Feb 26, 2015, 9:30 am
Last edit by: swag
Discover it Miles
current offer as of 9/1/17: https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/miles/index.html
There are two ways to redeem miles:
current offer as of 9/1/17: https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/miles/index.html
- 1.5x miles on all purchases
- Double miles for the first year (3x miles on all purchases)
An annual credit up to $30 for in-flight Wi-Fi charges(ended 3/31/19)- No foreign transaction fees
- No annual fee
- Free FICO Score
- 0% purchase APR for first twelve months
There are two ways to redeem miles:
- Cash back via a deposit into your linked bank account
- A statement credit against a travel purchase made in the past 180 days
Discover it Miles Credit Card Launched, 3x Miles On All Purchases 1st Year
Mar 16, 2015, 4:54 pm
#46
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 526
Yes Discover lags behind. I found out this is nothing more than a "travel miles" card similar to all the others (Barclay Arrival, Capital One Venture, BOA travel, Wells Fargo Propel).
The signup bonus amounts to them matching your earned miles for the first year. The redemptions have to be for certain travel related charges posted within a certain limited timeframe (180 days). If you want a cash redemption or statement credit without a supporting travel related charge the redemption rate is 2 miles = a penny.
This info was omitted from the advertising and related posted T&C. I had to call a Discover IT Miles specialist to clarify this fact. Lots of bloggers and other people have optimistically interpreted the posted info to make this sound like a 3% Cashback card. This is not the case unless you have enough travel expenses on the card to balance out the credit.
It makes sense to me, they wouldn't bother with travel categories and miles if the redemption rate was the same for all charges or for cashback. They would market it as a 3% Cashback card and flaunt it against the competitors cards. The way it is you will have to spend a bunch on travel and other stuff just to make that matching 1.5% equal the value of a missing signup bonus.
The signup bonus amounts to them matching your earned miles for the first year. The redemptions have to be for certain travel related charges posted within a certain limited timeframe (180 days). If you want a cash redemption or statement credit without a supporting travel related charge the redemption rate is 2 miles = a penny.
This info was omitted from the advertising and related posted T&C. I had to call a Discover IT Miles specialist to clarify this fact. Lots of bloggers and other people have optimistically interpreted the posted info to make this sound like a 3% Cashback card. This is not the case unless you have enough travel expenses on the card to balance out the credit.
It makes sense to me, they wouldn't bother with travel categories and miles if the redemption rate was the same for all charges or for cashback. They would market it as a 3% Cashback card and flaunt it against the competitors cards. The way it is you will have to spend a bunch on travel and other stuff just to make that matching 1.5% equal the value of a missing signup bonus.
How do I Redeem My Miles?
Visit Discover.com or call 1-800-347-3085 24 hours a day/7 days a week and choose how to redeem your Miles, including.
Credit to your account for travel purchases-starting at 1 mile.
Electronic deposit into an account you designate-starting at 1 mile.
Any way you redeem, 1 Mile is the cash equivalent of 1 penny.
Visit Discover.com or call 1-800-347-3085 24 hours a day/7 days a week and choose how to redeem your Miles, including.
Credit to your account for travel purchases-starting at 1 mile.
Electronic deposit into an account you designate-starting at 1 mile.
Any way you redeem, 1 Mile is the cash equivalent of 1 penny.
Mar 17, 2015, 4:50 am
#47
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: Hilton - Diamond, IHG - Spire Amb
Posts: 901
Yes Discover lags behind. I found out this is nothing more than a "travel miles" card similar to all the others (Barclay Arrival, Capital One Venture, BOA travel, Wells Fargo Propel).
The signup bonus amounts to them matching your earned miles for the first year. The redemptions have to be for certain travel related charges posted within a certain limited timeframe (180 days). If you want a cash redemption or statement credit without a supporting travel related charge the redemption rate is 2 miles = a penny.
This info was omitted from the advertising and related posted T&C. I had to call a Discover IT Miles specialist to clarify this fact. Lots of bloggers and other people have optimistically interpreted the posted info to make this sound like a 3% Cashback card. This is not the case unless you have enough travel expenses on the card to balance out the credit.
It makes sense to me, they wouldn't bother with travel categories and miles if the redemption rate was the same for all charges or for cashback. They would market it as a 3% Cashback card and flaunt it against the competitors cards. The way it is you will have to spend a bunch on travel and other stuff just to make that matching 1.5% equal the value of a missing signup bonus.
The signup bonus amounts to them matching your earned miles for the first year. The redemptions have to be for certain travel related charges posted within a certain limited timeframe (180 days). If you want a cash redemption or statement credit without a supporting travel related charge the redemption rate is 2 miles = a penny.
This info was omitted from the advertising and related posted T&C. I had to call a Discover IT Miles specialist to clarify this fact. Lots of bloggers and other people have optimistically interpreted the posted info to make this sound like a 3% Cashback card. This is not the case unless you have enough travel expenses on the card to balance out the credit.
It makes sense to me, they wouldn't bother with travel categories and miles if the redemption rate was the same for all charges or for cashback. They would market it as a 3% Cashback card and flaunt it against the competitors cards. The way it is you will have to spend a bunch on travel and other stuff just to make that matching 1.5% equal the value of a missing signup bonus.
I just redeemed 7,436 for $74.36
Requires phone call for the first redemption to your bank account.
