The Discover it® Cash Back card offers a higher cash back rate in a broader range of popular spending categories that rotate quarterly — giving it the edge over the Discover it® Chrome card.
| Discover it® Cash Back | Discover it® Chrome | |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome offer | Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300. | Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers–only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. |
| Rewards | Earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically. | Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically. |
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Intro purchase APR | 0% Intro APR for 15 months | 0% Intro APR for 6 months |
| Intro balance transfer APR | 0% Intro APR for 15 months | 0% Intro APR for 18 months |
| Regular APR | 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR | 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR |
| Credit needed | Good / Excellent | Good / Excellent |
Neither the Discover it® Cash Back card nor the Discover it® Chrome card offer a traditional welcome offer, which typically involves earning a lump sum of rewards after spending a specified amount during the first three months of card membership. Instead, both cards offer an unlimited cash back match at the end of your first year for new cardholders. For example, you could turn $150 cash back into $300.
Once you factor in the welcome offer, Discover it® Cash Back cardholders who maximize the bonus categories have the potential to earn $600 back at the end of the first year. On the other hand, Discover it® Chrome cardholders who reach the bonus spend cap each quarter can earn $160 back from those purchases at the end of the first year.
The key difference between these cards is the amount of cash back that they offer. The Discover it® Cash Back offers a bonus on rotating categories, while the Discover it® Chrome offers an ongoing bonus on gas and restaurant purchases. If you can take advantage of the earning categories each quarter, the Discover it® Cash Back card offers a far better annual return on spend than the Discover it® Chrome.
If you max out the Discover it® Cash Back card’s $1,500 spend cap each quarter, you stand to earn $300 back in a year from those purchases alone. By contrast, if you max out the $1,000 spend cap on gas station and restaurant purchases with the Discover it® Chrome card each quarter, you’ll earn only $80 in annual cash back.
Discover cash back calendar for 2025
| Quarter | Discover bonus categories |
|---|---|
| Q1: January through March | Restaurants, home improvement stores and select streaming services |
| Q2: April through June | Grocery stores and wholesale clubs |
| Q3: July through September | TBA June 1 |
| Q4: October through December | TBA Sept. 1 |
Unlike many other credit card issuers, Discover doesn’t charge an annual fee on any of its credit cards. As a result, both the Discover it® Cash Back and the Discover it® Chrome come with $0 annual fees — making them cost-effective options to own.
When it comes to financing a large purchase, the Discover it® Cash Back is the clear winner. Its intro APR period on purchases is more than half a year longer than the Discover it® Chrome‘s offer. But when it comes to balance transfers, the Discover it® Chrome has the slight edge — offering an interest-free period that’s a few months longer than that of the Discover it® Cash Back.
| Intro APR on purchases | Intro APR on balance transfers | |
|---|---|---|
| Discover it® Cash Back | 0% Intro APR for 15 months, then 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR | 0% Intro APR for 15 months, then 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR |
| Discover it® Chrome | 0% Intro APR for 6 months, then 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR | 0% Intro APR for 18 months, then 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR |
If you want to earn a high cash back rate in popular categories that rotate each quarter, the Discover it® Cash Back card may be ideal. That is, as long as you don’t mind keeping track of spending caps or activating new bonus categories each quarter. Additionally, this card is the preferred choice for financing a large purchase because it offers a 0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases, then 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR.
The Discover it® Chrome card is a better fit if you spend a large amount on gas station and restaurant purchases each quarter. That said, earning 2% cash back with a $1,000 quarterly cap isn’t all that enticing when there are other credit cards that offer unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase.
There are cards that offer a higher rate of cash back on gas and restaurant purchases. For example, the Citi Custom Cash® Card (which also has a $0 annual fee) offers 5% cash back on your highest eligible spending category each billing cycle up to $500, including gas.
It’s also worth noting that the Discover it® Cash Back is offering 5% cash back at restaurants (on up to $1,500) during the first quarter of 2025 (activation required). And there’s a good chance that they may offer the bonus rate at gas stations sometime during 2025 (they offered it during the second quarter of 2024).
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Rewards Rate | Welcome Offer | Regular APR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card*
|
1% - 8% cash back
| $200 Cash Back
$200 Cash Back after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
| 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable) | ||
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card*
|
2% cash rewards
Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
| $200 cash rewards
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
| 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR | ||
Chase Freedom Flex℠*
|
1% - 5% cash back
| $200 cash bonus
Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
| 19.49% - 28.24% variable | ||
Citi Custom Cash® Card*
|
1% - 5% cash back
| $200 cash back
Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
| 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable) | ||
Chase Freedom Unlimited®*
|
1.5% - 5% cash back
| $250 cash back
Limited Time Intro Offer: Earn a $250 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
| 18.99% - 28.49% Variable |
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
The information related to the Discover it® Cash Back, Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card and Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.
