Discover it^® Student Chrome vs. Discover it^® Student Cash Back [2025]: Two Excellent Options

Discover it Student Cash Back vs. Discover it Student Chrome comparison

	Discover it® Student Cash Back 4.75 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	Discover it® Student Chrome 4.55 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Card type	Student/Cash back	Student/Cash back
Annual fee	$0	$0
Reward rate	Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.	Earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Plus earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Potential annual value based on FinanceBuzz Credit Card Valuation1 <p class="">These values are based on the <a href="https://financebuzz.com/financebuzz-credit-card-valuation">FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model</a>, which takes a look at rewards earned via spending, the welcome offer, and the annual fee. We used a valuation of 1 cent/point unless otherwise stated above. These are estimated values - your actual earnings will depend on how much you spend and in what categories.<br></p>	Year one: $479 Year two: $239	Year one: $343 Year two: $171
Redemption methods	Statement credits Bank deposits Gift cards Charitable donations Pay with Cashback Bonus at select merchants	Statement credits Bank deposits Gift cards Charitable donations Pay with Cashback Bonus at select merchants
Welcome offer	Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.	Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
Introductory APR	0% intro APR for 6 months on purchases (then 17.24% - 26.24% Variable) 10.99% intro APR for 6 months on balance transfers (then 17.24% - 26.24% Variable)	0% intro APR for 6 months on purchases (then 17.24% - 26.24% Variable) 10.99% intro APR for 6 months on balance transfers (then 17.24% - 26.24% Variable)
Foreign transaction fee	0%	0%
Recommended credit	Fair	Fair
	Apply now | Read our full Discover it® Student Cash Back review	Apply now | Read our full Discover it® Student Chrome review

Which credit card should you choose?

The Discover it Student Cash Back and Discover it Student Chrome are nearly identical cards apart from a few differences. The main difference lies in how they earn rewards.

The Discover it Student Cash Back provides more earning potential if your everyday spending aligns with its rotating spending categories. But the Discover it Student Chrome is easier to use because of its simple rewards rate.

When you should choose the Discover it Student Cash Back

• You're a college student who wants to build credit history
• You want to earn cashback rewards
• You prefer a high rewards rate on rotating categories

We like the Discover it Student Cash Back because it has a $0 annual fee and let's you earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Also, Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. That means if you earn $300 cash back your first cardmember year, you'll receive another $300 in cash back from Discover.

Keep in mind that the elevated cashback rate only applies to rotating categories up to the quarterly maximum, when you activate. That means you have to enroll every quarter and you can't earn the 5% rate above the $1,500 spending cap. After that, the rate is 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Read our full Discover it^® Student Cash Back review.

When you should choose the Discover it Student Chrome

• You're a college student who wants to build credit history
• You want to earn cashback rewards
• You prefer a decent rewards rate on fixed categories

We like the Discover it Student Chrome because it has a $0 annual fee and you can earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Plus earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

With this card, Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.

Compared to the Discover it Student Cash Back, the Discover it Student Chrome makes more sense if you prefer fixed spending categories. But keep in mind that there's a spending cap. You can earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter).

Read our full Discover it^® Student Chrome review.

What both cards excel at

• Generous welcome offers: New cardholders can earn a welcome bonus with either card. Both cards participate in the Cashback Match™ program for the first year of card membership, which provides a dollar-for-dollar match for all the cash back you earn at the end of your first year as a cardholder. There's no minimum spending requirement.
• Cash rewards credit cards: Both Discover credit cards earn cash back for making eligible purchases.
• No foreign transaction fees: You don't have to worry about paying foreign transaction fees with the Discover it Student Cash Back or Discover it Student Chrome.
• No annual fees: The Discover it Student Cash Back has a $0 annual fee, while the Discover it Student Chrome also has a $0 annual fee.
• Intro APR offers: Both cards provide intro balance transfer and intro purchase APR offers.
• Redemption options: With either Discover student card, you can redeem rewards through the Discover rewards program for a statement credit, deposits into eligible bank accounts, gift cards, and charitable donations. You can also use your rewards to make purchases at certain merchants.
• Card network: The Discover it Student Cash Back and Discover it Student Chrome use the Discover network, which is accepted nationwide by 99% of merchants who take credit cards.
• Security Protections: Both cards offer free Social Security number alerts if your Social Security number is found on the dark web and Freeze it®, which allows you to freeze the use of your card with one switch if you misplace it.

2 important differences between Discover it Student Cash Back and Discover it Student Chrome

1. Spending categories

The Discover it Student Cash Back allows you to earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

The Discover it Student Chrome allows you to earn 2% cash back at Gas Stations and Restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, automatically. Plus earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

We generally recommend the Discover it Student Cash Back over the Discover it Student Chrome because it has a higher overall rewards rate, so you could earn more cash back.

But whether you're able to earn more cash back depends on your typical spending habits. If your everyday expenses don't align with the rotating categories on the Discover it Student Cash Back, you won't be able to earn as much.

Winner: It's a tie because the card with the better spending categories depends on your spending habits. However, the Discover it Student Cash Back has the better potential for earning bonus rewards.

2. Simplicity

Let's take another look at the rewards rates of both cards.

If you want to keep things as uncomplicated as possible with your credit cards, the Discover it Student Chrome is better than the Discover it Student Cash Back.

That's because the Discover it Student Cash Back has rotating categories each quarter that you have to track if you want to earn more cash back. In addition, you also have to enroll in the higher rewards rate each quarter or you won't earn it on eligible purchases.

With the Discover it Student Chrome, you have fixed spending categories that don't change or require any sort of enrollment.

Winner: Discover it Student Chrome because you don't have to worry about rotating categories or enrolling in a higher rewards rate each quarter.

FAQs

Bottom line

We recommend the Discover it Student Cash Back over the Discover it Student Chrome as a student credit card if you don't mind rotating bonus categories and prefer more earning potential over ease of use.

But if you want a simple cash back card that's easy to use, we recommend the Discover it Student Chrome.

For more of our student credit card card recommendations, check out our list of the best credit cards for students.

Cash Back for Those New to Credit

Discover it^® Student Cash Back

4.75

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Discover it^® Student Cash Back

Apply Now

Rates and fees

Current Offer

Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year.

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Intro APR on purchases
• Excellent welcome offer
• Useful redemption options, including on Amazon and PayPal
• $0 annual fee

Drawbacks

• You must be a student at a 2- or 4-year college or university
• Discover isn’t accepted quite as widely as Visa or Mastercard abroad
• You have to activate the highest earning categories each quarter

Card Details

• INTRO OFFER: Unlimited Cashback Match for all new cardmembers – only from Discover. Discover will automatically match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year! There’s no minimum spending or maximum rewards. You could turn $50 cash back into $100. Or turn $100 cash back into $200.
• Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
• Redeem cash back for any amount
• No credit score required to apply.
• No annual fee and build your credit with responsible use.
• 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months, then the standard variable purchase APR of 17.24% - 26.24% applies.
• Terms and conditions apply.