Discover’s 5% Bonus Categories for Q2 2023: Restaurants and Wholesale Clubs

Purchases at restaurants and wholesale clubs will earn bonus rewards this spring, and if you're a newer cardholder, those bonus rewards will be doubled after your first year.
Craig Joseph
By Craig Joseph 
Published
Edited by Erin Hurd

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Eligible Discover cardholders will be rewarded this spring for eating out and making purchases at wholesale clubs.

From April 1 to June 30, 2023, Discover it® Cash Back and Discover it® Student Cash Back cardholders can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined quarterly spending in the following categories (activation required; all other purchases earn 1% back):

Discover it® Cash Back
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  • Restaurants.

  • Wholesale clubs.

Restaurants are back as a Discover bonus category for the 10th year in a row, and wholesale clubs (such as Sam’s Club, Costco and BJ’s) return to the 5% category list after a hiatus in 2022. Unfortunately for Costco shoppers, Discover cards aren't accepted in the store. However, you can use your eligible Discover card for purchases made on the Costco website to earn bonus rewards.

Discover doubles all cashback earned during your first year of card membership. So if you’re a newer cardholder, you’ll earn an additional 5% back (for 10% total) at the end of your first year for purchases made in bonus categories.

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This year marks the first time in five years that Discover has elected to release its entire 5% bonus calendar on a quarterly basis instead of all at once in January. The release of the full year's bonus calendar had been a distinctive feature, making it easier for cardholders to time their purchases. This move puts Discover in line with other 5% rotating bonus category cards, like the Chase Freedom Flex℠ .

Qualifying purchases for bonus rewards in the restaurants category include full-service eateries, cafes, cafeterias, fast-food locations and restaurant delivery services. For the wholesale clubs bonus category, purchases at stand-alone stores within a physical store location, affiliated services (such as delivery services), travel and cell phone purchases may not be eligible.

You can activate bonus categories online at Discover.com; through a one-click email from Discover; via the issuer's mobile app; or by calling 800-347-2683. Activation isn't retroactive and you’ll only earn bonus cashback on purchases made after you activate. 

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