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How Does the Discover it® Miles Credit Card Work? contents
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How Does the Discover it® Miles Credit Card Work?

Last Updated: March 11, 2024
6 min read
Credit card rewards

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Key points about: how Discover it® Credit Card Miles work

  1. Credit card miles are rewards that are earned by shopping with a travel credit card.

  2. You can redeem Miles for cash in any amount to pay your bill.

  3. The Discover Miles Credit Card earns 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase.

Discover it® Miles is an innovative credit card designed for users who want to earn unlimited 1.5x Miles automatically on travel purchases and all your everyday purchases.

Some travel credit cards are only beneficial when booking travel arrangements with that card. Not so with the Discover it® Miles card, which allows you to earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase and redeem them conveniently, beyond just basic travel categories.

Learn more about Discover it Miles credit card

Consider all of the benefits of the Discover it® Miles card below.

How Do Credit Card Miles Work?

Credit card miles are a customer loyalty benefit some credit card issuers give their customers to reward them for using the card to make purchases. Some credit card companies, like Discover, call them Miles; others call them points, but it all amounts to the same thing–a rewards program.

Typically, the more you spend on your credit card, the more miles or points you earn. Once you accumulate a certain amount, you can then redeem them for specific items or rewards. The value of the points or miles and how you can use them depends on the credit card and the rewards program it offers. Read on to learn more about how to make the most of the unique perks of the Discover it® Miles card.

How Does the Discover it® Miles Card Work?

The Discover it® Miles travel credit card is a personal credit card, not a business credit card, that earns 1.5x Miles on every purchase. Unlike a specific airline credit card, you can redeem Miles for travel or cash.1 Unlike some other travel credit cards, the Discover it® Miles travel credit card has no annual fee. And with Discover Match®, you get an unlimited Mile-for-Mile match of all the Miles you earn at the end of your first year, automatically. There is no limit to how much we’ll match.2

More Than Just Airline Miles

Even though the Discover it® Miles card has the word “Miles” in it, that doesn’t mean that you can only use them for airlines. It’s essentially a flat-rate card that lets you earn 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase – which you can then turn Miles into cash. Or redeem as a statement credit for your travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants and more.1

With the Discover it® Miles card, your redemption rate is one cent per Mile, and you can easily redeem Miles as a statement credit for travel purchases or get cash.1

Here’s how it works: Let’s say you spend $10,000 on the card. Since you earn 1.5x Miles on every dollar you spend on purchases, your $10,000 purchase will earn you 15,000 Miles. You can redeem these 15,000 Miles for $150 at a redemption rate of one cent per Mile. If you make a travel-related purchase, you can get a $150 statement credit; if not, you can deposit $150 into your bank account.

Did you know?

With Discover Match, we’ll automatically match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There is no limit to how much we’ll match.2 So, if you earn 5,000 Miles, we’ll give you another 5,000 Miles. If you earn 20,000 Miles, we’ll give you another 20,000 Miles.

What are Discover it® Miles worth?

Every Mile you earn with Discover is equal to $.01 in rewards. So, if you've earned 1,000 Miles from Discover, that’s equal to $10.00 to redeem toward your monthly bill, even your minimum payment. You can also redeem Miles directly at Amazon.com checkout3 or when you checkout with PayPal.4

How do Discover Miles Redemptions Work?

Another great feature of the Discover it® Miles card is that you can redeem Miles to pay your Discover bill in any amount, with as little as 1 Mile.1 This gives you more flexibility than rewards programs that have minimum amounts for redemption.

Redeeming at Amazon.com

You have the option to redeem Discover Miles at Amazon.com. Link your Discover Card with your Amazon.com account to use Miles at checkout. Redeem any amount of your Miles at Amazon.com—there's no minimum.3 To link your Discover Card with your Amazon.com account, visit Amazon.com Account Linking.