Mar 17, 2015, 2:47 pm
#49
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,957
Read here:
https://www.discovercard.com/acquisi...les/terms.html
https://www.discovercard.com/acquisi...les/terms.html
Travel Purchases: Travel Purchases include a purchase made within the last 180 days on commercial airline tickets; hotel rooms; car rentals; cruises; tour operators; vacation packages purchased through airlines, travel agents, online travel sites; local and suburban commuter transportation, including ferries; passenger railways; taxicabs and limousines; and charter/tour bus lines. Purchases made using Near Field Communication (NFC), virtual wallets or similar technology may not be eligible.
Mar 17, 2015, 9:44 pm
#50
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,173
In that case the rep I talked with was incorrect and this really is a 1.5% cashback card with the promise of a 1.5% bonus at the end of the year if they don't change things......sorry for the skepticism, but you and eajusa are the first 2 people that have personally reported getting a cashback rebate without any travel charges.....I am still skeptical this will hold up for a year (but I hope it does). I still have a few months to go on the WF 5% CB card so i'm in no hurry and will give it a while longer before jumping on the bandwagon.
Mar 18, 2015, 4:47 am
#51
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: Hilton - Diamond, IHG - Spire Amb
Posts: 901
OK, so you had no travel related charges and got .01 per mile?
In that case the rep I talked with was incorrect and this really is a 1.5% cashback card with the promise of a 1.5% bonus at the end of the year if they don't change things......sorry for the skepticism, but you and eajusa are the first 2 people that have personally reported getting a cashback rebate without any travel charges.....I am still skeptical this will hold up for a year (but I hope it does). I still have a few months to go on the WF 5% CB card so i'm in no hurry and will give it a while longer before jumping on the bandwagon.
In that case the rep I talked with was incorrect and this really is a 1.5% cashback card with the promise of a 1.5% bonus at the end of the year if they don't change things......sorry for the skepticism, but you and eajusa are the first 2 people that have personally reported getting a cashback rebate without any travel charges.....I am still skeptical this will hold up for a year (but I hope it does). I still have a few months to go on the WF 5% CB card so i'm in no hurry and will give it a while longer before jumping on the bandwagon.
Mar 18, 2015, 2:40 pm
#52
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Programs: Milege+, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,685
The way I read it is that I can wait until 12th statement closes and when miles are doubled get a cash rebate of 3%. In this case I can put my travel charges on at any time (no concern over 180 day limit).
The alternative is to not put a travel charge on the card until less than 180 days before miles are doubled, and then use the doubled miles to receive statement credit on those travel charges.
The alternative is to not put a travel charge on the card until less than 180 days before miles are doubled, and then use the doubled miles to receive statement credit on those travel charges.
Mar 19, 2015, 6:22 pm
#53
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: Far too many
Posts: 315
Unfortunately, AGCs still seem to be initially treated as cash advances. (The AGC thread indicates they pend as cash advances, and post as purchases.) I just tried to purchase one with my non-Miles it in excess of my CA limit and was declined.
Discover is notoriously stingy with credit limits and the CA limit seems to be a certain percentage of the limit, but I'm not sure how that's determined. I have some data points: when I had a $3,000 limit, my CA limit was $300 (10%); $3,500 limit, $400 CA (~11.4%); $3,750 limit, $500 CA (~13.4%). This suggests you're going to need a ridiculously large (by Discover standards) limit to do anything realistic with AGCs. For those of us who don't have those/can't get those, Arrival or other 2% cards + AGC cashback is still a better deal.
I'd be interested in other data points on CA limits, as the percentage seems to increase as the total limit increases. I haven't dared trying this and breaking the "don't call" rule but I wonder if it's possible to get them to increase it. (Thinking about it, maybe trying wouldn't be too bad - worst case they close the card for "suspicious credit seeking" or some BS, and no real loss, as it's not like there are many MS opportunities for Discover.)
Discover is notoriously stingy with credit limits and the CA limit seems to be a certain percentage of the limit, but I'm not sure how that's determined. I have some data points: when I had a $3,000 limit, my CA limit was $300 (10%); $3,500 limit, $400 CA (~11.4%); $3,750 limit, $500 CA (~13.4%). This suggests you're going to need a ridiculously large (by Discover standards) limit to do anything realistic with AGCs. For those of us who don't have those/can't get those, Arrival or other 2% cards + AGC cashback is still a better deal.
I'd be interested in other data points on CA limits, as the percentage seems to increase as the total limit increases. I haven't dared trying this and breaking the "don't call" rule but I wonder if it's possible to get them to increase it. (Thinking about it, maybe trying wouldn't be too bad - worst case they close the card for "suspicious credit seeking" or some BS, and no real loss, as it's not like there are many MS opportunities for Discover.)
I SM-ed to request a higher CA limit, without increasing the total CL. The CSR responded that the CA line is 11% of the CL, so the CL would have to be increased for the CA to increase, and that this could be requested 3 months after the account was opened. Presumably, that would entail a hard credit pull.
At 11% it would take a $9100 CL to have a CA limit of $1000.
Mar 19, 2015, 7:52 pm
#55
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
Programs: Milege+, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,685
Mar 20, 2015, 7:04 am
#58
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 581
Mar 20, 2015, 7:06 am
#59
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: EWR-SEA-IAD
Programs: UA 1P MM, AS MVP G*, SPG Gold, Hyatt Plat, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 977
The logo gives the card more reputability when trying to use it at those merchants. Some even refuse to try to swipe.
I would love to see Discover come out with a Discover-UnionPay-JCB Card. I would pick that up in a heatbeat. That would start to give mastercard and visa a run for their money in certain markets.
I would love to see Discover come out with a Discover-UnionPay-JCB Card. I would pick that up in a heatbeat. That would start to give mastercard and visa a run for their money in certain markets.