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Approximate annual rewards value: $276
Sign-up bonus value: $276
First-year rewards value: $552
Discover it Miles provides a flat 1.5 miles per dollar on every purchase, with no limit to how many miles you can earn. This means that you don’t have to worry about making sure you use the card at the right place to earn bonus rewards. On the flip side, the card may not be the best fit for someone who enjoys learning how to maximize rewards through bonus rates.
Based on average spending data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Discover it Miles cardholders can earn an estimated 27,600 miles each year. That’s worth $276 in travel or cash back.
| Expenditure | Annual cost | Miles per dollar earning rate | Annual miles earned |
| Groceries | $4,400 | 1.5 | 6,600 |
| Dining | $3,400 | 1.5 | 5,100 |
| Apparel and services | $1,800 | 1.5 | 2,700 |
| Flights and hotels | $1,000 | 1.5 | 1,500 |
| Gas | $2,000 | 1.5 | 3,000 |
| Entertainment | $3,000 | 1.5 | 4,500 |
| Personal care products and services | $800 | 1.5 | 1,200 |
| All other expenditures | $2,000 | 1.5 | 3,000 |
| Total annual miles earned | 27,600 | ||
| Total annual value when redeemed for travel or cash back | $276 |
Values for each spending category are based on average data from the 2017 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey. Each category is rounded to the nearest $100.
The card’s bonus match will accelerate the number of miles you earn during your first year as a cardholder. While the average household will earn $276 with the incentive, cardholders who spend much more than average can earn much more because there is no cap to the match.
One way to maximize the rewards you earn is to pair Discover it Miles with a card that offers bonus rewards on certain categories. Then you can use the second card for spending on those categories and Discover it Miles for everything else.
Redemption with Discover it Miles is straightforward: Redeem miles in any amount for cash back or as a statement credit toward a travel purchase within 180 days. Eligible travel purchases include airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, travel agents, online travel sites and commuter transportation.
Both redemption options give you a value of 1 cent per mile. Also, rewards never expire, but Discover will issue a credit if you close your account or don’t use it for 18 months.
Annual fee: Neither card has an annual fee.
Rewards: Discover it Miles earns you a flat 1.5 miles per dollar on every purchase, with no limit to how many miles you can earn. The Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card also earns you an unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases.
Sign-up bonus: Discover will match every point you earn within the first year with Discover it Miles, while the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card gives you 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Benefits: The Discover it Miles lets you easily freeze your account, gives you free access to your FICO credit score and alerts you if your Social Security number appears on the dark web. The Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card offers contactless cards and free monthly access to your FICO score.
Annual fee: Neither card has an annual fee.
Rewards: Discover it Miles earns you a flat 1.5 miles per dollar on every purchase, with no limit to how many miles you can earn. With the Chase Freedom Unlimited, you earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases plus 5% back on travel purchased through Chase and 3% on dining at restaurants and at drugstores.
Sign-up bonus: Discover will match every point you earn within the first year with Discover it Miles. The Chase Freedom Unlimited card offers a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first three months from account opening.
Benefits: Discover it Miles lets you easily freeze your account, gives you free access to your FICO credit score and alerts you if your Social Security number appears on the dark web. The Chase Freedom Unlimited card offers purchase protection with up to $500 per claim if an item you recently purchased was stolen or damaged as well as an extra year on top of standard manufacturer’s warranties.
Questions About the Discover it Miles
Q: Is Discover it Miles a good credit card?
A: Discover it Miles has solid travel rewards with flexible redemption options. But it doesn’t offer bonus rewards, point transfers or a sign-up bonus, so it’s not a favorite among cardholders who want to maximize travel rewards.
Q: What are Discover it Miles miles worth?
A: Discover it Miles miles are worth 1 cent.
Q: How many miles does it take to get a free flight?
A: Since each mile is worth 1 cent, you can use that rate to calculate how many miles you’ll need for the flight you want to purchase. For example, a $200 flight would cost 20,000 miles.
Q: What credit score do I need for Discover it Miles?
A: You should have good or excellent credit to qualify for Discover it Miles, so you’ll need a FICO score of at least 670.
Should You Get Discover it Miles
- Spend enough to get a lot of value out of the sign-up bonus
- Don’t travel abroad often
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