The Discover it® Chrome is worth considering if you want a straightforward cash-back credit card with no annual fee, especially if you spend a lot at gas stations and restaurants.
However, you should also consider our picks for the best credit cards that don't charge an annual fee, as many of them earn higher cash-back rates on most purchases.
$0
0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months
18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR
Earn Unlimited Cashback Match®
Good to Excellent
- Earns 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, then 1%
- Discover matches your cash back after your first account year
- Low cap on earning cash back each quarter ($1,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and gas stations)
- Intro 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.
- Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Plus earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
- Get a 0% intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers. Then 18.24% to 27.24% Standard Variable APR applies, based on credit worthiness.
- Redeem your rewards for cash at any time.
- Discover could help you reduce exposure of your personal information online by helping you remove it from select people-search sites that could sell your data. Activate by mobile app for free.
- No annual fee.
- Terms and conditions apply.
Overview
If you're looking for a simple, no-hassle cash-back credit card, the Discover it® Chrome might be a decent option for you. Discover cards don't charge an annual fee, though you may end up paying in other ways, namely in the form of a lower return on your spending.
The Discover it® Chrome offers 2% cash back on your first $1,000 in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each quarter (then 1%), meaning you could end up with an extra $20 in your wallet if you max out that category. Besides that, you'll earn a fixed 1% cash back on all purchases, with no other caps or bonus categories to worry about.
Rewards
Welcome Bonus
New cardholders can take advantage of the Unlimited Cashback Match® - only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year.
How to Earn Rewards
You'll earn cash-back rewards every time you pay with the Discover it® Chrome. You'll earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (on up to $1,000 in combined spending each quarter, then 1%), and 1% back on all other purchases.
The quarterly cap on bonus rewards is on the low side, since you can't earn bonus cash back on more than $1,000 per quarter. If you spend a lot more on gas stations and restaurants each quarter, you may want to consider a card that doesn't cap bonus rewards on these spending categories.
How to Redeem Rewards
Discover makes it easy to redeem your cash back, either as a statement credit or at checkout when shopping with Amazon or Paypal. One side note — even if you plan to use your rewards to cover a purchase made with Amazon or PayPal, you should charge that to your card and then redeem your points as a statement credit so you earn cash back on the purchase.
Unlike some cards, there's no minimum amount required to redeem. If you close your account or don't use your card for 18 months, Discover will automatically redeem your rewards as a statement credit for you.
You can also use your rewards (starting at $5) for gift cards or eCertificates from partner merchants. In addition, you can donate your rewards to select charities, with a minimum donation of 1 cent.
How Much Are Rewards Worth?
No matter which Discover card you have, your cash back or Discover miles are worth 1 cent apiece. While the downside is that other cards can get you significantly more value for your rewards, the upside is that there's never any guesswork when it comes to whether redeeming your Discover rewards is a good idea. You can rest easy knowing you'll always get 1 cent per mile in value no matter how you use them.
Benefits and Features
In the world of credit card rewards the mantra "you get what you pay for" is pretty applicable, so don't expect too many benefits from a card that doesn't charge an annual fee. However, there are a few useful benefits with the Discover it® Chrome.
Intro APR Offer
The Discover it® Chrome has a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months (then a 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR). If you're actively trying to pay down your credit card debt, a 0% APR offer like this can help give you some room to breathe while you make a plan. Just make sure you can pay your balance off by the end of the intro period, otherwise you'll be hit with high interest rates for paying off the remaining balance.
Discover Cashback Match
While many credit cards will throw tens of thousands of bonus miles or hundreds of dollars in cash at new applicants (after meeting certain spending thresholds), Discover offers a welcome bonus that's much better tailored to those who can't meet a high spending requirement in a short time frame.
Most Discover cards, including the Discover it® Chrome, offer Discover Cashback Match®. As the name would suggest, at the end of your first year of card membership Discover will match all the cash back you earned. This includes the 2% cash back earned at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000) and the 1% earned on all other purchases.