Redeeming on PayPal

Redeem any amount of your rewards, any time using your Discover Card with PayPal—there's no minimum.4 To link your Discover Card with PayPal, visit PayPal Account Linking.

Is there a limit to the number of Miles I can earn?

There’s NO limit to the number of Miles you can earn.

Will my Miles expire?

Rewards never expire.8 We reserve the right to determine the method to disburse your rewards balance. We will credit your Account or send you a check with your rewards balance if your Account is closed or if you have not used it within 18 months. See Miles Terms and Conditions for details.

Where do I find the number of Miles I have available to redeem?

You can always find your available Miles balance under "Miles Available to Redeem" on the first page of your monthly statement. You can also see your available Miles on Account Center when you redeem online.

When will I see the Miles I've earned on my statement?

Discover will calculate the Miles you’ve earned in each billing cycle to your account at the end of each billing period, and you’ll see the total on your monthly statement. If you have questions about Miles which have not posted to your Miles account, call or message us for 100% U.S.-Based Customer Service5 at the number on the back of your card.

Can I transfer Miles from another card or frequent flier program to my Miles Card account?

No, you can't transfer Miles from another program.

If my card is lost or stolen, will my Miles be transferred to my new account?

Yes, we will automatically transfer your Miles to your new Discover it® Miles account. Redemption may not be available for approximately 24-48 hours if your card is lost or stolen.

More Discover it Miles Benefits

We’ll automatically match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There is no limit to how much we’ll match.2 So, the more you earn, the more is matched.

Get a free Credit Scorecard with your FICO® Score and important information behind it, like credit utilization, number of missed payments, number of recent inquiries, length of credit history, and total number of accounts.6

 

You can freeze your account in seconds with an on/off switch either on the mobile app or website to prevent new purchases, cash advances and balance transfers.7

Not only do frequent travelers benefit from the flexibility of the Discover it® Miles card, but if you don’t travel often, you can still reap the benefits and redeem Miles for cash in any amount to pay your bill.8 Or did you stop overnight at a hotel? Redeem for a statement credit for that purchase. You’ve earned a bunch of Miles, but don’t have any travel planned? Redeem your Miles for cash as equivalent value and spend it however you like.

What credit score do you need for Discover it® Miles?

The Discover it® Miles credit card is generally for people with good to excellent credit. You can see if you’re pre-approved with no harm to your credit score.9

How do I apply for Discover it® Miles?

Apply for Discover it® Miles online or by calling 1-800-DISCOVER (1-800-347-2683)

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  1. Redeem Miles: Starting at 1 Mile, you can redeem your Miles as a credit to your account to pay for all or part of your bill, for cash as an electronic deposit to your bank account, or for a credit for Travel Purchases made on your statement within the last 180 days. Each Mile is equal to $0.01. Miles cannot be redeemed directly with a specific airline carrier. Travel Purchases include airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, travel agents, online travel sites, commuter transportation, restaurants and gas stations. Restaurant purchases include those made at merchants classified as full-service restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, fast-food locations, and restaurant delivery services. Gas Station purchases include those made at merchants classified as places that sell automotive gasoline that can be bought at the pump or inside the station. Gas Stations affiliated with supermarkets, supercenters, and wholesale clubs may not be eligible. Even if a travel purchase on your statement appears to fit in a Travel Purchase category, the merchant may not have a merchant category code (MCC) in a Travel Purchase category. Merchants and payment processors are assigned an MCC based on their typical products and services. Discover Card does not assign MCCs to merchants. Certain third-party payment accounts and digital wallet transactions may not be eligible for credit redemption if the technology does not provide sufficient transaction details or a qualifying MCC. See Terms and Conditions for more information.

  2. Discover Match®: We’ll match all the Miles you’ve earned on your credit card from the day your new account is approved through your first 12 consecutive billing periods or 365 days, whichever is longer, and add it to your rewards account within two billing periods. You earn Miles only when they’re processed, which may be after the transaction date. We will not match: rewards that are processed after your match period ends; statement credits; rewards transfers from Discover checking or other deposit accounts; or rewards for accounts that are closed. This offer may not be available in the future and is exclusively for new cardmembers. No purchase minimums.

