Visa, one of the biggest differences you'll find is that Discover is both a credit card issuer and a card network while Visa is only a network. Visa is more widely accepted, too, and it has more supplemental benefits as well as more cards to choose from.
While Discover cards offer basic benefits such as free access to your FICO credit score and zero fraud liability, Visa cards have more to offer, especially for travel purchases. There are three different levels of Visa card benefits (Visa Traditional, Visa Signature and Visa Infinite).
Common benefits include: No annual fee: Every tier of Discover credit card comes with no annual fee. First-year unlimited cash-back match: Discover will match all rewards earned in a cardholder's first 12 billing cycles. $0 fraud liability: Discover guarantees cardholders are not responsible for unauthorized purchases.
Our Verdict. The Discover it® Cash Back credit card is a good (but not great) cash-back card. Its customer service and first-year cash-back match stand out as its best features. The capped, rotating cash-back categories of its bonus rewards, however, make it a second-tier rewards card.
First off, Mastercard isn't related to a specific issuer, it's a huge card network across issuers around the world. Because of that, you can use Mastercard in many more places than you would Discover. Secondly, because it's spread out so wide, Mastercard has better benefits, like rental car insurance.
One major national chain outlet that doesn't accept Discover at any outlets is Costco, which only honors one credit card brand at its members-only warehouse stores, tire centers and gas stations. In 2016, Costco ended a 16-year partnership with American Express, and it currently accepts only Visa cards.
Discover card acceptance in the United States
The biggest exception is Costco, which is a Visa-exclusive business.
For this card, you generally need a good to excellent credit score to qualify. According to FICO, a 'good' credit score is a score between 670 and 739.
And over 30 years later, Discover Cards are now accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. So, it's easy to earn Discover rewards when you shop in stores or online, pay bills, order food, and so much more.
The minimum credit score needed to get most Discover credit cards is 700 or above. There are a few Discover cards for which there's no minimum credit score requirement, such as the Discover it® Secured Credit Card which you can get with a bad credit score (below 640).
No, there is no minimum income required to get approved for Discover it Cash Back. When it comes to income, what you need to demonstrate is your ability to make at least the minimum monthly payments and to repay any balance you may incur. Moreover, a good credit score or better is required to get this card.
Discover is a great choice if you prefer a credit card with great cash back for eligible gas purchases across many gas station brands. You earn 2% Cashback Bonus® at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically.
Walmart accepts most major credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. In addition to accepting external credit cards, Walmart also offers its own store credit card called the Walmart Credit Card. This card can only be used at Walmart stores and on Walmarts website.
Today, you can use your Discover card at 99% of U.S. merchants that take credit cards, making it a reliable and convenient payment method.
It's generally recommended that you have two to three credit card accounts at a time, in addition to other types of credit. Remember that your total available credit and your debt to credit ratio can impact your credit scores. If you have more than three credit cards, it may be hard to keep track of monthly payments.
To illustrate this, think about the disparity between the number of Discover cards and the number of Visa cards. Discover has one-seventh of the number of active cards as Visa. Because of this, many merchants determine that there's not enough of an incentive for their business to accept these cards.
Due to its more specific, affluent target audience Discover also charges higher merchant credit card processing fees, which may explain why some businesses “opt out” or “opt in” to accepting it at their cash registers.
Plus, Discover cards offer some of the best rewards out there. But the appeal goes beyond simply offering top-tier rewards credit cards. Discover offers cardholders zero fees, fraud protection, and impressive customer service. Here's a guide to all of the perks you can expect from your Discover credit card.
Centurion® Card from American Express
A rating of 5 is the best a card can receive. Why it's one of the hardest credit cards to get: The hardest credit card to get is the American Express Centurion Card. Known simply as the “Black Card,” you need an invitation to get Amex Centurion.
Discover's 2024 categories
There's no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $150 cash back into $300. There's no minimum spending or maximum rewards, which makes the card an especially great deal for new cardholders — you'll basically double any cash back that you earn in the first year.
Here's how you can use your Discover card at Walmart:
Discover credit cards are accepted as a payment method at Walmart. However, the fact that all Discover cards are Walmart Pay-compatible is closest you'll get to a Walmart offer for Discover cardholders.
Amazon Pay accepts credit and debit cards. Credit cards currently accepted include Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Diners Club, and JCB. The Amazon.com store card is available for use with selected merchants. In some circumstances, you might be limited to using Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Credit & Debit Charges
You can register Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards in the app. Payment cards registered must be issued by a U.S. bank.