these mega-retailers at the same time. Target purchases in-store, online and through the retailer's app are eligible for 5% cash back; with Walmart, only online and app purchases are eligible.

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