Ultimately you'll need to take a look at your own spending patterns and decide how much this offer is worth to you. That's sort of a theme with Discover cards as a whole, as they require careful analysis to determine whether this is the best offer for you. For some, you may be better off paying an annual fee for a more rewarding cash-back card or focusing your earning efforts elsewhere.
No Foreign Transaction Fee
Meanwhile, it's fairly common for no-annual-fee cards to charge a fee on foreign transactions, but the lack of such a fee makes the Discover it® Chrome a good option to take with you when you travel.
Cardholders also get:
- Unique designs: You can choose between more than two dozen different designs, so you have a credit card that suits your style
- Security features: If you misplace your card or are worried about fraud, you can freeze your account— and Discover can also search the web for security breaches where your Social Security number was disclosed
- FICO credit score: Discover offers a real, free FICO credit score that it uses to approve accounts, set interest rates, and choose account limits
Annual Fee and Other Costs
The Discover it® Chrome doesn't charge an annual fee or foreign transaction fees, and you won't pay a late fee on the first occurrence, but you will for any of the following times you pay late.
New cardholders get a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, then a 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR. The following fees also apply:
- Late payment fee
- Intro balance transfer fee
- Returned payment fee
- Cash advance fee
Alternatives
Discover it® Cash Back
The Discover it® Cash Back is one of the best Discover credit cards, and its main difference is how it earns cash back. Instead of offering bonus cash back in categories that never change, it has quarterly bonus categories, where you can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent each quarter in the applicable categories after you activate (from April 1 to June 30, 2025, earn 5% cash back at Grocery Stores and Wholesale Clubs on up to $1,500 in purchases after enrollment, then 1%). Once you max out the $1,500 cap, you'll earn 1% back. Outside of the quarterly bonus categories, you'll earn 1% back on all other spending.
The Discover it® Cash Back has a higher quarterly bonus spending threshold ($1,500 vs $1,000 on the Discover it® Chrome), so you'll want to consider which card will be more rewarding based on your spending. Both cards charge no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee, and both cards have intro APR offers, then a variable APR rate.
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
$0
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (3% fee for the first 15 months, then 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time)
19.24% - 29.24% Variable
Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus
Good to Excellent
- Earns 1.5% cash back on every purchase
- Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
- No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Other cards earn more cash back
If you want to earn cash back with minimal effort and no annual fee, the Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card is a good option. Some cards offer a higher rate of cash back, but there are tradeoffs, such as foregoing a welcome bonus offer or keeping track of bonus categories that earn more rewards.
Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card- Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. Terms apply
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months; 19.24% - 29.24% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
Another cash-back card to consider is the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card. Like the Discover it® Chrome, it has no annual fee and comes with an intro APR offer. The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card offers 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (3% fee for the first 15 months, then 4% at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer you at any other time) then 19.24% - 29.24% Variable APR. However, with the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card there are no bonus categories; instead, you'll earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase with no cap. If you don't want to worry about bonus categories, this flat rewards rate could be attractive.
You'll also earn an unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, which may or may not be useful depending on how you usually book travel.
FAQs
What is the credit limit on the Discover it® Chrome?
The credit limit on the Discover it® Chrome starts at $500, but you could have a higher limit based on your credit score and other factors. Your credit limit could also increase over time if you pay your balance in full each month and improve your credit score.
What credit score do I need to get the Discover it® Chrome?
To qualify for the Discover it® Chrome, you'll typically need a credit score that's in the good to excellent range. A good credit score translates to 670 or above with the FICO model, and 661 or above with the VantageScore model.
How much rewards can you get with the Discover it Chrome?
The Discover it® Chrome earns you 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants, on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter. You'll earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Why You Should Trust Us
We evaluate credit cards by comparing their features to other similar cards, paying particular attention to the following factors:
- Annual fee
- Welcome bonus (if any)
- Rewards
- Benefits
- Ease of use
Learn more about our approach to reviewing credit cards on our credit card rating methodology page.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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