Discover Miles Credit Card Review

The Discover Miles Card is, unsurprisingly, a travel rewards card that allows cardholders to earn double miles on purchases up to $3000 in travel-related purchases and a point-per-dollar for general purchases.  Miles do not expire on the card and there are no blackout dates, though there is a limit of 60,000 miles a year – which could be as low as $30,000 per year, depending on how the miles are earned.

Unique Travel Rewards: Unlike other travel rewards cards, the Discover Miles Card offers 1,000 bonus miles a month if the card is used at least once a month – for a maximum of 12,000 miles in the first year of the card, in addition to whatever miles are earned via other purchases.  Miles can be redeemed for airfare or discount airfare, as well as gift cards at 50 brand-name merchants.

Discover Miles Benefits: In addition to rewards points, the Discover Miles Card offers $500,000 in travel accident insurance, as well as enhanced fraud protection that is important to travelers.  Like other Discover cards, the Miles Card has a lower APR than comparable cards and a 0% introductory APR for 12 months, as well as no annual fee.  The lack of an annual fee is significant, as most travel rewards cards charge an annual fee – some of which can be very steep, offsetting the gains from a better rewards program.

Conclusion: The Discover Miles Card is a decent rewards card that is best suited for those who do not make a lot of purchases a year.  The 1,000 a month bonus is only good for the first year of the card, but it can kick into effect for very small purchases.  A cardholder does not need to spend $1000 to earn 1000 miles, so it is a good bet for frugal flyers.  As you can earn greater miles below $3000, it’s not a great system for those who intend on spending well above that, but for people who do not spend a huge amount on credit – or who will use this card in conjunction with other credit cards – it has some unique travel rewards possibilities.