Our illustration, not the card’s design
Discover credit card
Discover it Student Cash Back Card
- APR up · 16.49% to 16.74% · Oct 8, 2026
No annual fee. Purchase APR 16.74–25.74%, variable.
Checked Nov 1, 2026Updated
- Annual fee
- Receipt · Annual feeChecked Nov 1, 2026
Issuer's page · discover.com
The source states this figure; we have no exact sentence on file yet.
- Purchase APR · variable
- Receipt · Purchase APRChecked Nov 1, 2026
Issuer's page · discover.com
“0% intro APR for 6 months on purchases; 16.74% to 25.74% variable APR after that”
Select an underlined figure to see where it comes from.
Through our link
Referral bonus
Through RateHerald’s referral link+$100 on top
$100
Apply online via the digital referral link, get approved, and make a payment over $0 posted within 8 weeks of opening.
Discover’s referral bonus, on top of the card’s own welcome offer
“Each eligible referred friend will receive a $100 statement credit after making a minimum payment (exceeding $0) that is posted to their account within 8 weeks of opening a new Discover account.”The referral page on capitalone.com, checked Oct 25, 2026
In dollars
What it’s worth
Yearly value in dollars: rewards and credits minus the annual fee, for three ways of spending. First year includes any welcome bonus.
| Spending | Value against the fee | First year | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender | $120 | $120 | |
| Typical spender | $300 | $300 | |
| Heavy spender | $660 | $660 |
The spending each assumes, and what isn’t counted
- Light spender: groceries $300, dining $100, gas $100, everything else $500 a month
- Typical spender: groceries $600, dining $300, gas $200, travel $150, everything else $1,250 a month
- Heavy spender: groceries $900, dining $600, gas $300, travel $600, airfare $300, hotels $300, everything else $2,500 a month
Assumed: not counted: 5x everyday purchases at gas stations; not counted: 5x everyday purchases at grocery stores; not counted: 5x everyday purchases at restaurants.
$120a year
The same in the first year and after.
The spending this assumes
A month: groceries $300, dining $100, gas $100, everything else $500. Assumed: not counted: 5x everyday purchases at gas stations; not counted: 5x everyday purchases at grocery stores; not counted: 5x everyday purchases at restaurants.
$300a year
The same in the first year and after.
The spending this assumes
A month: groceries $600, dining $300, gas $200, travel $150, everything else $1,250. Assumed: not counted: 5x everyday purchases at gas stations; not counted: 5x everyday purchases at grocery stores; not counted: 5x everyday purchases at restaurants.
$660a year
The same in the first year and after.
The spending this assumes
A month: groceries $900, dining $600, gas $300, travel $600, airfare $300, hotels $300, everything else $2,500. Assumed: not counted: 5x everyday purchases at gas stations; not counted: 5x everyday purchases at grocery stores; not counted: 5x everyday purchases at restaurants.
Use your own spending
Estimates from the published terms above, as checked Nov 1, 2026; not advice. How we value cards
Against the market
How it compares
Worth more to a typical spender than about 70% of the 732 cards we track.
- No annual fee, like about 100% of the 5 cards on our Student list (see the list).
- Lower top APR than about 55% of the 651 cards we track.
Other cash back cards with no annual fee
- Citizens Summit World MastercardCitizens · No annual fee+$310 a year
- Wells Fargo Cash Back Credit CardWells Fargo · No annual fee+$300 a year
- Credit One Bank Omni RewardsCredit One · No annual fee+$300 a year
Against this card, for our typical spender’s value (rewards and credits minus fees, after the first year).
Shares rounded to 5 points. Fees and APRs as stated; value for our typical spender. Method
Discover it Student Cash Back Card
How you earn
- 5%
- everyday purchases at grocery storeseveryday purchases at restaurantseveryday purchases at gas stations
- 1%
- Everything else
Cash back, as a share of each purchase.
Benefits
- $0 Fraud Liability: Cardholders are never responsible for unauthorized purchases, subject to investigation and verification.
- Other
Changes
- Oct 8, 2026 APR 16.49% to 16.74%
Only changes that held for at least three days on both sides count; one-day blips in a reading don’t.
Every figure with its receipt
Rates and fees
| Annual fee | Receipt · Annual feeChecked Nov 1, 2026 Issuer's page · discover.com The source states this figure; we have no exact sentence on file yet. |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | Receipt · Purchase APRChecked Nov 1, 2026 Issuer's page · discover.com “0% intro APR for 6 months on purchases; 16.74% to 25.74% variable APR after that” |
| Intro APR | Receipt · Intro APRChecked Nov 1, 2026 Issuer's page · discover.com “0% intro APR for 6 months on purchases; 16.49% to 25.49% variable APR after that” |
Before you apply
- What the application asks: your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number (or ITIN), income and housing payment. By law the issuer must consider your ability to pay (Regulation Z, 1026.51).
- Your credit report: applying usually means a hard inquiry, which can lower your score slightly for a while. Some issuers let you check whether you’re pre-approved first without one. How credit reports work (CFPB)
Questions
- What is the annual fee?
- No annual fee · discover.com, since Sep 29, 2026
- What is the purchase APR?
- 16.74–25.74% APR · discover.com, since Oct 8, 2026
- Is there an intro APR?
- 0% for 6 months. · discover.com, since Sep 29, 2026