Cards in circulation: Visa beats Discover by a lot. There are 312.2 million Visa cards in circulation in the U.S., compared to Discover's 61 million. Foreign acceptance: Visa is better than Discover. Visa is accepted at virtually every merchant in the world who takes credit cards, in 200+ countries and territories.
Discover is a consumer credit card brand known for its cash-back rewards program and reduced fee structure. Discover Financial issues its cards directly to its customers without using intermediate bank issuers and thus profits directly from the interest earned on their credit card balances.
Discover Card advantages
Different cards offer different rewards programs, such as cash back or Miles, so you'll want to choose the one that rewards your spending habits. Discover has unlimited Cashback Match: we'll automatically match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year.
The cons of banking with Discover Bank include no physical branch presence, no specialty CDs, and no brokerage accounts.
A Visa credit card doesn't just offer you convenient buying power. It can offer the opportunity to earn rewards, enjoy travel perks, get cash back and build up your credit history.
For example, whereas Visa charges 1.79% (plus $0.08) per in-person transaction, Discover charges 2.05% (plus $0.08). Because many small businesses have narrow profit margins to begin with, a 0.26% difference in processing fees is certainly enough to refuse the more expensive credit card. This is changing, however.
To qualify for the Discover it Miles, you'll need a good or excellent credit score. Like the Discover it Cash Back, this means you'll want a credit score of 670 or above.
Your credit card could be closed due to inactivity
That's partly because closing a credit card account can reduce your overall available credit, which increases your credit utilization ratio. Closing an older credit card may also hurt your score by reducing the average age of your accounts.
Discover credit cards can be a good option for those looking to earn cash back rewards. Discover it® Cash Back lets you earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate.
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.
Your card may not get approval if you've reached your credit limit, or if you attempt a purchase that exceeds your available credit. A large purchase that doesn't fit your spending patterns may appear suspicious to your credit card company, so they may decline the transaction.
Global acceptance winner: Visa
Global acceptance is one area where Visa beats Discover, with usage in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. According to the card network, there are currently 4.5 billion Visa cards in use and more than 130 million merchant locations.
Most cards with the Discover brand are issued by Discover Bank, formerly the Greenwood Trust Company. Discover transactions are processed through the Discover Network payment network.
The four major credit card networks are Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover.
For a score with a range of 300 to 850, a credit score of 670 to 739 is considered good. Credit scores of 740 and above are very good while 800 and higher are excellent.
There are several different Discover cards available to individuals around the country, but each has different requirements for approval. In general, though, the answer to whether is Discover secured card hard to get is no, and it is also the easiest to get.
Many national chains like Walmart, Meijer, Kroger, Publix, and Albertsons all accept Discover Card. Walmart takes Discover directly in their Walmart Pay app,2 and a lot of top stores even let you get cash back with your purchase with no additional fees.
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.
Target stores
Third-party credit cards: Visa®, Mastercard®, Discover®/Novus®, American Express®, credit cards from foreign banks (JCB Japanese Credit Bureau), Diner's Club International, and FSA/HSA cards are redeemable for FSA/HSA eligible items. Debit/ATM and EBT cards: U.S.-issued debit/ATM cards.
Credit card inactivity will eventually result in your account being closed. A closed account can have a negative impact on your credit score, so consider keeping your cards open and active whenever possible.
NerdWallet's annual analysis of household debt finds that revolving credit card debt is up just 1.5% compared to 2023. On average, a household with revolving credit card debt owes $10,563. [1] Mortgage, auto loan, student loan and overall total household debt have also all increased slightly from last year.