  3. Use Rewards at Amazon.com: For complete details on how to Pay with Rewards at Amazon.com see Amazon.com/DiscoverRewards. Amazon is not a sponsor of this promotion. Amazon, the Amazon.com logo, the smile logo and all related marks are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. To redeem your rewards at checkout, you must select the Discover Card from which you want to redeem rewards. If you do not pay for your full purchase with rewards, you may use the Discover Card from which the rewards were applied or an Amazon.com Gift Card to pay for the remainder of your purchase. You may not use a credit card from an issuer other than Discover or another Discover credit card enrolled in Shop with Points in conjunction with the rewards transaction.

  4. Use Rewards with PayPal: For complete details on how to Pay with Rewards with PayPal see PayPal.com/Discover. Pay with Rewards with PayPal will be available for eligible credit cards on eligible purchases or rewards can be donated to support a charitable cause with PayPal Giving Fund. To learn more about Pay with Rewards, see terms and conditions.

    All reward redemptions are subject to Discover’s reward program terms. To redeem your rewards at checkout, you must select the Discover Card from which you want to redeem rewards. If you do not pay for your full purchase with rewards, you must use the Discover Card from which the rewards were applied to pay for the remainder of your purchase. You may not use a credit card from an issuer other than Discover or another Discover credit card enrolled in Pay with Rewards in conjunction with the rewards transaction.

    PayPal, and the PayPal logo are trademarks of PayPal and its Affiliates.

  5. 100% U.S. Based Customer Service: You can reach a live agent any time by calling 1-800-Discover (1-800-347-2683). Certain specialized customer service agents may not be available 24/7.

  6. FICO® Credit Score Terms: Your FICO® Credit Score, key factors and other credit information are based on data from TransUnion® and may be different from other credit scores and other credit information provided by different bureaus. This information is intended for and only provided to Primary account holders who have an available score. See Discover.com/FICO about the availability of your score. Your score, key factors and other credit information are available on Discover.com and cardmembers are also provided a score on statements. Customers will see up to a year of recent scores online. Discover and other lenders may use different inputs, such as FICO® Credit Scores, other credit scores and more information in credit decisions. This benefit may change or end in the future. FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the United States and other countries.

    Discover Financial Services and Fair Isaac are not credit repair organizations as defined under federal law or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. Discover Financial Services and Fair Isaac do not provide “credit repair” services or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history or credit rating.

  7. Freeze it®: When you freeze your account, Discover will not authorize new purchases, cash advances or balance transfers (including checks). However, some activity will continue including charges from merchants where your card is stored or billed regularly, as well as returns, credits, dispute adjustments, delayed authorizations (such as some transit purchases), payments, Discover protection product fees, other account fees, interest, rewards redemptions and certain other exempted transactions.

  8. Rewards Redemption: Rewards never expire. We reserve the right to determine the method to disburse your rewards balance. We will credit your Account or send you a check with your rewards balance if your Account is closed or if you have not used it within 18 months. You may be unable to redeem rewards in some limited situations such as when you choose to use an electronic funds transfer to redeem rewards to a new (unverified) deposit account.

  9. There is no hard inquiry to your credit report to check if you’re pre-approved. If you’re pre-approved, and you move forward with submitting an application for the credit card, it will result in a hard inquiry which may impact your credit score. Receiving a pre-approval offer does not guarantee approval. Applicants applying without a social security number are not eligible to receive pre-approval offers. Card applicants cannot be pre-approved for the NHL Discover Card.

  • Legal Disclaimer: This site is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional advice. The material on this site is not intended to provide legal, investment, or financial advice and does not indicate the availability of any Discover product or service. It does not guarantee that Discover offers or endorses a product or service. For specific advice about your unique circumstances, you may wish to consult a qualified professional.