Discover it® Business Card review: An easy start for business beginners, but gone from the market
This card is a far-reaching option when it comes to covering startup expenses.
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Snapshot
4.2
Bottom line
This card was a far-reaching option when it came to covering startup expenses: a simple and low-cost tool that could comfortably fit various business needs. But new businesses will need to find other options.
Intro offer
Cashback Match™
Rewards Rate
1.5%
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
12.99% to 20.99% Variable
Bankrate Score
Rewards value
APR
Rewards flexibility
Features
Remove a card to add another to compare
Remove a card to add another to compare
Bankrate insight
The Discover it® Business Card is no longer available for application. Unfortunately, Discover hasn’t launched a new business card to take its place, meaning Discover currently has no business cards to choose from.
Discover it® Business Card Overview
If you’re a small-business owner looking for a user-friendly business rewards card, the Discover it® Business Card was an excellent low-maintenance option.
It was one of the rare business cards with no annual fee or foreign transaction fees, and though it lacked the arsenal of rewards and benefits other premium credit cards have, it was a solid option for startups that don’t have specialized expenses.
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Rewards
- Unlimited 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases
Expert Appraisal: Good
- Unlimited 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases
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Welcome offer
- All cash back earned in the first year is automatically matched
Expert Appraisal: Good
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0% intro APR of
- 0 percent intro APR on purchases for 12 months
- 3 percent to 5 percent variable ongoing APR
- 2.99 percent to 20.99 percent variable APR
Expert Appraisal: Typical
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Rates and fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Foreign transaction fee: $0
- Over-limit fee: $0
- Balance transfer fee: 5 percent
Expert Appraisal: Good
Alternatives to the Discover it® Business Card
Although this card’s perks weren’t very competitive, it made for a solid, no-hassle option for small startups that wanted to earn reliable rewards on all spending. Discover hasn’t released another business card to take its place, so consider one of the other top business credit cards as an alternative to the Discover it® Business Card.
Discover it® Business Card
Annual fee
Intro offer
We automatically match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year.
Rewards rate
Earn 1.5% cash back on every dollar spent on all purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn a $250 statement credit after you make $3,000 in purchases on your Card in your first 3 months.
Rewards rate
Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%. 1% cash back on all eligible purchases after spending $50,000 per calendar year.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards rate
Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Best cards to pair with the Discover it® Business Card
If you plan on hanging on to your Discover it® Business Card but want to supplement its rewards, the best way to maximize your flat-rate cash back card is to couple it with another credit card that earns cash back in your biggest spending categories.
Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card
A card like the Bank of America Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards card lets you rack up 3 percent cash back on a business-related category of your choosing and 2 percent on dining on up to $50,000 in combined purchases, then 1 percent. You’ll also earn 1 percent on everything else.
The Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards card makes an especially good partner for the Discover it® Business Card since its flexibility complements the Discover card flat rate. You can swap your 3 percent category each month for whichever upcoming overhead cost you expect will be highest while continuing to use the Discover it® Business Card on all other purchases.
Discover it® Business Card pros and cons
Pros
- This card continues to be forgiving with no annual, foreign transaction or over-limit fees.
- The card had a rather low ongoing APR, which could make it handy to hang on to if you need to carry a balance.
- Discover consistently achieves high ratings in J.D. Power’s credit card satisfaction survey.
Cons
- The card’s limited portfolio of benefits doesn’t offer a strong ongoing value for your wallet compared to other cards.
- Discover network has a smaller merchant acceptance presence compared to Visa and Mastercard, which could make using the card abroad tough.
Bankrate’s Take — Is the Discover it® Business Card worth keeping?
Overall, the Discover it® Business Card is still a useful option if you prefer a straightforward flat-rate rewards card over a higher-maintenance credit card with more perks. But you have plenty of other similar or stronger small-business cards on the market to choose from. Since the Discover it® Business Card’s most unique feature was its intro offer, you could safely replace it with another business card and not miss out on rewards or benefits.
All information about the Bank of America® Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard® credit card has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
How we rated this card
Our proprietary card rating system takes into account a mix of factors when scoring business credit cards, including each card’s rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more.
We analyzed over 50 of the most popular business credit cards and scored each based on how its key features stacked up compared to those of other cards in its category.
Here are some of the key factors that gave this card its score:
Frequently Asked Questions
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.