Posted by: John S Kiernan

Discover claims to treat you like you treat you, and that sounds great. But it’s still fair to wonder which Discover card – if any – you should actually treat yourself to. Because let’s face it: You don’t want the best Discover card; you want the best overall credit card for your individual needs. After all, what good is a credit card from a given issuer if getting it means racking up costly fees and sacrificing hundreds of dollars in potential rewards?

With that in mind, WalletHub’s editors compared Discover’s flagship credit cards to the best deals from the rest of the market to see which offers best address the most common consumer needs. You can find a summary of the winners and losers for each category below. To learn more about a particular match-up, just click on the category name. And to see what type of credit card you’re likely to get approved for, you can check your credit score for free on WalletHub, the only site that offers scores and full credit reports updated daily.

Best For...	Discover's Best	Best Feature	Editors' Rating	Learn More
Cash Back	Discover it® - Cashback Match™	Up to 10% cash back the first year	3.3 Stars	Editors’ Notes
Travel Rewards	Discover it® Miles	Earn and redeem with any airline	3.4 Stars	Editors’ Notes
(Re)building Credit	Discover it® Secured Card - No Annual Fee	Rewards, doubled the first year	5 Stars	Editors’ Notes
College Students	Discover it® for Students	Up to 10% cash back the first year	4.7 Stars	Editors’ Notes

Best Discover Card: Cash Back

There’s a lot to like about the Discover it® - Cashback Match™, considering that the average person could earn as much as $1,576 over the first two years of use, according to our calculations. Much of that value is front-loaded, however, thanks to Discover’s generous offer to double your first-year earnings. And you really have to work to maximize what you earn, since the highest rewards rates apply only to bonus categories that change on a quarterly basis.

We aren’t big fans of rotating bonus categories, given their quarterly sign-up requirements and the fact that most purchases inevitably won’t qualify for bonus earning rates. So if you’re going to go the Discover it route, do so with your eyes open (and perhaps plans for a quick exit).

Side-By-Side Comparison: Discover it® - Cashback Match™ vs. Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer

Best Discover Card: Travel Rewards

The Discover it® Miles is a decent offer that requires good credit to qualify, but this it card’s terms really can’t hang with the market’s elite. There are simply too many great deals available these days to waste time and rewards potential on Discover it Miles.

It’s also worth noting that Discover isn’t accepted by as many merchants or in as many countries as Visa and Mastercard. International travelers and folks who shop from foreign-based merchants should make sure to take that into account.

Side-By-Side Comparison: Discover it® Miles vs. Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard®

Best Discover Card: (Re)building Credit

The Discover it® Secured Card - No Annual Fee doesn’t charge an annual fee but does offer rewards. That alone makes it an amazing deal, especially for people with bad credit. The fact that its rewards are really good only adds to the appeal.

You get 2% cash back – double the market average for a rewards card – on the first $1,000 you spent at restaurants and gas stations each quarter, in addition to 1% cash back on all other purchases. And as the grand finale, Discover will double all of the rewards you earn the first year.

Side-By-Side Comparison: Discover it® Secured Card - No Annual Fee vs. Capital One® Secured Mastercard®

Best Discover Card: Students

The Discover it® for Students has the potential to be one of the most rewarding student cards on the market, especially if you qualify for the $20 yearly good-student bonus. But it won’t make things easy on you. Exactly how valuable the Student it Card will be depends on how much you spend in its bonus categories, not to mention your ability to actually sign up for the bonus rates each quarter.

Side-By-Side Comparison: Discover it® for Students vs. Journey® Student Rewards from Capital One®

Whichever card you choose, we recommend signing up for a free WalletHub account. You’ll be able to track your credit score’s progress, learn from the grades on your credit scorecard and enjoy 24/7 credit monitoring.

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via Finance Xpress