Discover it Secured Cash Back
Build credit with responsible use 1
Improve your financial future
A good credit score can help you to rent an apartment, pass employment checks, or purchase a car.
How the Discover it Secured Cash Back Credit Card works
Provide a refundable deposit to open your account
Build credit with responsible use
Earn your deposit back
FAQs
A secured credit card requires a refundable deposit, which is held as collateral for the account. It’s a credit card that offers you an opportunity to build or rebuild your credit with responsible use. 1 No interest is applied to the deposit.
Once you’re approved, all it takes to get started is a minimum required deposit, which you can pay all at once or over time within 35 days of being approved. You can make your deposit online. When you’ve made your minimum required deposit and activated your card, your account will be opened.
There are two ways your deposit can be refunded. First, you can earn back your deposit as a statement credit by using your card responsibly or second, we will refund it when you close your account and pay your balance in full.
Your card status will be regularly reported to the three major credit bureaus.
Unlike a prepaid card, a secured card is an actual credit card that is reported to the three major credit bureaus—providing the opportunity to build your credit, with responsible use. 1 Prepaid cards are more like debit cards and cannot help you build your credit because they are not reported to the major credit bureaus.
Yes. As with any credit card, there are certain conditions that could cause your application for this credit card to be declined.
Your deposit is held as collateral against your credit line. There are two ways your deposit can be refunded. First, you can earn back your deposit as a statement credit by using your card responsibly or second, we will refund it when you close your account and pay your balance in full.
Yes. You can make partial payments but need to make sure you’ve made your full, required deposit within 35 days of being approved. Once we’ve received your required deposit, your card will be on its way. All deposits must be at least $20 and in whole dollar increments.
You must make your required deposit payment within 35 days of being approved. If you do not make your required deposit, we will not be able to open an account for you.
No, you must still make at least your minimum monthly payment each month. Paying your credit card balance in full each month instead of carrying a balance is a good idea.
Yes. If your application is approved and you provide the minimum required deposit prior to the expiration date, your account will be opened, and you will receive the minimum initial credit line. To increase your initial credit line, simply deposit more than your minimum required deposit within 35 days of being approved and before you activate your card. You can raise your initial credit line up to your maximum limit. Your maximum limit will be assigned upon approval and range from $1,000 to $3,000 based on your creditworthiness.
You may earn credit line increases based on your payment history and creditworthiness with no additional deposit needed.
We report your credit standing to the three major credit bureaus. Credit standing includes information like whether you make your minimum payment in full and on time every month. A history of good credit standing can help build your credit with responsible use. 1 However, not making your minimum payments on time each month can damage your credit.
How to build credit with a secured credit card
When you are looking to build or rebuild credit with responsible use, 1 a secured card can help prepare you for the future when you know how to manage it.
Benefits that don’t just talk the talk
$0 Fraud Liability
You’re never responsible for unauthorized purchases on your Discover Card. 7
Free Social Security number alerts
Get an alert if we find your Social Security number on the dark web. Sign up for CreditWise today - it’s available even if you don’t have a Discover card. 8
Lock your card
FICO® Score and more
It’s free and checking your score doesn’t hurt your credit. Sign up for CreditWise today - it’s available even if you don’t have a Discover card. 10
Real human customer service 24/7
You can talk to a real human on our customer service team any time. 11
Tap to pay
It’s fast and easy to pay with your contactless Discover Card. 12
Learn more about secured credit cards
Rates And Fees Information
- Footnote 1:
Many factors affect your credit, such as payment history and amount of credit extended and used. Using your credit responsibly may help you build good credit.
- Footnote 2:
No credit score required to apply: We may use credit scores if available.
- Footnote 3:
Deposit amount will be $49, $99, or $200 based on creditworthiness.
- Footnote 4:
Cashback Match: We’ll match all the cash back you’ve earned on your credit card from the day your new account is approved through your first 365 days and add it to your rewards account within two billing periods. You earn cash back only when transactions are 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 or Capital One checking or other deposit accounts; or rewards for accounts that are closed. This promotional offer may not be available in the future and is exclusively for new cardholders. No purchase minimums.
- Footnote 5:
Acceptance: According to the Feb 2026 issue of the Nilson Report.
- Footnote 6:
Your deposit will be returned and your account unsecured. All other card terms and features will remain the same.
- Footnote 7:
$0 Fraud Liability: An “unauthorized purchase” is a purchase where you have not given access to your card information to another person or a merchant for one-time or repeated charges. Unauthorized use and $0 fraud liability claims are subject to investigation and verification. Please use reasonable care to protect your card and do not share it with employees, relatives, or friends.
- Footnote 8:
Alerts and CreditWise Terms: Eligible users who have signed up for CreditWise, a free credit monitoring service provided by Capital One, will get access to their TransUnion® credit report, FICO Score 8, credit monitoring alerts based on select changes to their TransUnion® and Experian® credit reports and information we find on the Dark Web, tools to help them understand their credit, offers, and more. The credit score provided in CreditWise is a FICO Score 8 based on TransUnion data. The FICO Score 8 gives you a good sense of your credit health but it may not be the same score model used by your lender or creditor. In order to enroll in CreditWise, you need to be over the age of 18 with a valid social security number that can be matched to a credit profile with TransUnion. The availability of the CreditWise tool and certain features in the tool depends on our ability to obtain your credit history from TransUnion and whether you have sufficient credit history to generate a FICO Score 8. Some monitoring and alerts may not be available to you if the information you enter at enrollment does not match the information in your credit file at (or you do not have a file at) one or more consumer reporting agencies. You do not need to have a Capital One account (which includes Discover card accounts) to sign up for CreditWise. FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the United States and other countries.
- Footnote 9:
When Card Lock is enabled, some activity may continue, including returns, credits, payments, interest, balance transfers, dispute adjustments, other account fees, purchase transactions during system downtime and certain other exempted transactions. Typically, only primary cardholders or account managers can lock and unlock a card. Capital One customers are responsible for regularly checking their account activity and making payments on locked cards. If your card is lost or stolen, please notify Capital One as soon as possible.
- Footnote 10:
FICO® Credit Score and CreditWise Terms: Eligible users who have signed up for CreditWise, a free credit monitoring service provided by Capital One, will get access to their TransUnion® credit report, FICO Score 8, credit monitoring alerts, tools to help them understand their credit, offers, and more. The credit score provided in CreditWise is a FICO Score 8 based on TransUnion data. The FICO Score 8 gives you a good sense of your credit health but it may not be the same score model used by your lender or creditor. In order to enroll in CreditWise, you need to be over the age of 18 with a valid social security number that can be matched to a credit profile with TransUnion. The availability of the CreditWise tool and certain features in the tool depends on our ability to obtain your credit history from TransUnion and whether you have sufficient credit history to generate a FICO Score 8. Some monitoring and alerts may not be available to you if the information you enter at enrollment does not match the information in your credit file at (or you do not have a file at) one or more consumer reporting agencies. You do not need to have a Capital One account (which includes Discover card accounts) to sign up for CreditWise. FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the United States and other countries.
- Footnote 11:
Customer service: Certain specialized customer service agents may not be available 24/7.
- Footnote 12:
You can use the tap to pay feature with your contactless card anywhere your Discover credit card is accepted, and you see the contactless symbol at checkout. Not all merchants accept contactless payments. The Contactless Symbol is a trademark owned by and used with permission of EMVCo, LLC.