Underrated Reasons Why You Need a Discover It Miles Card

The Discover it® Miles card offers 1.5 miles for every dollar spent on all purchases, with $0 annual fee. That’s solid. But there’s a twist: UNLIMITED BONUS: Only Discover will automatically match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.

The miles you earn with the card are very versatile. You can redeem miles as a statement credit for travel purchases such as hotel rooms, airfare, rentals cars, gas and rideshares. You can also spend your points at Amazon or get cash back to your bank account to spend however you want. In other words, you have a lot of great options for all the miles you earn, which makes those double miles really valuable.

However, with all the excitement around no annual fee, 1.5x earning and double miles, it’s easy to overlook some additional features and benefits that make the Discover it® Miles card even more valuable. Here’s a closer look.

Underrated reasons

Lots of security features

The Discover it® Miles card offers an entire suite of security features, including daily monitoring of your Experian credit report, alerts when a new inquiry or account is listed on your Experian credit report and alerts if your Social Security number is found on the dark web.

A kind, human approach to fees

The Discover it® Miles card recognizes that we’re all human. Sometimes we make mistakes, are forgetful or could use a little help. With the Discover it® Miles card, if you forget to pay your bill on time or have an issue with autopay, they understand. The first time it happens, Discover won’t charge you for it. After the first time, you’ll be charged up to $40.

You won’t pay a foreign transaction fee to use the card outside the U.S., you won’t pay a fee if you go over your credit limit and paying late won’t raise your annual percentage rate. All of these fees can add up, but with the Discover it® Miles card, you don’t have to worry about them.

» Learn more: NerdWallet’s best no annual fee credit cards

No spending requirements to earn the first-year bonus

You don’t need to meet a minimum spending requirement to get the first-year bonus miles. This is great news for anyone who might have a hard time responsibly charging a few thousand dollars within a three-month period, which is typically the way it goes with many other rewards credit cards.

Generous 'Refer a Friend' statement credit

You’ll earn a $100 statement credit for each friend you refer who is approved, up to five friends per calendar year. Also, if your friend makes a purchase within three months of opening their account, he or she will earn a $100 statement credit as well.

Customer service

According to J.D. Power’s 2019 Credit Card Satisfaction Study, Discover ranked first out of 11 issuers in customer satisfaction.

Discover has a 100% U.S.-based customer service team that’s available anytime, the ability to chat with agents online and complimentary access to your FICO credit score so you can monitor your credit. In addition, J.D. Power ranked Discover’s mobile app first out of nine credit card issuers. Through this app, you can check your balance, pay your bill and review your rewards.

The bottom line

The Discover it® Miles card is a straightforward card with a twist: It offers 1.5 miles for every dollar spent on all purchases and a $0 annual fee, and Discover will match all the miles you earn during your first year of being a cardholder. Miles you earn are versatile and provide the ability to spend them on travel, make purchases on Amazon or simply cash them out.

The Discover it® Miles card also offers valuable, potentially overlooked benefits such as a host of security features, a lack of extra fees, no spending requirement to earn a welcome bonus and a generous “refer a friend” statement credit. In addition to all of this, Discover offers a premium customer experience that can make the Discover it® Miles card a solid option.

How to Maximize Your Rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2020, including those best for: